The United States is imploding. The reign of Donald Trump is not only challenging and threatening the very foundations of its constitutional democracy, it
In three weeks, Donald Trump has imploded whatever positive image the United States might have had internationally.
The United States is imploding. The reign of Donald Trump is not only challenging and threatening the very foundations of its constitutional democracy, it is calling into question the U.S.’s post-World War II hegemonic role. Empires or hegemonic powers rise and fall. Often they are defeated by emerging powers. Sometimes their decline takes place over time. But rarely do they self-destruct as spectacularly as the U.S. is doing. The U.S. implosion is dramatic in its intensity and rapidity. In just over three weeks, Donald Trump has been able to redefine the United States’ position in the world from a global power to an international outcast. Despite whatever military and economic power the U.S. still has, its image and global leadership have been undermined by President Trump’s foreign policy decisions.
I just want to take a short, though probably unpopular, note that while you present it as something negative, to some people on the world, that’s actually something positive. There are communities all over the world who have suffered tremendously through the US’ global hegemony; and these people (me included) are sometimes actually in a very good mood about the news that have been coming the last few weeks.
While I absolutely agree that America has and continues to do abhorrent things overseas (and domestically), I fear that there currently exists no significant world power in position to replace them as #1 that isn’t considerably more exploitative, sadistic, and cruel. We’re currently in hell and have nowhere to go but down…
This is always my thought when I hear that kind of response too. “Replace US hegemony” great. With what? China? Russia? India? Iran? Maybe the EU would be better, but I don’t see an EU hegemony replacing US hegemony successfully any time soon. I feel like in a lot of ways the US dominated world order is/was a lesser of 2+ evils… We might be about to find out what the greater ones are :/
The thing about the EU is it doesn’t want to be a hegemony power like the US was, at least not when it includes military. Those who want are Russia (openly) and China (through the backdoors). Don’t know enough about India.
Even with the current push for more military, the maximum I see from the EU is securing its most important trade routes and otherwise project soft power through economical influence.
When the Americans came to put up a base in my country, we didn’t have to hide our women like when the Soviets did. They also let us travel and usually don’t shoot our prime minister.
Also, even if it was true that the USA had better social mobility, that doesn’t make it the lesser evil for dominating the rest of the world, now does it?
I think you have to be engaging in some serious American exceptionalism to believe that. In real terms, America has been much more exploitative, sadistic, and cruel than China - the main contender for next hegemon - and the argument otherwise is mostly just based on vibes.
Yup, I’ve mentioned in another comment that if I hadn’t moved here, and I was watching this from an anti US lense as I saw things when I was younger, I would be ecstatic.
I just want to take a short, though probably unpopular, note that while you present it as something negative, to some people on the world, that’s actually something positive. There are communities all over the world who have suffered tremendously through the US’ global hegemony; and these people (me included) are sometimes actually in a very good mood about the news that have been coming the last few weeks.
While I absolutely agree that America has and continues to do abhorrent things overseas (and domestically), I fear that there currently exists no significant world power in position to replace them as #1 that isn’t considerably more exploitative, sadistic, and cruel. We’re currently in hell and have nowhere to go but down…
This is always my thought when I hear that kind of response too. “Replace US hegemony” great. With what? China? Russia? India? Iran? Maybe the EU would be better, but I don’t see an EU hegemony replacing US hegemony successfully any time soon. I feel like in a lot of ways the US dominated world order is/was a lesser of 2+ evils… We might be about to find out what the greater ones are :/
The thing about the EU is it doesn’t want to be a hegemony power like the US was, at least not when it includes military. Those who want are Russia (openly) and China (through the backdoors). Don’t know enough about India.
Even with the current push for more military, the maximum I see from the EU is securing its most important trade routes and otherwise project soft power through economical influence.
Based on what metric, exactly? Vibes? White supremacy?
When the Americans came to put up a base in my country, we didn’t have to hide our women like when the Soviets did. They also let us travel and usually don’t shoot our prime minister.
This may come as a shock to you, but the USSR hasn’t existed in a quarter century.
And that’s good, but the Russians sure try to pretend otherwise.
It must be hard for you, trying to get through life without being able to follow even basic chains of thought
Social mobility.
So vibes.
Also, even if it was true that the USA had better social mobility, that doesn’t make it the lesser evil for dominating the rest of the world, now does it?
I think you have to be engaging in some serious American exceptionalism to believe that. In real terms, America has been much more exploitative, sadistic, and cruel than China - the main contender for next hegemon - and the argument otherwise is mostly just based on vibes.
Yup, I’ve mentioned in another comment that if I hadn’t moved here, and I was watching this from an anti US lense as I saw things when I was younger, I would be ecstatic.