Hmmmm.

I like Ron Paul's dislike of the USA quasi-empire. But I'm not clear on what he thinks 'the markets are telling us today.' I really don't think they are telling us anything about our military efforts unless he's referring to instability in the Middle East. The current market mess is telling us that bad risk management in our domestic economy is not only bad for us, but for the global economy as well.

As for empires, military, and finances, I think history would show that empires lead to strong economies through the imposition of ordered trade. The Pax Romana is probably a classic example. Rome did not become as wealthy as it did through isolationism. It could have been a prosperous city state all alone, but that would have been temporary, like its actual empire, because some other empire would have incorporated them or demolished them in the effort. The jungle is no friend to property rights, especially when your property is productive.