Isn't this already happening?
[I composed this before seeing Yoshie's further entries and must go but glancing at the headlines they appear to support this argument.]
The only thing is that the Empire does not impose trust territory status. It withholds funds until the people of the territory can sort it out themselves, on imperialist terms (ie those of global finance capital) Consider three topical examples.
Macedonia: They have obliged the Serb majority to agree language and other concessions to the Albanian minority, without allowing the division of the country.
Afghanistan They cut off the supply of money from Saudi Arabia with which the Taliban leadership cemented its alliance of tribal groups. They have funded a series of conferences of tribal leaders. They have just orchestrated a piece of theatre which combines Afghan tribal customs with 21st century technology, and a few decorative British peace keeping troops, while Rabbani embraces and hands over authority to Karzai. While in the background the financial option plans are discussed in technical detail.
Argentina
FT 21 Dec:
"No bailout without reform plan says US"
http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3R6V0MIVC&live=true
"Earlier this week, Paul O'Neill, US Treasury secretary, insisted that the US would not immediately lend financial assistance to Argentina, saying it was the duty of officials in Buenos Aires to put the country on a "sound financial footing".
... the IMF said it would work closely with the new government, but added it was the incoming administration's duty to "come up with an economic programme that is sustainable" before aid is forthcoming.
Experts said that the Bush administration and the IMF were clearly waiting for two steps to be taken by the interim government - to allow a default, or at least a restructuring , of the country's $132 bn in outstanding debt, and to devalue the Argentinian peso.'
,,, Charles Calomiris, an economist at Columbia University ... said the US and IMF negligence could be traced back to the Clinton administration, saying the Clinton Treasury department was equally complicit by not forcing Argentina to make tough decisions.'
The structures of Empire which transcend the post Westphalian nation state, are already emerging.
What is lacking is a reform to pump trillions of dollars of value from the centre to the periphery to stop the recurrent cycle of crashes like those of Argentina from being so unsettling.
Plus, and this is not what they want at all, increasing united struggle by working people in the world to demand that economic activity should be socially regulated on a global basis.
For that struggle to be revolutionary it cannot be limited to a national basis.
Chris Burford
London