Back in 1992, the U.S. was riding high. The Cold War was over, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and the talking heads declared it the “end of history.” America’s status as the unchallenged global hegemon was cemented, and the empire wasted no time flexing its muscles—bombing Iraq, imposing neoliberalism worldwide, and wrapping it all in a shiny package labelled “freedom and democracy.”
Fast forward to today, and things have changed. The empire isn’t unchallenged anymore, and the “end of history” turned out to be a short intermission. New powers are rising, the world is no longer unipolar, and the U.S. is scrambling to maintain its dominance. But don’t let the shifting headlines fool you—the playbook hasn’t changed. It’s still endless wars, economic coercion, and a media apparatus churning out excuses faster than you can say “collateral damage.” The empire’s in decline, but it’s determined to drag the rest of the world down with it.
Multipolarity: The Empire’s Worst Nightmare
In 1992, the U.S. was king of the hill. Today, it’s a king nervously watching the hill crumble. China has emerged as an economic juggernaut, building infrastructure and partnerships through initiatives like the Belt and Road while Washington sulks about "debt traps." Russia, despite its economic fragility, has made clear it won’t take orders from NATO, asserting itself in Ukraine, Belarus, and beyond. The BRICS coalition is pushing to trade outside the U.S. dollar, slowly undermining the petrodollar system that props up American economic dominance.
And how does the empire respond? By dusting off Cold War tactics and slapping new labels on them. Sanctions, proxy wars, and military alliances are all aimed at preserving a status quo that no longer exists. The U.S. accuses China of imperialism while maintaining hundreds of military bases around the globe. It denounces Russia’s aggression while fueling a proxy war in Ukraine that’s killed thousands and destabilised Europe. The hypocrisy is breathtaking, but hey, hypocrisy has always been part of the brand.
Endless Wars: A Feature, Not a Bug
Since the Gulf War of 1992, the U.S. has been at war for almost every year of the so-called “peaceful” post-Cold War era. Iraq was invaded twice, leaving it a shattered shell of a nation. Afghanistan was occupied for two decades before the Taliban casually strolled back into power. Libya, once Africa’s most prosperous country, is now a failed state. Yemen is enduring a humanitarian catastrophe fueled by U.S. weapons in Saudi hands. And Syria? A kaleidoscope of proxy wars with no end in sight.
And let’s not forget the drone wars, where the U.S. rains death from above in places like Pakistan and Somalia, killing “terrorists” (or whatever unlucky wedding party happened to be in the blast radius). These wars aren’t mistakes or blunders—they’re business as usual. The military-industrial complex thrives on perpetual conflict, and the empire needs enemies to justify its bloated defence budgets.
Economic Warfare: Sanctions for Some, Profit for Others
When bombs don’t work, the empire turns to sanctions, its other favourite weapon. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, North Korea—you name it—all under the guise of promoting democracy. What these sanctions actually do is starve populations, wreck economies, and force countries to their knees.
Venezuela is a textbook example. U.S. sanctions have devastated its economy, creating shortages of food and medicine while Washington blames socialism. Iran’s healthcare system collapsed under sanctions during a global pandemic, but somehow, that was spun as a “victory for diplomacy.” These measures aren’t about human rights or democracy—they’re about punishment and control.
Meanwhile, the empire continues to loot the Global South. Through the IMF and World Bank, it imposes neoliberal policies that strip nations of sovereignty and funnel wealth to multinational corporations. It’s colonialism with better PR.
The Climate Crisis: Too Big to Bomb
The climate crisis has become the defining issue of our time, and the empire’s response has been predictably pathetic. The U.S. military, the world’s largest institutional polluter, continues to expand its operations while lecturing the rest of the world about carbon emissions.
Instead of leading the transition to renewable energy, the U.S. props up fossil fuel industries and uses its military to secure oil reserves. When Bolivia’s Evo Morales tried to nationalise lithium—a key resource for green technology—the empire gave him the coup treatment. The message is clear: the climate might collapse, but the empire’s profits won’t.
Digital Dominance: Surveillance and Propaganda
The internet was supposed to be the great equaliser, but under the empire, it’s just another tool for control. Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s mass surveillance program, exposing how the U.S. spies on its own citizens and allies. Meanwhile, tech giants like Meta and Google collaborate with the state to censor dissent, throttle independent voices, and amplify propaganda.
Social media, once a platform for grassroots activism, has become a battleground for disinformation and manipulation. During the Gaza bombings of 2023, Palestinian activists found their posts deleted while pro-Israel narratives flourished. Algorithms, controlled by Silicon Valley oligarchs, decide what you see and don’t see, ensuring that the empire’s version of events dominates the digital sphere.
The Empire in Decline
Despite its overwhelming power, the U.S. is a declining empire. Its endless wars have drained resources and eroded legitimacy. Its neoliberal policies have created staggering inequality at home and resentment abroad. Climate change, economic instability, and rising global powers are forcing it to confront a reality it can’t bomb or sanction into submission.
But don’t mistake decline for surrender. The empire is still dangerous, lashing out at any perceived threat to its dominance. It’s clinging to the same playbook—military aggression, economic coercion, propaganda—hoping that brute force will keep it on top.
The question isn’t whether the empire can adapt to a changing world—it can’t. The question is how much damage it will do on its way down. And judging by history, the answer is: as much as it possibly can.
Things have changed, sure. But the empire? Same old tricks, same old lies, same old carnage. The difference now is that the cracks are showing, and the rest of the world is finally starting to see through them.
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