The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Anyone who has read the many official and unofficial U.S. Government statements about the U.S. Government’s relationship to the rest of the world knows that that Government’s attitude equates competition as being hostility, and so demands that every other nation will ally itself to the U.S. Government, or else will be an enemy of that Government.
U.S. President George W. Bush stated it this way, in a 16 February 2002 speech to U.S. troops about “the coalition the Secretary of State’s working on” at that time, a “coalition” that would “stand squarely with the United States in the defense of freedom,” and which was otherwise undefined except to say that any nation which would not join this undefined coalition with the U.S. Government would thereby “stand with tyranny”: “Either you’re with us, or you’re against us” he threateningly said to any Government that would NOT subordinate themselves to “stand squarely with the United States in the defense of freedom” as the U.S. Government might subsequently come to define what that means. He said this after the 7 October 2001, to 17 December 2001, U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, but before the 20 March 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
And, then, there was the 28 May 2014 statement by U.S. President Barack Obama, to graduating cadets at the West Point Military Academy, telling them whom they would be fighting against when they graduate:
The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation. That has been true for the century passed and it will be true for the century to come. … Russia’s aggression toward former Soviet states unnerves capitals in Europe, while China’s economic rise and military reach worries its neighbors. From Brazil to India, rising middle classes compete with us, and governments seek a greater say in global forums. … It will be your generation’s task to respond to this new world.
He was telling the U.S. military that America’s economic competition, against the BRICS nations, is a key matter for America’s military, and not only for America’s private corporations; that U.S. taxpayers fund America’s military at least partially in order to impose the wills and extend the wealth of the stockholders in America’s corporations abroad; and that the countries against which America is in economic competition are “dispensable” but America “is and remains the one indispensable nation.” ONLY America is “indispensable”; all OTHER nations are “dispensable.” This, supposedly, also authorizes America’s weapons and troops to fight against countries whose “governments seek a greater say in global forums.” In other words, he was telling these future generals: they would be tasked to stop the growing economies from growing faster than America’s.
Unlike Bush, he wasn’t saying that America’s enemies were Governments that wouldn’t join its “coalition” that would be “in the defense of freedom” but that the enemies would instead be “rising middle classes compete with us, and governments seek a greater say in global forums. … It will be your generation’s task to respond to this new world.” He was addressing America’s future generals and telling them that nations such as that — and Russia, and China — are America’s enemies, whom they will be tasked to conquer.
The latest official embodiment of this it’s-our-way-or-the-highway official U.S. Government attitude is the 6 February 2023 “ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY”, which identifies China as America’s #1 enemy and Russia as America’s #2 enemy. It says:
Great powers, rising regional powers, as well as an evolving array of non-state actors, will vie for dominance in the global order, as well as compete to set the emerging conditions and the rules that will shape that order for decades to come. Strategic competition between the United States and its allies, China, and Russia over what kind of world will emerge makes the next few years critical to determining who and what will shape the narrative perhaps most immediately in the context of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, which threaten to escalate into a broader conflict between Russia and the West. Second, shared global challenges, including climate change. … Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine has highlighted that the era of nation-state competition and conflict has not been relegated to the past but instead has emerged as a defining characteristic of the current era. While Russia is challenging the United States and some norms in the international order in its war of territorial aggression, China has the capability to directly attempt to alter the rules-based global order in every realm and across multiple regions, as a near-peer competitor that is increasingly pushing to change global norms and potentially threatening its neighbors. Russia’s military action against Ukraine demonstrates that it remains a revanchist power, intent on using whatever tools are needed to try to reestablish a perceived sphere of influence despite what its neighbors desire for themselves, and is willing to push back on Washington both locally and globally. … China will remain the top threat to U.S. technological competitiveness, as Beijing targets key sectors and proprietary commercial and military technology from U.S. and allied companies and institutions. The Government of China is doubling down on efforts to boost indigenous innovation and to become self-sufficient. … China is central to global supply chains in a range of technology sectors, including semiconductors, critical minerals, batteries, solar panels, and pharmaceuticals. In a speech in April 2020, Xi noted his intentions to increase global supply chain dependencies on China, with an aim of controlling key supply chains and being able to use those supply chain dependencies to threaten and cut off foreign countries during a crisis. China’s dominance in these markets could pose a significant risk to U.S. and Western manufacturing and consumer sectors if the Government of China was able to adeptly leverage its dominance for political or economic gain. China is leading the world in building new chip factories, with plans to build dozens of semiconductor factories by 2024, most of which will be dedicated to producing older, more mature technologies. While China only accounted for 11 percent of worldwide semiconductor fabrication capacity in 2019, it is forecasted to reach 18 percent in 2025. Because of the difficulties China is facing from export controls by Western nations, it is focusing on lower-capability, commodity chip technology, and China could become a powerhouse in that segment, which could eventually make some buyers more reliant on China. …
The document has no documentation, but only assertions, which, based upon the past record of such publicly released documents from America’s ‘intelligence’ agencies, no intelligent reader will read as being anything but propaganda from the U.S. regime, in order to fool the public in the ways that America’s rulers want the public to be fooled.
The phrase “the rules-based global order” refers to an order that is to replace the existing international-laws-based international order, which has been built up under the U.N.’s Charter and brought into authority by a global federal democracy (however flawed) of nations. The aim is to replace the existing international order that is based upon those laws that have been established by the U.N. — to replace it by a future U.S. international dictatorship over all nations, which will be built instead upon “rules” that the U.S. regime will set and enforce against all other nations. This document pretends that the U.S. Government already possesses the moral authority that such a “rules-based global order” would need to have in order to be able to function.
It’s our way or the highway, however it is phrased. So: it is clear what America’s ‘allies’ are supporting. If it succeeds, it would be the first-ever, all-encompassing, global dictatorship.
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Investigative historian Eric Zuesse’s new book, AMERICA’S EMPIRE OF EVIL: Hitler’s Posthumous Victory, and Why the Social Sciences Need to Change, is about how America took over the world after World War II in order to enslave it to U.S.-and-allied billionaires. Their cartels extract the world’s wealth by control of not only their ‘news’ media but the social ‘sciences’ — duping the public.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
there’s that implicit acknowledgement of inferiority by the US Empire that admits that competition would lead to failure and so must be met by brutal thuggery.
I was thinking something of the sort. One example I’ve been thinking of, if this is not a bad one, is the euro currency. It was, if I remember correctly, created to compete with the US dollar. Seeing how sleek and modern physical euros look and function compared to physical US dollars (the specifics of which are another story) makes me suspect that the whole plot of this war in Ukraine was to destabilize the EU and debase the euro so the US can easily force its low standards of living, particularly the outdated US dollar, on the European continent… Read more »
The only way your new world power China will differ from the current order will be in war by other means. It will copy & steal your tech & products, it will undercut you, it will make you obey or be cut off. The RF & other parts of the new world order (and indeed the old world order) should watch their backs, imo. China has already exposed itself in SocialMedia to be the same or even worse than what we’ve had. This is your world, not mine
You made a very valid argument.
Unfortunately, the Duran decided to implement an imbecilic Likes and Dislike counter, much like the Facebook system, which is a tool of social control.
Instead of countering your very valid argument with discourse, your reasoning was negated by a moronic social control traffic light system, with its positive (Green) and negative (Red) counter.
The Unz and the Moonofalabama websites do not use such social control counters, and the Duran should get rid of it, as they are regularly misused by nefarious players to shepherd a narrative on the naïve and unintelligent.
I disagree with the view by “Sadness” that China holds the same pro-imperialistic ideology that America and its allies do instead of the anti-imperialistic ideology that China has consistently advocated for and (I believe) adheres to. HOWEVER, the view by “Crass” that The Duran ought to eliminate its “imbecilic Likes and Dislike counter, much like the Facebook system, which is a tool of social control” is, I think, entirely correct.
“I disagree with the view by “Sadness” that China holds the same pro-imperialistic ideology that America…..” They already invaded Tibet, and if was not for the Soviet Union to the North and The United States occupation of Japan, I certainly believe that Mao Zedong would have occupied much of Asia and beyond. As Lord Acton wrote in a letter to bishop in 1887 —“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…”, which incidentally, I believe to be a truism. If/When China becomes the worlds leading Superpower, it is only a matter of… Read more »
It’s rationally arguable whether the Autonomous Region of Tibet ought to be a part of China or ought to be not merely autonomous but independent; I have always thought the former: that it is naturally a region of China. But for you to analogize this matter to America’s having grabbed Ukraine on Russia’s border — or any other of America’s land-grabs thousands of miles away — is obscenely false.
News Flash – Mao Zedong ain’t there no more.
Attila the Hun was quite the despot, or so we hear. Would you like to warn us to be careful about trusting Hungary now?
This site is based on WordPress. And unless there’s a switch to disable the thumbs up or down function then this is what you get. MOA is, in my opinion, a horridly designed site…. much like the Saker which has been shut down. It’s got great commentary hobbled by a UI that only an anal retentive engineer could love.
Great article which makes me question one big thing. I never understand why they created bullshit about sickness. But fragment from your article: “In a speech in April 2020, Xi noted his intentions to increase global supply chain dependencies on China, with an aim of controlling key supply chains and being able to use those supply chain dependencies to threaten and cut off foreign countries during a crisis. China’s dominance in these markets could pose a significant risk to U.S. and Western manufacturing and consumer sectors if the Government of China was able to adeptly leverage its dominance for political… Read more »
In other words, the pandemic would give them the pretext to reduce the power China was holding in the supply chain. Making other countries move production from China since we were told China was at fault for all our supply shortages during the pandemic and we need to move production to Vietnam and Philippines etc.. To not have shortages in case of a new pandemic. WTF! Hehehe. I am not saying anything, just stating the actual effects of the pandemic. Anyone, some food for thought?
So first, what to call it, we engineered a pandemic to reduce the power of China in the supply chain. Then we eminently provoked conflict in Ukraine to make Putin our enemy and to destroy economic ties between EU and Russia by that we also made them both weaker and made the EU obedient to the US.
I had linked to the U.S. regime’s propaganda (which you now are quoting from as if it were worthy of believing) not because it is worthy of believing, but instead under the assumption that readers here would know that it isn’t.
So, now I have added that possible clarification near the end of this article.
I am just saying that if the West would tell people we need to move factories from China because they are our enemies and they are dangerous people would say they are crazy and would say Chinese are not so bad. But if you tell people we need to move factories from China because if the next pandemic comes your grandfather will die, people accept it. HAHAHAHA
Food for thought?
What I find breathtaking is that the US is so unabashed and in-your-face about its mafia-like posture. And all these threats coming from a US government document called Threat Assessment. The title is accurate, but the other way round: it lays out the threats the US is making to any non-US-aligned country.
“The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation. That has been true for the century passed and it will be true for the century to come. …”
The United States is a dying empire on its last legs.
Dylan Thomas wrote; “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Metaphorically Speaking, ‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light.’; Is what the Evil Empire is enacting!
The United States power, comes from their Perception of Power. As in the Wizard of Oz, The curtain was pulled back, and this time it revealed a toothless tiger. This is why the BRICS emerged. The United States perception of power, comes from their ‘Divine right’ to print the world reserve currency out of thin air, which was once backed by its military power. But in their hubris, their Military has became decrepit. In the mean time, the Chinese and Russians have built hypersonic missiles, which has made the Evil Empires once invincible Navy, sitting ducks, and the backbone of… Read more »
For decades I’ve said that the US is all about “freedom”. The freedom to shut up and do as you’re told.
You got it!
If the US were to rebuild its manufacturing systems, would they not be based on robots instead of manual labor? Isn’t that the next stage of the industrial revolution? If robots become a problem for the working class in America, don’t they become a problem for the working class in China?
Fortunately Eric I do not share your pessimism! The US is on it’s last legs and countries are standing up to the US. Europe is going the same way and about to tell the US to **** off! Although the US is still strong (at the moment) it is getting weaker. All it needs is someone like Al Qaeda or Daeesh to acquire Hypersonic weapons with EMP war heads, hit 9 substations and within 4 weeks the US will be no more. The power grid in the US is well known as a major vulnerability and it’s simply a matter… Read more »