alt Hacker News"Maintain economic dominance" is a bit of a distorted view of late 19th century US colonialism. It was not a dominant economic power compared to colonial Europe. It was to boost the local economy for sure, with the guano islands. But colonizing the Philippines after the "war" with Spain was mostly to prevent European colonial powers from dominating that part of the world.
The US didn't become economically dominant until after the first World War, when it already had an overseas empire for half a century.
I assumed the comment I was replying to was in reference to our constellation of military bases and the economic machinations post ww2.
If it was referencing history prior to that then I would reply with the as you mentioned guano mines, fruit production, and keeping European powers out of our regional backyard after several scuffles with Spain and Britain at minimum.
I’d also mention the boat touching still.
The Marine’s Hymn doesn’t mention the Halls of Montezuma and the Shores of Tripoli for no reason.