By Denis Hay
Description: U.S. Imperalism
Discover how U.S. imperialism, war economics, and religious land conflicts shape global politics. Learn how Australia can use monetary sovereignty to foster an ethical system.
Introduction: Unveiling the Complex Web of U.S. Imperialism and Global Conflicts
For centuries, global politics have been shaped by economic ambitions, religious influence, and military interventions. The United States, often regarded as a beacon of freedom, has played a pivotal role in shaping world events – both through its imperial ambitions and war-driven economy. Yet, these actions have left a trail of socio-political challenges that continue to reverberate today. From expropriated lands to conflicts fuelled by economic and military motives, the role of the U.S. cannot be ignored.
However, warfare is one of the most expensive and destructive forces a nation can undertake. Empires like Imperial Russia, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary collapsed under the strain of World War I, while Britain limped forward, only to lose its global dominance after World War II. The U.S. itself, once the envy of the world in 1950, now suffers from deep inequalities and underfunded social services due to decades of military overspending.
In contrast, Australia, through its monetary sovereignty, can forge a different path – one that fosters compassion, ethics, and peace. With full control over its currency and spending, Australia can focus on investing in social welfare, diplomacy, and education, avoiding the mistakes made by other global powers.
This guide explores U.S. imperialism, war economics, and religious land conflicts while examining how Australia can use its monetary sovereignty to lead by example, promoting a peaceful and ethical global future.
1. The History of U.S. Imperialism and Global Expansionism (19th to 20th Century)
The Manifest Destiny Doctrine
The concept of Manifest Destiny fuelled U.S. expansion across North America in the 19th century. Rooted in the belief that the U.S. was destined to spread from coast to coast, this doctrine led to conflicts with Indigenous populations and Mexico. The Mexican American War (1846–1848) resulted in the annexation of territories like California, Texas, and New Mexico. Indigenous populations were decimated, and the survivors were relegated to marginal lands.
Spanish-American War (1898)
The Spanish-American War marked the U.S.’s transition into a global power. After defeating Spain, the U.S. gained control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. Though Cuba was granted formal independence in 1902, the U.S. kept a stronghold over its political and economic affairs, ensuring ongoing American influence.
The Panama Canal
In 1903, the U.S. orchestrated a rebellion in Panama to secure control over the Panama Canal, a critical economic and military pathway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This intervention further solidified U.S. dominance in the region.
These early imperial moves laid the foundation for U.S. global dominance, where economic and military interests began to dictate foreign policy decisions for decades to come.
References:
LaFeber, W. (1993). The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion, 1860–1898.
Kinzer, S. (2006). Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq.
2. Economic Motives Behind U.S. Military Interventions
Nicaragua and Canal Conflicts
In 1910, the U.S. invaded Nicaragua to secure dominance over proposed canal routes, ensuring no rival to the Panama Canal. U.S. interventions allowed American corporations to control Nicaraguan finances, which impoverished the local population and established U.S. hegemony over the region’s infrastructure.
Haiti and Evangelical Business Interests
The U.S. military invaded Haiti in 1915 to protect American evangelical business interests. The 19-year occupation solidified U.S. economic control over Haiti, setting the stage for long-term political instability that endures to this day.
The Iranian Coup (1953)
In 1953, the U.S. and Britain orchestrated a coup in Iran to restore Western dominance over Iranian oil, which had been nationalized. The coup installed the Shah, an authoritarian ruler supported by the West, whose rule persisted until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
These interventions reveal that U.S. foreign policy has rarely been driven by altruism. Instead, economic control has often overshadowed democratic values, leaving deep social, political, and economic scars in the affected nations.
References:
Blum, W. (2000). Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower
Gasiorowski, M. J., & Byrne, M. (2004). Mohammad Mosaddeq and the 1953 Coup in Iran.
3. U.S. Corporate Collaboration with Nazi Germany (1930s-1940s)
The Role of American Corporations
Before and during WWII, American corporations such as Ford and General Motors kept business ties with Nazi Germany. Over 150 U.S. companies contributed to the rearmament of Germany by supplying raw materials, technology, and patent knowledge.
Moral Debate and Economic Motivations
While well-documented, this collaboration is still controversial. U.S. businesses prioritized profit over ethics, leading to legal and moral scrutiny post-WWII.
The moral complexities of profiting from a regime responsible for atrocities show the darker side of international capitalism and how economic interests often override ethical considerations.
References:
Higham, C. (1983). Trading with the Enemy: An Exposé of The Nazi-American Money Plot 1933–1949.
Loftus, J., & Aarons, M. (1994). The Secret War Against the Jews.
4. Operation Condor and U.S. Support for South American Dictators
Operation Condor Overview
Between 1975 and 1989, the U.S. supported Operation Condor, a campaign of political repression across Latin America designed to suppress socialist and communist movements. These efforts led to widespread human rights abuses, particularly in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
Human Rights Violations
With U.S. backing, military dictatorships in South America executed forced disappearances, torture, and assassinations. Over 60,000 people, including 30,000 in Argentina alone, were killed during this period of repression.
The legacy of Operation Condor is still a dark chapter in Latin American history, where fear of communism led to the destruction of families and communities.
References:
McSherry, J. P. (2005). Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America.
Dinges, J. (2004). The Condor Years: How Pinochet and His Allies Brought Terrorism to Three Continents.
5. U.S. Military Base Expansion and War Economics
The Role of War in the U.S. Economy
The U.S. military runs around 800 bases globally, which serve as strategic assets for projecting military power and controlling trade routes. This global presence enables the U.S. to keep influence over international affairs.
Economic Impact of Military Spending
The U.S. economy is heavily tied to its military-industrial complex. Defence spending drives employment and technological innovation but at the cost of social programs like healthcare and education. This reliance on war economics perpetuates a cycle of military intervention.
Potential Solutions for Australia
Australia, with its monetary sovereignty, can break free from the cycle of war economics by focusing on diplomacy, international aid, and sustainable development. Unlike the U.S., Australia can prioritize investments that promote peace and stability rather than military dominance.
References:
Chalmers, J. (2004). The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic.
Vine, D. (2020). The United States of War: A Global History of America’s Endless Conflicts, from Columbus to the Islamic State.
6. The Hidden Cost of Militarization: Social Decay in the U.S.
Social Decay and Neglect of Public Services
The massive investment in military spending in the U.S. has come at a steep social cost. Essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure have been neglected, contributing to widespread social decay. Pre-COVID, the U.S. had an extreme poverty rate of 5.5%, comparable to countries like Egypt and Palestine, and at least 550,000 people were homeless on any given night.
Education, Crime, and Inequality
The U.S. literacy rate stands at 86%, ranking 125th globally, alongside countries like Syria and Zimbabwe. Around 30 % of U.S. adults are functionally illiterate, making it difficult for them to vote, complete job applications, or escape poverty. The gun-related homicide rate in the U.S. is 25 times higher than other high-income nations, and the U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, with 655 inmates per 100,000 people.
Incarceration and Systemic Inequality
With 2 million people in prison and another 4.4 million under judicial restraint, the U.S. leads the world in incarceration rates. The systemic inequality within the American judicial system disproportionately affects low-income communities and minorities, leading to long-term cycles of poverty and crime.
The deep social inequalities in the U.S. are a direct consequence of decades of prioritizing military spending over social investment. The country now shows many of the same characteristics as failing states, with large disparities between the wealthy and the poor, high crime rates, and an underfunded education system.
References:
Hickel, J. (2018). The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions.
Davis, M. (2006). Planet of Slums.
7. Expropriation and Revanchism in Religious Land Conflicts
Church Land Ownership
Throughout history, religious institutions have held vast amounts of land globally. During political upheavals, these lands were often expropriated, with the church working to reclaim them through diplomacy, influence, or military force.
Modern-Day Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, religious land ownership is still highly contested. Over 60% of Jerusalem’s land is owned by Christian churches, and tensions between Israeli settlers and religious institutions over land rights continue to escalate.
Australia’s Role
Australia’s monetary sovereignty allows it to take a leadership role in advocating for peaceful, ethical resolutions to these long-standing religious land disputes. By using its financial autonomy to fund diplomacy and conflict resolution efforts, Australia can promote global peace.
References:
Wylie, J. A. (2010). The History of Protestantism, Volumes I-III.
Finkelstein, N. G. (2000). The Rise and Fall of Palestine: A Personal Account of the Intifada Years.
Summary: The Intersection of Imperialism, Religion, and War Economics
Throughout history, imperialism, religious land conflicts, and war economics have shaped global power dynamics. The U.S. has been a key player, but its military-driven economy has led to deep social inequalities and unrest. Australia, with its monetary sovereignty, can learn from these historical lessons and promote ethical, compassionate governance by focusing on diplomacy, social services, and human rights.
Question for Readers
How can Australia use its monetary sovereignty to advocate for global peace and ethical political systems?
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This article was originally published on Social Justice Australia
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Interesting overview, but one would disagree with this
‘The U.S. itself, once the envy of the world in 1950, now suffers from deep inequalities and underfunded social services due to decades of military overspending.’
Not evidenced by those masses of oppressed who wish to immigrate to the US and the causes of inequality ie. tax and budget cuts fitting with Kochonomics, while European nations & NATO members are jumping up their defence spending (from a low base due to decades of faux peace).
On the latter, increasing to a minimum of 2% in European defence spending, and is encouraged by the US which is under financial constraints due to low taxation.
Most of Europe agrees with the US Democratic govt. and do not see the US as the contemporary aggressor, but due to present and active aggression of Putin’s Russia, which too many Anglo RWNJs and faux anti-imperialist left agree with?
Andrew Smith,
Only a select few of Europe’s governments, like the UK, French and German govts, but not necessarily their people, agree with the US ‘democratic’ government and do not see the US as the contemporary aggressor, but by far most of the world sympathises with and regards Putin’s ‘US recommended and approved democratic’ Russia as the victim of NATO provocation and aggression which is very clearly led by the US with the malicious intention of destroying the Russian Federation.
Andrew Smith lives in a universe in which Ukraine and NATO did not plan a conflict with Russia, as a condition for Ukraine joining NATO.
From Jacques Baud — “The strategy devised by Zelensky and his team was revealed before his election in March 2019 by Oleksei Arestovitch, his personal advisor, on the Ukrainian media Apostrof’. Arestovitch explained that it would take an attack by Russia to provoke an international mobilization that would enable Ukraine to defeat Russia once and for all, with the help of Western countries and NATO. With astonishing precision, he described the course of the Russian attack as it would unfold three years later, between February and March 2022. Not only did he explain that this conflict was unavoidable if Ukraine is to join NATO, but he also placed this confrontation in 2021-2022! “
I’ve said previously- I’d prefer that we didn’t have superpowers. I’d prefer a multi polar world where Brazil , Japan, the EU, India and even Australia all played a part in regional stability. But the reality is, we have superpowers, so I’m glad one is a western democracy. Even though it’s a flawed democracy.
The world would be a far more brutal and unhappy place if it was left to the Putin regime and CCP to divide up their spheres of influence.
The problem with the western democracy/NATO critics is that they are unable to identify and articulate the international order that would fill the vacuum in the event that the US/NATO depart the field.
Russia, under Putin, has demonstrated it is an unreliable neighbour, expansionist, brutal and corrupt. Almost all its former allies shun it, and turned their back on Russia as soon as they had the option.
But no doubt there will be some who will argue that a few marginal western democracy critics know better than the people and governments of those former Russian colonies
It has now been revealed that the Ryan Wesley Routh, the man named as the suspect in a possible assassination attempt at Donald Trump’s Florida golf club, was a former Trump supporter who became disillusioned, saying in a book he self-published that he had made a terrible mistake in once voting for Trump, whom he described as a ‘buffoon.’
He added ‘I must take part of the blame for the retarded child we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless, but I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake and Iran I apologize,’ he said, after berating the former president for abandoning the (Obama) nuclear deal with Tehran.
So, it seems that he wasn’t a supporter of Biden or Harrison or even a Democrat, but a disaffected Republican : but the big question is how did this guy ever get hold of an AK47 ?
Denis, in regard to “unveiling the Complex Web of U.S. Imperialism and Global Conflicts” you refer to, there’s a great quote recently from the Marxist economist Radhika Desai;
“Capitalism is no longer able to provide the basics for most people on the planet. It cannot recover. What we are suffering now … is the cost of keeping capitalism in business. .”
“The problem with the western democracy/NATO critics is that they are unable to identify and articulate the international order that would fill the vacuum in the event that the US/NATO depart the field.”
Is AC an automaton? It’s as though the article above was never written.
Has he been programmed to recite propaganda? We’ve seen all this before.
There is no international order.
There is international chaos and misery.
There is chaos and misery because the financial/economic system the West developed, first creates chaos and misery, then becomes dependent on chaos and misery.
One of the early and still most prominent “philosophers” of liberalism, J S Mill, was quite open about the course that the new industrial powers should follow — “Colonization … is the best affair of business in which the capital of an old and wealthy country can engage … the same rules of international morality do not apply … between civilized nations and barbarians.”
Mill was actually extremely intelligent, and humanitarian in outlook, so he balanced that remark with conditions. But there’s the problem.
For although liberalism has as many principles as it has liberals, there is one overriding principle. The profit motive. When the profit motive is threatened by liberal fantasies about liberty or human rights, the profit motive wins.
“One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.”
What a fitting description of the mesmerizing power of liberal economics.
And a reminder of the dark wasteland from which liberal economy emerged — the greed and lust for power that civilizations have long battled against, but which now is facilitated by an economic system so sacred that it is beyond criticism.
And historically, how has the profit motive been served in the capitalist system they developed? It goes back to Mill and the need for colonization. The whole purpose of colonization was the securing of cheap resources (theft and exploitation) and cheap labour (slavery and exploitation.) See NOTE.
So chaos and misery was built into this wonderful system from which we all benefit. Ain’t it grand!
And as the former colonies begin to find ways to put distance between themselves and their former masters, as the cost of resources and labour rises, the need for chaos and misery intensifies as the great powers that were too blind to see the developing trend jostle for economic influence.
NOTE.
Another advantage of colonization was the securing of a captive market into which the products of the newly industrialized nations could be sold. This was particularly brutal in India, where existing industries were wiped out to give Britain total control. For example, India had a flourishing textile industry which, by the wondrous science of political economy, somehow ended up in Manchester.
Terence, not such a big question… estimated numbers of AK47s in the States floats between 10 & 30 million. Black market or legit; easy peasy. Hyatt Guns, in Nth Carolina, the biggest gun store in the country, is just up the road from Florida, and have many listed for sale. Gun fairs, boot sales, down at the pub …. hell man, it’s Amerika, don’t need to worry about not being able to get yer self a gun.
Yes SD,
Indeed, colonization by any means, it usually shifts from barbarity, threat and coercion through theft and exploitation to an imposed set of rules mandating the systems, profit motives, ideologies, religious proclivities that benefit the colonizers, especially their elite. A divide and conquer without equity that generates resentment, hostility, a reluctance to participate, and no manumission – all inducing a psychopathy of individual siege in a marketplace that is far from free – ultimately a collapse of society, economy and ecology.
Some seem to forget that it was the USSR that set about deconstructing itself, after years of seeking help and enlightenment from Europe to no affect. But for Lech Walęsa, the European ‘big brothers’, as usual vacillated, stood back, and allowed Uncle Sam to sool its hegemonic neoliberal depletve wiles onto the ‘Bear’. A surefire recipe for the mess we are all exposed to today.
go on steve, The USA lives in its own little vacuum. What could russia possibly gain by being a truly scary dictatorship?
Its also been russia’s actions that defined the US actions agenda. I think the US misinterpreted its place in the world for sure, but come on, Russia took no part in acting like an arsehole to everyone? They have FORM.
Jacques Baud is just adding to your agenda…..find anyone who agrees with you and quote them as an authority. A blind man can see it was Russian illusions that started the war. Illusions of empire, grandeur , hubris and a whole host of yes men in their security apparatus who didnt know how the arse end of a gun works. There are now 3 more countries in NATO and soon a fourth. That was well planned by the NATO chiefs….just ask those countries who recently joined, why did they join? It wasn’t coercion, those Finns and Swedes are hard nosed survivors of what russian history should teach you.
I am just as harsh on america when they screw up, but come on, they alone created the shit state we are in? I can just imagine the fear in everyone’s eyes after WW2, the stories of atrocities committed by the communists. Sorry, but i think american behaviour has to be seen in this context. The perceived evils had them terrified. However , They really screwed up after WW2 entering lots of foolish conflicts. Hubris and self righteousness. …….they have been punched around a few rounds . Nothing gets a bully back in his corner like a black eye.
As far as capitalism being the root of all evil, i hate to break it to you, but its done what nothing else ever had. Got a hell of a lot of people out of destitution. It means it has some GOOD VALUE to society. If we can fix the problems it has, maybe we can all progress without a revolution.
“The USA lives in its own little vacuum.”
Which leads me to ask — just how many alternative universes are actually out there?
Headline from Washington Post, 25 July 2024 — “How four U.S. presidents unleashed economic warfare across the globe”
“Today, the United States imposes three times as many sanctions as any other country or international body, targeting a third of all nations with some kind of financial penalty on people, properties or organizations. They have become an almost reflexive weapon in perpetual economic warfare, and their overuse is recognized at the highest levels of government. But American presidents find the tool increasingly irresistible.”
Human rights expert Alfred de Zayas, who previously held the position of the UN independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, estimated in 2020 that more than 100,000 Venezuelans had died due to US sanctions.
A former US official who ran regime-change operations to try to overthrow Cuba’s government admitted to the Washington Post that the “abuse of this system is ridiculous”, describing the US economic warfare scheme as a “relentless, never-ending, you-must-sanction-everybody-and-their-sister, sometimes literally, system”.
US-led sanctions on Iraq in the 1990s caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. A former UN assistant secretary-general, Denis Halliday, who had served as the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, resigned from his post in protest in 1998, calling Western sanctions “genocidal”.
Halliday made similar comments in a 2021 interview, asserting, “We kill people with sanctions. Sanctions are not a substitute for war—they are a form of warfare”.
I know who’s living in a vacuum, and it ain’t the USA.
hi steve, you obviously missed the sarcasm. ““The USA lives in its own little vacuum.” is a sarcastic way of saying the US IS NOT IN A VACUUM when it makes decisions. Get it, Bluey. And gee thanks, the world is all black and white, the US is the devil and it has no redeeming features. The russians and chinese are the good guys who are totally without guilt.
You constantly ignore the reality of other possibilities. I agree that some of the actions from the US stink, as you are so enamored of portraying. But your so intrenched in your hole, you fail to see that the US does make good decisions at times. you have bought the kremlin propaganda , lock stock and barrel.
If the Chinese and Russians didn’t have form, US influence would wain and its military would shrink through disinterest. The russian invasion of Ukraine proves conclusively that the hawks were right . you cant trust the bastards. This action alone has increased military spending all over the world. This will push the USA back into that corner of the military police. Wars are like revolutions, you have no control of the outcomes. This was a total miscalculation by the Russians. According to Konstanine of Inside Russia, this war was a stupid idea perpetrated by a stupid individual…..Putin.
Clakka, “Some seem to forget that it was the USSR that set about deconstructing itself, after years of seeking help and enlightenment from Europe to no affect”
Seeking enlightenment and help? WTF was Europe doing building the gas pipelines from Russia? WTF was VW doing making cars in Russia? Even after the invasion of Crimea, Europe still invested. It was all an illusion, Russia had no intentions of growing up. The USA rightly warned Europe not to put so many eggs in that basket……..and they were right, Putin didn’t hesitate using it as blackmail. “Europeans will freeze this winter…” anyone else remember? Sure the USA was looking after its own interest. But that suspicion of Russian motives proved to be the right analysis.
I wish people would analyze what Putin and his cronies have done and are doing at this moment, the trail of social destruction happening in Russia. This all comes back to the mentality of the leadership…….could not give an F about its own people. Its shown us a country with crippled and primitive infrastructure, a country that saved its earnings to weather a war they started. Where was the intention to make life more civilized for its own people? They always intended to expand using their military might. NATO is a direct reaction to Russian FORM. Ask Finland , Sweden , Poland, Romania, Moldova and Georgia what they think. Stalin still figures large in that story.
Yea, Steve, keep up the line of appeasement. Keep demonizing the USA. Nobody on this planet is playing the game of despot.
andyfiftysix, measure for measure, the USA does more harm across the globe than Russia or China. I don’t believe anyone’s arguing for Putin’s impending elevation to sainthood, or Xi Jinping’s, but I would support the proposition that when everything is taken into account, it’s the USA that trumps all other countries on counts of international malfeasance and bastardry. The USA makes decisions in its own favour; as Steve has pointed out its willingness to impose sanctions for its own benefit and to the very real detriment of sanctioned nations is a form or warfare that it willingly engages in, again & again. Remember Madeleine Albright’s comment in 1996 when asked about the sanctions against Iraq and the catastrophic effect the rigorous US sanctions imposed after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait had on the Iraqi population. The CBS interviewer asked, “We have heard that half a million [Iraqi] children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima, [a]nd, you know, is the price worth it?”
She replied, “I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it.” She also said, in another context, “If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future.” This was the woman who was the USA ambassador to the UN. Supposedly a diplomat, but in truth a blood-drenched harridan, one of the devil’s whores.
That’s the measure of that nation; pathological, cruel, dispassionate, antihumanitarian, cold-blooded, reptilian and vicious. It beats all other nations, hands down, in its willingness to freely dole out hardship in pursuit of its zealous commitment to hegemony in all arenas.
Sarc or not, your comment that the USA has no redeeming features is pretty close to the truth.
It was hardly sarcasm Andy, when it was followed by the assertion that “russia’s actions define the US actions agenda”, as though the US is an innocent bystander being pushed around by events beyond its control.
If it genuinely was sarcasm then you need to put a bit more care into your comments.
“If the Chinese and Russians didn’t have form, US influence would wain and its military would shrink through disinterest.”
That’s just a denial of history.
You make things up as you go along.
Up to the end of the Cold War the US launched 1.1 military interventions per year. When the USSR disintegrated and the US was the sole superpower with Russia on its knees, the rate from 1991 to 2022 rose to 7 interventions per year. Check out the data published on March 8, 2022 by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), in a document titled “Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2022.”
Stop fantasizing.
US Militarism is economic diplomacy in action. Antagonizing China also hurts Australia as China is our major source of trade and Chinese investment is controlled here on security grounds. Just how military companies like Cubic Transportation of San Diego has gained control of electronic ticketing across public transport in Australia and NZ is impossible to understand when this company avoids its taxation responsibilities to Australia,
Boy politician with the gum arabic glued on beard James Paterson blames the Lebanese for being in the country when thousands of pagers simultaneously exploded, killing many and maiming thousands more. He said, ‘Silly Lebanese, why would they buy pagers… they’re so yesteryear?’
Further rubbing his unique brand of salt into the wounds, he added, ‘Anyway, they had it coming. They’re not like us…. their skin’s the wrong colour plus they speak a weird language.’
Asked if he thought Israel was responsible, the boy said, ‘No way. Israel is a peace-loving nation. Any suggestion that Israeli security had anything to do with this minor incident is a slur upon that fine country, and I utterly reject the offensive imputation.’
A56, it appears you respond to my comment, with a few ultra-modern examples as counterpoints. That’s OK, but the context of my comment you cited, was intended over a longer term. Although the history of the Rus over a very long term is vastly complex, going back before the ‘Great European Powers’. Let’s say, however, for the time being it is reflecting on the comings and goings of the 18th 19th and 20th centuries. And per se the Ottomans, Poles, the Swedes, the Prussians, the Austro-Hungarians, the French, British and Germans. The Rus (including the Rus of Ukraine), seeking stability, have entered into innumerable treaties and agreements (‘help and enlightenment’) towards such ends, only for those arrangements amounting to little (but trouble for the Rus), usually being usurped by the politics and power plays between and within those others mentioned above.
The perennial issues for the Rus, is that their ‘bread-basket’ regions needed freedom from tribal instabilities, and to achieve uplifting, achieve seaborne access to the huge markets and trade in its South, across the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, but in one way or another, Europe continued to block it, preferring to ‘freeze’ it out, and ‘hold it to ransom’.
This is the context that Putin and the Russian old guard keep in mind. And particularly since WWI (and internationalism) and then WWII, the arrival of the USA in Europe and the advent of NATO.
After the mess of the era of Lenin and the horrors of Stalin, it is worth reflecting on the deconstruction of the USSR, the successes of the released republics, glasnost, perestroika and Gorbechev, the coup and the arrant stupidity of Yeltsin. Putin was handed it all on a plate, and saw opportunity but played to the old majority tribalism with the assistance of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church.
Whilst I deplore Putin’s depletive totalitarian m.o., there is context. Whether I deplore it more or less than I deplore the hegemonic wiles of Uncle Sam and its depletive m.o. and its context, is not something I differentiate. They are both depletive, supremacist in nature, rely on exceptionalism, beguilement and entrapment of the ordinary populous of regions in which they operate. And there are few signs that either has tangible plans by which to extricate themselves from their bipolar bind before the collapse of their imperialist regimes, their economies and ecology and the dire effects on the rest of the world. The only chance seems to me to be that they retreat from insurgencies and coercion to an acceptance of a benevolence through negotiated mutipolar interactions already advancing through globalization.
The last heading in the article is of particular importance but in the hurly burly of sabre rattling and hegemony can be too easily overlooked.
The intersection o f imperialism, religion and war economics, and in that context to look back on the fall of empires, and we do not need to go too far back in time to consider that.
The arms race at the time of industrialisation in the late 19th and early 20th century led to WWI and effectively bankrupted the then German economy. The winners didn’t do much better but sought reparations to further punish the losers. WWII again saw a massive growth in military expenditure, and Britain did not finish paying their war debts to the US until early this century. The Cold War led to an arms race between the US and USSR, culminating in an escalation of tensions during the Reagan years which crippled the USSR economy and caused the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The current rate of US military expenditure is so great that we have been asked to put Australia in hock to pay for the building nuclear submarines
Half of all military expenditure in the world is by the USA, add to that the cost of their wars, in this century alone over $6trillion, plus the almost $30billion in support of Israel, the US economy is bolstered by the military Industrial complex, but that would appear to be unsustainable.
History is only good if we read it critically and learn from it. The USA is behaving as arrogantly as previous imperial powers, stretching its resources thinly across the globe, asserting its power in the same way previous empires did, the raping of economies such as those in Central America (which has led to the illegal immigrant situation on their southern border), using white christian sense of entitlement to tell the rest of the world what to do but running down their economy.