US imperialism is running wild. Under Joe Biden, the White House flagrantly violated international law by enabling Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Now Donald Trump has gone even further down the same path.
So far, his administration has extorted Washington’s European partners, launched air strikes against Iran, declared its intention to occupy Greenland, and kidnapped Venezuela’s head of state, while continuing to support Israel’s genocide.
The United States has directly assaulted the “rules-based international order” that it once helped establish, undermining the United Nations, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, and imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court.
As terrifying as these imperialist offensives may be, they are a sign not of strength but of weakness. This is not simply the weakness of the individuals who happen to be at the helm, but of the United States as a whole. While Biden’s senility and Trump’s capriciousness have certainly played a part, US imperialism’s frightening trajectory stems from deeper developments.
The US imperium today is in a severe crisis. What we are witnessing is not its resurgence but rather the symptoms of its frantic decline.
After World War II, several factors allowed the United States to become the most powerful empire in history. One was, of course, the country’s dominant military. Its navy was larger than that of every other state combined, it controlled a string of bases around the world, and for several years it was the only country in possession of nuclear weapons.
However, military might on its own does not make for a strong imperialism. The US empire benefited greatly from the country’s technological advantage and its unparalleled economic strength. At one point, half of all manufactured goods on the planet were made in America.
The United States also rested upon strong foundations of domestic popularity. The two main political parties agreed on most…
Auteur: Salar Mohandesi
