The world faces perilous times as conflicts escalate across key regions like Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The United States, central to many of these conflicts, seeks to maintain its dominance in a shifting global landscape but the chances are slim.
We are living through the most dangerous and most promising time of our lives. It’s dangerous because there are multiple flashpoints of conflicts occurring simultaneously in strategic regions – Europe, Middle East, and Asia – that involve the world’s most powerful entities such as the US, Russia, EU, and China.
Of course, the one common actor in all these theaters is the United States, which is trying to replay the scenarios of WW1 and WW2 when the great powers destroyed themselves, leaving the US safe at a distance. On the other hand, the promising aspect of our times is the rise of a multipolar world.
A generational theory known as the Fourth Turning warns that every 80 years – or, four generations – humanity plunges into great catastrophes, because the people who endured immense sufferings are not around to warn us. Eerily, it has been 80 years since WW2, and look what’s happening in Europe and Asia.
Europe is experiencing amnesia and is waging a proxy war on Russia; and Japan is rewriting its Constitution to start a war with China. It’s quite astonishing that Europeans and Japanese do not understand that they are merely sacrificial pawns of the Empire of Chaos. The survivors of Dresden and Hiroshima are no longer alive to admonish us.
At the Munich Security Conference a few days ago, US Secretary of State Blinken had a Freudian slip when he said, “If you are not at the table with us, you will be on the menu.”
This is the imperialist and barbaric mentality that literally threatens to kill anyone who seeks an independent path. This is the fake freedom according to the so-called “rules-based international order,” which translates to “we make the rules, we change the rules any time we want, the rules always favor us, and you must meekly obey our order.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabank
The Myths of US Empire
The United States of America is a young nation, about 250 years old. Worse, many Americans are propagandized with phrases such as exceptionalism, greatest country, richest country, or the world’s superpower. All those terms are wrong or misleading. The US empire is a blip in the history of the world, and the US is declining rapidly.
For many Americans, it would be surprising to discover that the US was quite agricultural and under-developed until the turn of the 20th century. Even in the 1930s, 90% of rural Americans did not have access to electricity. It was WW2 that saved the US from the Great Depression, made the dollar into a global reserve currency, and transformed the US into an empire.
Moreover, the US got a big boost in technology from the mass exodus of European scientists as well as outright theft of German inventions during and after WW2. Later, the US stole semiconductor expertise from Japan in the 1980s under the Plaza Accord.
Immigration of smartest people from Russia, India, China etc. has also helped the US maintain its scientific edge over the last few decades – even though US education ranks at the bottom of developed nations, and half of all American adults are functionally illiterate.
In this June 8, 2021, file photo, a jogger runs past a homeless encampment in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles. California Gov. Newsom on Thursday, Sept 16, 2021, approved two measures to slice through local zoning ordinances as the most populous state struggles with soaring home prices, an affordable housing shortage and stubborn homelessness. Newson signed the most prominent legislation despite nearly 250 cities objecting that it will, by design, undermine local planning and control. – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
In this June 8, 2021, file photo, a jogger runs past a homeless encampment in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles. California Gov. Newsom on Thursday, Sept 16, 2021, approved two measures to slice through local zoning ordinances as the most populous state struggles with soaring home prices, an affordable housing shortage and stubborn homelessness. Newson signed the most prominent legislation despite nearly 250 cities objecting that it will, by design, undermine local planning and control.
© AP Photo / Marcio Jose Sanchez
The Rapidly Declining Empire
What many people do not realize is that the US peaked in 1950, when it represented half of global GDP and was the king of manufacturing. It has been downhill since then. Fast forward to now, US’ share of global GDP has been cut in half. The power shift from the West to the East since the end of the Cold War has been stunning.
In terms of purchasing power (PPP GDP), Russia is larger than Germany, China is larger than the US, Asia is larger than the US and Europe combined, BRICS is larger than the G7, and developing nations are larger the developed countries.
In terms of manufacturing, trade, middle class, economic growth, patents, scientific papers etc., Asia has become the key pole. In 37 out of 44 leading edge technologies, China ranks #1.
Even in military prowess, Russia and China have hypersonic missiles, which the US has been unable to master. In the last two years, how Russia has been winning against the US, NATO and Europe combined in Ukraine is an amazing testament to the changing world order.
Russia’s military production capacity has also proven to be better than the collective West. Now, Ukraine faces critical shortage of weapons and ammunition, but the US is unable to manufacture basic things such as artillery shells. The only weapon the US has left to use against Russia is propaganda, in which the US reigns supreme.
Heck, even the Houthis of Yemen are shooting down America’s $30 million drones with $10,000 missiles. The Houthis are also the very first in the world to use anti-ship ballistic missiles. Imagine that.
In diplomacy, the vast powers of the US empire have been futile against Russia over the last two years. The unprecedented US/EU sanctions did not isolate Russia or collapse the Russian economy or turn Russian President Putin into persona no grata as the imperialists fantasized. To the chagrin of the imperialists, Russian economy kept growing and surpassed Germany as the largest economy in Europe; the entire Global South has remained as a steadfast friend of Russia; and American journalist Tucker Carlson flew to Moscow to interview Putin and posted the video, which has accrued one billion views. On US social media such as Twitter/X, Putin is infinitely more popular than Biden.
Tucker Carlson interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© Sputnik / POOL / Go to the mediabank
While the US depends on diktats, China and Russia leveraged diplomacy and reasoning to mediate peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The détente between the two Islamic powers is a geopolitical game changer that will bring about tectonic changes to the Middle East. The rapprochement can also act as a template for other sparring countries.
More interestingly, the anti-Russia sanctions and weaponization of dollar have backfired spectacularly and have accelerated dedollarization around the world. Five countries have joined BRICS since then, and 30+ countries are interested in joining the anti-unipolarity coalition this year. Note that, without the primacy of US dollar, there will be no US empire.
In the Middle East, the US had hoped to eliminate all independent actors and establish its unrivaled supremacy in the geostrategic, resource-rich region. 9/11 provided the perfect cover for the US to implement this grand strategy. However, 20 years and trillions of dollars after the illegal invasion of Iraq, the US is now being unceremoniously kicked out of Iraq and Syria.
As for the US/EU-supported Israel’s war on Gaza, the world is taking a moral stand in favor of the powerless Palestinian children and women trapped and bombed in the concentration camp. South Africa filed a genocide complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ); and Brazilian President Lula has compared the slaughter in Gaza to the Holocaust.
People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024 – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© AFP 2023 Said Khatib
The Trinity of Challenges to US Empire
While the US empire is facing a silent revolt all over the world, the most profound challenges come from three countries: Russia, China and Iran. And this “problem” is compounded by the fact that the US has targeted them all at the same time. Gone are the shrewd pragmatism of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon, who embraced the USSR and China respectively to play divide and rule. Now, driven by hubris and ignorance, the US has managed to push three of its biggest rivals closer.
Shockingly, the triumvirate is not a surprising concept. In the 1990s, American geopolitical sage Zbigniew Brzezinski spelled it out in his book The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. He wrote, “Potentially, the most dangerous scenario would be a grand coalition of China, Russia, and perhaps Iran, an antihegemonic coalition united not by ideology but by complementary grievances.” Can someone give a more explicit warning than this?
However, Americans did follow other disruptive advice from Brzezinski – expanding NATO, trying to expel Russia from Crimea and Black Sea, keeping vassals – the likes of Europe and Japan – weak and submissive, and trying to sabotage the rise of Eurasia.
While these Machiavellian tactics have worked well to some extent, they have also turned the US into an empire of lies, tyranny and cruelty. The war on Iraq based on WMD lies… sponsoring Al Qaeda and related terrorists in Chechnya and Syria… destabilizing the entire Middle East… killing millions of people through sanctions and wars… funding and arming neo-Nazis in Ukraine… destroying the European economy… wrecking free trade and the WTO with trade wars and tech wars against China… bombing millions of people in Gaza, an open-air prison where half the population are children… the list goes on.
Unfortunately, no geopolitical expert in the US talked about how America could lead the world by focusing on industrialization, science, technology, infrastructure, Middle Class, physical health, mental health, and wholesome societal values.
Instead, the US was taken over by Wall Street, Big Pharma, military-industrial-spy complex and other parasitic corporate groups. America deindustrialized itself, offshored critical manufacturing, and created asset/debt bubbles to hide the declining standard of living.
Young Americans have $1.7 trillion of student debt, which is larger than Australia’s GDP. Americans also spend $4.5 trillion every year on “health” care but have life expectancy smaller than that of China.
A tent and debris sit in McPherson Square in Washington – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© AP Photo / Patrick Semansky / A tent and debris sit in McPherson Square in Washington
The US government is now borrowing $3 trillion a year, while 60% of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Yet, the most indebted nation claims to be the richest in the world. In a country where a Supreme Court Justice said she couldn’t tell who’s a man or woman because she’s not a “biologist,” words have no meaning.
In terms of physical health, consider that obesity rate in the US has tripled from 15% to 45% since 1980. Yet, no nutrition expert from Stanford or Harvard can figure out why. Similarly, the number of Americans taking antidepressants and illicit drugs has exploded in the last three decades.
A new term called “deaths of despair” was coined to describe how Americans are dying due to poverty, unemployment and a feeling of hopelessness. There are cities veritably dying all over the US – between New York and California – but they receive no help from the government or the corporations.
To distract the masses from the dismal reality, US elites have created all sorts of social engineering and sexual ideologies that are destroying the young Americans. The repercussions on demographics will be dramatic within a generation. Then, to compensate for the declining fertility rate, the elites encourage illegal immigration by the millions.
As for American elections and extensive drama that lasts for more than a year and costs a couple of billions of dollars, what is the point? The candidates are vetted by the two corporate parties and plutocrats; and as Wikileaks emails revealed, the winners are chosen even before the race begins. 73% of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is going, and US Congress has 11% approval, but people are brainwashed to keep voting.
The propaganda and censorship industry in the US is worth several billions of dollars – see my Sputnik article on how this operates.
The US economic, political and social systems can only be described as predatory and evil, to put it mildly. But Americans are constantly told they have freedom, democracy, and the best system. As George Orwell wrote in 1984, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Meanwhile, Russia and China have pursued intelligent and holistic paths. Under Putin, Russia’s economy, military and society have done extremely well since 2000, despite the immense geopolitical sabotage attempted by the globalists. That Russia was able to withstand the brutal US/EU sanctions over the last two years is a testament to Putin’s visionary leadership.
By the way, as early as 2007, Putin spoke about the rise of a multipolar world and warned about the dangers of American unipolar delusion. In 2001, Putin spoke in front of the German Parliament and extended out his hands for cooperation and peace. Sadly, European leaders, who are spineless traitors, decided to be good puppets of the American Empire and have pushed Europe to the brink of disaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow. File photo – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© Sputnik / Alexey Maishev / Go to the mediabank
China’s progress over the last three decades has also been nothing short of a miracle. From making shoes and t-shirts, Chinese manufacturing has quickly climbed up the value ladder. Now, there’s almost nothing that China cannot manufacture on its own.
As an example, consider Tesla cars, which are known for their high quality and safety. Tesla manufactures half of all its cars at the Shanghai Gigafactory. What is truly amazing is that 95% of the components that make up a Shanghai-made Tesla car are manufactured by Chinese companies. Thus, it’s no wonder that Chinese EV companies – BYD, NIO etc. – have grabbed more than 60% of the world’s market share. Furthermore, in 2023, China became the world’s largest exporter of cars (electric and traditional).
In all the crucial technologies of the world – solar panels, batteries, electric cars, telecommunication – China enjoys absolute dominance now. In artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics, China is #2 in the world and rapidly rising. Overall, in patents and scientific publications, China has been #1 for a few years now. Chinese universities like Tsinghua are also ranked #1 in the world in several fields such as engineering and computer science.
Semiconductor sector is one area where China is lagging behind, compared to some companies from the US, Netherlands and South Korea. However, Chinese scientists are making numerous breakthroughs to overcome illegal US sanctions, which are also followed by its vassals. Within 5-10 years, China will surpass all its semiconductor competitors, who are maintaining their lead through collusion and subversion.
Chinese leaders are well aware of Western imperialism and its manipulations. Thus, China has also been strengthening its ties with countries around the world through win-win partnerships. One of the best strategies is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed in 2013. Since then, 150 countries have joined this world’s largest infrastructure project ever. I have explained this incredible project in detail in my Sputnik article: Peace, not War: Belt and Road Offers World New Paradigm. The BRI is also a diplomatic shield from imperialist attacks.
Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a toast after delivering his speech at a dinner marking the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 28, 2023. – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© AP Photo / Andy Wong
Finally, there is Iran, which has bravely withstood 40 years of US sanctions, proxy wars, and color revolutions. Incredibly, Iran is on the cusp of scoring a major victory by evicting US troops from Iraq and Syria. The result will be a crescent of Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon that will transform Iran into a regional powerhouse. Combine this with the new focus on peace with Saudi Arabia, the North-South infrastructure project with Russia, port development with India, trade and development projects with China… there is no doubt that Iran’s future looks very promising.
The only danger that Iran faces is a possible war by the “United States of Israel” which has obsessed over Iran for 30 years. Some experts are even warning about Israel possibly launching nuclear attacks on Iran, although I doubt that. Iran’s support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen are actually preventing Israel from carrying out total ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Thus, what Brzezinski warned about – a grand coalition of China, Russia and Iran – has morphed into a grander coalition of BRICS and much of the Global South.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi – Sputnik India, 1920, 23.02.2024
© Photo : Uzbekistan’s President Press Office via AP
Conclusion
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing” — Malcolm X.
This is also true in geopolitics, where US/EU propaganda – in sync with censorship – can hide all their own crimes and provocations, while portraying countries like Russia and China as the aggressors.
The relative power of collective West has declined precipitously, but this has also made the warmongering US more dangerous and unpredictable. For example, any rational actor in geopolitics would have sought to foster peace between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, or mainland China and Taiwan, since all these conflicts have the potential to escalate into WW3. However, the death cult in Washington DC keeps doubling down on needless conflicts and dangerous wars.
The hope for a new chapter for the world rests specifically upon Russia and China, but the Global South in general. Theoretically, Europe can and should join this effort, but too many European leaders are clueless, cowardly or traitorous. The world needs to get out of the US-instigated perpetual wars and rethink the global family in terms of cooperation, trade, and sustainable development.
— S.L. Kanthan
US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the conflict between Israel and Gaza and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2023 – Sputnik India, 1920, 26.01.2024
From Pakistan to Bangladesh, Everywhere in South Asia You Find a US Footprint
By S. L. Kanthan
Originally published by Sputnik Globe on Feb. 23, 2024
Republished by The 21st Century
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of 21cir.com.