The Age of American Retrenchment

The United States was overjoyed when the Soviet Union collapsed in the last decade of the 20th century. Its happiness never decreased with the surge in globalization, which acted to affect thought and culture in the world’s nations and civilizations in many different ways.

The U.S. saw that luck was on its side, and the road was clear for it to assume a position of global standing. Using its thoughts about capitalism and politics, along with its own social and political culture, it created a new axis for the entire world to turn around, encroaching on other cultures.

[The U.S.] found great success in many instances on a global scale. Many peoples, especially in the Arab world, began to imitate America in superficial things, like food or dress. Bit by bit, American civilization began to creep into many nations.

It was not expected that the U.S. would be able to Americanize the world because history is in a state of constant change; a situation never simply remains as is. One can never remain a clutching power forever, nor will the weak simply remain under its heel.

The second decade of the 21st century has seen some transformations in American foreign policy reflected in the twists and turns of past retrenchments. This means that the America that saw itself in the previous century as master of the world will not remain so. Anywhere that America’s monopoly on power is absent will see a retreat favorable to other emerging global powers.

American Blunders

America has committed many serious errors in its quest to “globalize” the world as it sees fit. Let us recall:

– The basis for American thinking in its [America's] attempts to be commander of the entire world was centered on raw strength; it never used its brain to distinguish between good and bad consequences. [The U.S.] was transfixed by its own strength. As a result, it always assumed that brute force was the key to cooption, coercion and domination. That thinking caused [the U.S.] to rush into war after war, especially those against Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. probably thought it could convince the world of its military capability via the invasion of Iraq because Iraq was considered a strong country with a large army. However, the U.S. never managed to assert authority over Iraq. The resistance remained fierce, until the U.S. Army began to feel embarrassed in the face of numerous observers rooting for its defeat — a defeat that would save them from what could come with American hegemony.

– The U.S. never truly tried to establish trust with the peoples of the world. Instead, it worked to impose the spread of its culture. This is in the interest of a culture that does not enjoy deep roots in history.

In the eyes of many nations, the U.S. was proven to be untrustworthy or unable to be trusted for long. Instead, it was a colonial nation working to subjugate the world’s peoples, not to respect them. As made clear through polls of world opinion, the U.S. does not bask in love for the world’s peoples. Instead of working for justice, it has traveled to every corner of the earth searching for hatred.

- The U.S. has a problem, in that it sees money as a fundamental tool in befriending others. It is always used to purchasing the souls of governments and support of the populace.

All peoples enjoy assistance from one country or another, but this only works well when the assistance given supports the goals of the country that is receiving it. The U.S. has not considered the [negative consequences] that can result from its help.

- Many American intellectuals thought that America’s stewardship of the globe was "the end of history." The German philosopher Hegel saw an end to history, and so did Karl Marx. The continuance of history has proven them both wrong.

Fukuyama likewise thought that history would end with the emergence of modern liberal capitalism; others agreed. The media did nothing to challenge their views. However, contrary to their thesis, history is not ending, and it will not ever end as long as there is life.

– The U.S. has overextended its welfare state and found that, in the end, its people do not want it and that it does not help their global position. Indeed, this has mired the U.S. in a massive financial crisis that has continued to this day.

Competition Emerges

History did not stop with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was only a few years before new powers arose on the world stage, some of them in spite of American efforts. Some of them have begun to assert themselves on the world stage:

- China has emerged with a strong economy, growing at great speed. China is now defined as having the world’s second strongest economy. With these economic advancements comes an expansion in China’s global activities, especially in Africa. Its military and technological capabilities have risen as well.

China has good relations with many countries of the world, and these relations have a more intelligent basis than America’s. China goes to countries requesting friendship, not to impose its will.

- Russia has begun to stabilize economically, and its finances are far better than they were in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse. It has implemented a comprehensive strategy to become a bigger player in global markets, particularly in oil and gas, and it has established a network of economic relations in Central Asia. [Russia] has progressed in its weapons capabilities, especially in the area of nuclear weapons. It is now quite feared. After a period of avoiding diplomatic confrontations with the United States, [Russia] has begun to strategically use its veto power in the [United Nations] Security Council.

- There is a growing economic power that will have a huge effect on the world. At the top are Brazil and India, which along with Russia, China and South Africa, form the BRICS countries. They could have a promising economic future. While America’s economy is drowning in debt and crisis, other countries are making great economic gains. Their growth rates now outpace those of Western nations.

– Iran is a significant regional power, and it is expected that it could come to lead the Islamic world in the coming decade. Iran has greatly improved in its manufacturing and technology and has developed defense capabilities that make Western nations hesitant to attack or flippantly defy Iran’s wishes. The Arab and Islamic world has been a playground for the U.S. and its ally Israel, but Iran is now able to break that cycle and turn those areas into proud and competitive ones.

Syria and Iranian Nukes

The U.S. has been badly wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this has affected its situation both at home and abroad.

Domestically, the American people seem to be overwhelmed by two military losses and the enormous financial cost they incurred. Americans are now wondering about the utility of those two wars and the lives sacrificed in the name of goals unclear to the world. The American people are injured in their hearts and their wallets. It follows that they insist that any new military adventure not be without reason.

As for America’s situation abroad, its wars have led to the spread of advanced weaponry now used to fight the U.S. and other Western nations. Terrorism, which was said to be the reason for the wars, increases in strength and scope.

Moreover, America’s status in the world as a military power has diminished, and other nations now have doubts about depending on American power to resolve regional and world conflicts.

American weakness has been shown with regard to Syria and Iran. The U.S. has been hesitant, powerless and confused and unable to make any decisions. Indeed, the U.S. has found no replacement for Assad’s regime, but it has also been unable to effectively counter those countries that do support him.

The U.S. faces China and Russia’s vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, and Western nations have remained unable to help their Arab allies. When the U.S. decided to gather a fleet off the Syrian coast, only to withdraw it along without any further threats, it was a huge blunder.

The U.S. has of course thought a great deal about Syria, and perhaps, it would have executed a military strike there if it had not been for Hezbollah and Iran. It was possible that another American military venture in the area would set the whole region up in flames. This does not bode well for [American] chances of victory in such a war, and it did not play well domestically. So, the U.S. president dodged his responsibility to make the decision by turning to Congress, in order to provide cover in the event of failure. The U.S. would never have escaped from its dilemma had it not been for Russia.

The U.S. saw that it had been thrown a lifeline when Russia proposed the removal of Syrian chemical weapons in lieu of a strike, and it quickly seized upon the idea. After that, all movement toward a military strike was halted by Russia.

As for Iran, the U.S. and its Western allies have accepted what they have refused for years. The U.S. had been insisting on the dismantlement of Iranian nuclear facilities, stop of uranium enrichment and halting of Iran’s centrifuge building. However, now [the U.S.] has withdrawn that demand and instead placed a ceiling on the amount of uranium allowed to be enriched.

It is true that Iran has not been able to lift the sanctions against it, but it is working wonders to continue its nuclear operations.

The U.S. did not enter into this agreement with no rationale. Its analysis showed that a diplomatic solution was a better bet than the continuation of threats and intimidation. [The U.S.] did not show its Arab and Islamic allies a great deal of respect when it decided to attempt a peaceful solution with Iran.

The Future

Perhaps America’s economic, scientific, technological and military strength will rise in the coming years, but it will not rise in relation to that of nations like China, Russia and Iran.

The U.S. is very advanced scientifically and technologically, and usually progress is faster for those behind than those ahead. China’s economic growth will be larger than America’s because China is still exploiting a great deal that remains to be exploited. The situation is much the same in India, Russia, Brazil and the rest of the developing world.

The point is that the strength of nations competing with the U.S. will rise in absolute terms, which means that America’s role on the world stage will continue to shrink. The U.S. will not be weak in the coming decade, but its dominance will slowly recede, and the ideology of American globalization will slowly evaporate.

The American dream of an "Americanized" world has been snuffed out, and a multipolar order will emerge and take its place in international politics. This means that the position of Israel and some U.S.-allied Arab nations will be adversely affected.