China’s political, economic, industrial, technological, and military development poses the greatest threat to US hegemonic aims.
Its growing prominence on the world stage comes at a time of US decline.
The harder the US tries to reverse things by hardline policies, notably its endless wars by hot and other means, the further behind it falls.
In his book titled “The World in Crisis,” historian Gabriel Kolko said US decline “began after the Korean War, was continued in relation to Cuba, and was greatly accelerated in Vietnam – but (Bush/Cheney did) much to exacerbate it further.”
Obama/Biden followed the same counterproductive pattern. Do does Trump/Pence.
Historian Immanuel Wallerstein believed US decline began in the 1970s, accelerating post-9/11, adding:
“The economic, political and military factors that contributed to US hegemony are the same (ones) inexorably produc(ing) (its) decline.”
‘Political scientist Chalmers Johnson noted that the counterproductive path followed by the US is same dynamic that doomed past empires.
He cited “isolation, overstretch, the uniting of local and global forces opposed to imperialism, and in the end bankruptcy,” combined with growing homeland authoritarianism and loss of personal freedoms.
It’s way too late for scattered reforms of the government and military, he stressed.
Lessons of history are clear. Wrong choices followed by the US is heading its imperial project for the dustbin of history like all other previous empires.
Johnson noted that the “combination of huge standing armies, (forever) wars, military Keynesianism, and ruinous military expenses have destroyed our republican structure in favor of an imperial presidency.”
Once begun down this path and won’t change, ruinous tyranny is the likely result, much of it already in place.
Ongoing violence, vandalism, and looting in city streets nationwide plays into the hands of US dark forces.
The US already is a police state. What’s going on in its second week is an excuse for authorities to institute martial law, even suspend the Constitution, on the phony pretext of protecting national security — at a time when the only US enemies are invented. No real ones exist.
Escalating homeland toughness also provides greater cover for waging war on China by other means.
A White House document titled “Strategic Approach to the People’s Republic of China” falsely accused the country of “exploit(ing) the free and open rules-based order and attempt(ing) to reshape the international system in its favor (sic).”
Translation: The US wants China co-opted. It wants all nations subservient to its interests, none going their own way under their own system that diverges from the American way — used to dominate other countries.
Those not bowing to its will are targeted for regime change, how the scourge of imperialism works.
China isn’t for co-opting. It’s pursuing its independent course, seeking cooperative relations with other countries, at war with none, threatening none — polar opposite how the US operates.
The White House document (document below) falsely accused Beijing of “undermin(ing) the sovereignty and dignity of countries and individuals around the world” — precisely how the US operates.
In contrast to China’s carrot approach, the US uses sticks.
In furthering its own imperial interests, the document demands that “Beijing…cease or reduce actions harmful to the United States’ vital, national interests and those of our allies and partners (sic).”
The above sounds like a call to arms, suggesting perhaps use of force if China isn’t subservient to US interests, notably by falsely accusing its authorities of “malign behavior,” adding:
“Congress…provides legal authorities and resources for the United States government to take the actions to achieve our strategic objectives.”
The US is “building cooperative partnerships and developing…alternatives with foreign allies, partners, and international organizations to” counter China in the Indo-Pacific and globally.
“This report does not attempt to detail the comprehensive range of actions and policy initiatives the (Trump regime) is carrying out across the globe as part of our strategic competition,” the document said.
“Rather, this report focuses on the implementation of the (National Security Strategy) as it applies most directly to the PRC.”
China’s development challenges US economic dominance over other nations, its rage for maintaining a unipolar world order that already changed to multi-world polarity, a notion unacceptable to the US ruling class.
China’s technological and other economic growth comes at the expense of US and other Western interests.
The document considers this an “unfair advantage,” falsely saying “(t)he PRC retains its non-market economic structure and state-led, mercantilist approach to trade and investment (sic).”
China is as capitalist to the core as the US and other Western countries — under its own system, not following diktats others want imposed on the country, what no nations should accept.
The US considers that unacceptable, especially in China’s case because of its increasing prominence on the world stage at the expense of US rage to dominate other countries worldwide.
Accusing China of “predatory economic practices…littered with broken and empty promises” describes how the US operates.
China’s Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation seeks greater regional integration, an initiative intending over $1 trillion in investment longterm.
The chairman of China’s largest construction machinery manufacturer XCMG earlier said “One Belt, One Road (OBOR) makes our internationalization strategy like a tiger with wings added.”
It’s a major initiative to advance China’s economic interests.
The White House document falsely said it aims “to reshape international norms, standards, and networks to advance Beijing’s global interests and vision” at the expense of other nations, adding:
Its projects “are characterized by poor quality, corruption, environmental degradation, a lack of public oversight or community involvement, opaque loans, and contracts generating or exacerbating governance and fiscal problems in host nations (sic).”
“Given Beijing’s increasing use of economic leverage to extract political concessions from or exact retribution against other countries, the United States judges that Beijing will attempt to convert OBOR projects into undue political influence and military access (sic).”
Countries involved in the initiative stand to benefit along with China through mutual cooperation — polar opposite US exploitive policies in dealings with other nations, including allies.
China “challenges our values (sic), the document states.
They’re unrelated to “the unalienable right of every person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
They’re all about pressuring, bullying, and bludgeoning other nations to bend to Washington’s will — endless wars by hot and other means its favored strategies.
China operates by a different standard, favoring world peace, stability, and cooperative relations with other countries, not dominance over them that cuts to the core of Washington’s imperial agenda.
The White House document includes a litany of false accusations against Beijing.
Unacceptable US hostility toward China risks eventual confrontation.
What Beijing wants avoided with all nations, the US pursues against one after another belligerently.
Two global wars taught its ruling class nothing. A third one in the thermonuclear age could end life on earth if waged.
What’s unthinkable is possible because of US rage to dominate other nations by whatever it takes to achieve its objectives.
According to a 19th century proverb:
“Only when the last tree has died, and the last river been poisoned, and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.”
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Featured image: Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in a file image. Image: Youtube
