The current world system with the US as its hegemon is delving more and more into deep trouble. The old ways of doing things are hitting the wall, so to speak, but entrenched interests don’t seem to notice. From geopolitics to globalization, from ecological limits to ethnic rife, the global status quo is rapidly unraveling. The economic paradigm, which has always been based on cheap energy, is running out of steam or rather fuel. What keeps the phony façade of societal stability going is the well-orchestrated hype of incessant economic growth and frequent warmongering. These two notions are systemically inculcated into the psyche of the global sheeple to make it docile and pliable, but the hidden truth is finally coming to the fore, with vengeance one might add!
The manipulation of nature or what we anthropomorphically call progress is, to a large extent, the result of cheap, abundant and very convenient source of energy. However, this fossil fuel based civilization cannot be sustained at this rate, both from the point of view of extraction as well consumption. The ‘sink’ required to store the waste products arising from the burning of fossil fuel as well as associated activities, is also being exhausted and imbalances are showing up all over the planet. Natural limits to the misguided activities of Homo sapiens or the ‘limits to growth’ don’t seem to affect entrenched interests and their servile drones. As long as overall dominance over pro-life alternatives, supported by critical analyses is secured, the status quo is happy. In this regard, the willful abandoning of even basic reasoning by the reigning hegemon is quite scary. For instance, the hegemon has rejected the Paris climate agreement, inadequate as it is, without offering meaningful alternative in its stead. Doubling down on mistakes seems to be its vision of the future. Obviously, the hegemon still commands immense economic power, mostly due to its globally imposed monetary system. The US dollar is the acknowledged global reserve currency. Even in this domain, the hubris of the hegemon has started to undermine the dollar regime. De-dollarization is now an accelerating phenomenon. In addition, SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), a US dominated entity, is being reconsidered even by the hegemon’s own allies, like the EU, Switzerland, etc. China, Iran, Russia, Turkey, etc. and other resource rich counties like Venezuela are systemically distancing themselves from the US dollar!
Even though militarism is still the hegemon’s forte, its overreach might undo its virility. With around 1000 military bases scattered all over the planet, with a combined budget of about a trillion dollar, the hegemon commands massive destructive capacity. Nonetheless, such a colossal fighting machine can hardly be sustained in a world of increased scarcity and strife! Besides, military adventurism and overextension has always been the ‘Achilles Heel’ of empires. What is even dangerous as well as sad about the implied intention of the current hegemon is its unreasonable conviction to control the whole world and subjugate the global population to its whims! The flawed doctrine of ‘full spectrum dominance’ can easily lead to WWIII. In the era of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) this reeks of lunacy! From the way ascending powers are organizing themselves, it is obvious that no military power can ever achieve full control/dominance of the planet! To start with, rising powers are more than capable of challenging or thwarting off the hegemon’s many moves. Many of the strategic arsenals the hegemon used to rely on have been rendered useless. In the face of more advanced weapons systems (anti-symmetric) being developed by Russia and China, the hegemon is well advised to refrain from costly and unnecessary military adventurism! Moreover, all the countries of the world that feel threatened by the hegemon are coalescing together, in order to defend themselves from covert and overt planned aggressions!
SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) is a case in point. This organization was set up only in 2001 and has managed to incorporate under the firm principle of ‘multi-polarity’, the countries of Russia, China, Kazakh/Kyrgyz/Tajik/Uzbeki—Stans, India and Pakistan. Iran, Turkey and many others are clamoring to join. The BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) of China/ the Silk Road is giving economic impetus to this emerging multipolarism, which is directly challenging the prevailing unipolar world. All in all, instead of coming up with new accommodating policies in all spheres of human affairs, the reigning hegemon keeps on pushing its unrealistic ideology of ‘full spectrum dominance’ by ‘sabre rattling’! Unfortunately, this is the way empires crumble,