The Decline of American Empire

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It's a quick rundown of the petrodollar, a financial explanation for the pseudo-colonial wars American has engaged in and the ebbing of America's "Empire of Chaos" as Overlord Putin would put it.

It is a good video and spot on for the most part, I've talked about similar things for years now but the status quo has been impenetrable in the US until the nomination of Trump and it is now focusing all it's might against him. The current world order cannot remain, we need new allies not an inflammation of tensions with countries we consider "enemies". If there is another Cold War, the US will lose and we'll be in the breadlines just like the Russians in the 90s with foreign powers assuredly returning in kind the opportunistic imperialistic impulses that we've subjected the rest of the world for decades now. The US needs to reevaluate it's position in the world, we need to untangled our antiquated alliances with other countries on the outer reaches of our empire. The US needs better relations with countries like Russia, China, Brazil, and India for they will bury of otherwise.

Jacoby, you seriously think foreign relations should be conducted in the manner he's conducting them? One can either have a good relationship or offend everyone... saying the Chinese are rapists (yes, so unbelievably original...) - is just not good PR, at the very least.

Yet China still strongly prefers Trump over Clinton, what offends your sensibilities aren't much of a concern in foreign policy as they understand that election rhetoric is for domestic consumption rather than to be taken seriously in a literal sense. Terrible terrible things are said all the time about the US in these countries and have so for decades, nothing Trump has said will negatively impact our relations with them as the relationship is already dismal, they aren't as thin skinned as Western liberals. You give much too much weight to meaningless rhetoric and gaffes which is understandable on the part of a partisan since that seems to be the main argument against Trump but Clinton's record speaks for itself as to why she should not be president. They see no reasoning with the leviathan that is the status quo in the United States whereas Trump gives hope to a new order, I do not believe the people of China or Russia want confrontation with the US but rather a relationship of mutual respect as an equal sovereign nation rather than one where the US moralizes and lords over the globe as the lone superpower. The era of American global hegemony is coming to an end, we can no longer afford a protectorate in Europe/Asia and the rest of the world is more than tired of it.

Yes, because he totally wouldn't want to "lord over the globe". "A relationship of mutual respect as an equal sovereign nation" - sure, let me just call up the respectable Stephen Hawking and call him a rapist. Sensibilities? It's more like you're seeped in 1984 where every concept means the opposite... I assume you think you're going to get respect from the Mexicans too? They'd totally - out of absolute mutual respect, of course - invest in that wall. They should totally abandon any investment in combating Zika just so you could build your delusional LEGO wall. Because mosquitoes will totally be unable to pass through. And, by the way, the US is getting infected too... but, in this post-fact world who cares about actual cures and remedies... if we could nuke the rest of the world it'd be fine and dandy, right? Nuke the mosquitoes! (Haha)

And... no, Russia couldn't care less about aligning itself with your country... you think it won't reciprocate the same paranoia that was present for decades in the US but suddenly somehow vanished? You think China suddenly will start not taking over nearby islands just because some megalomaniac is in office? Realpolitik...

Like I said, thin skinned western Liberals and the words they twist & take out of context are not the end all be all of foreign policy and quite frankly can be ignored. I do not care how many tears Justin Trudeau or Angela Merkel shed because the meany words said, they are demonstrably wrong in their worldview. I see change coming to those countries sooner than later just as it did to your country this June, I am sure leaders will align with our common interests instead of the suicidal ones that currently pervade.

The best thing that could ever happen to Mexico is for the US to get its slimy fingers out of the country and to start showing some tough love, their government is corrupt to its core and the instability in Mexico is in large part because US policy both overt and covert in nature.

Are you really afraid of Zika? You really are brainwashed!

There never was an American Empire. For a limited period of time some of our leaders has an imperialist wet dream or two. For example, Theodore Roosevelt. But Americans never really had the skill or patience to build an Empire.

There is an American Empire of a sort, but it's not the traditional kind. It's primarily cultural and financial, with military backup. They have taken Richard von Kuehlmann's concept of "limited sovereignty" to heart, it's a complex beast: institutions, international treaties and law, an endless stream of media and of course the petrodollar. There is little direct rule, as in a traditional setup, subject nations without the military power to face off with America may "rule" themselves, as long as that rule doesn't take them in a direction that does anything to upset the American objective. Or you find yourself being invaded to install freedom and democracy, or overthrown in a suspicious coup, or starved with sanctions.

You might say there are currently only 3 sovereign power blocks left on Earth: Russia, China and the "International Community" which is the American Empire.

It is nothing of the sort. If you want to talk about Empires talk about Babylon, Ashur, Egypt (in ancient times), Rome or Britain. The U.S. was never, ever an empire although some American leaders had a yen for empire. For example, Theodore Roosevelt. But it never happened. The closest we can was with the Spanish American War. We won Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Phillipines as a booby prize. All we have left of that is Puerto Rico.

What would you call it? A sphere of influence perhaps? I can live with that.