America a Nation in Decline Revisited

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

America no longer is the world's sole superpower, not even the leading one.

Russian super-weapons outmatch the Pentagon's best, developed at a small fraction of the cost.

Republicans and undemocratic Dems maintain the myth of America's military superiority, failing to acknowledge its declining supremacy relative to other nations, notably Russia and China.

Despite pouring countless trillions of dollars poured down a black hole of waste, fraud and abuse, America is declining politically, economically, financially, and militarily - Russia, China, and other nations rising.

It's the same dynamic dooming all other empires in history – a nation declining because of its arrogance, hubris, ruinous military spending at the expense of vital homeland needs, waging endless wars against invented enemies, and unwillingness to change.

If attacked, Iran would exact a heavy cost on the US. It's no match against Russia's super-weapons. Nor would it fare well against China's growing military might.

After nearly eight years of war in Syria for regime change, Bashar al-Assad remains solidly in power, overwhelmingly supported by the Syrian people.

After over 17 years of endless war in Afghanistan, the Taliban are stronger than ever, controlling around half the country. If US forces leave, its puppet Kabul regime would fall in short order.

America's war machine is only good at mass slaughter and vast destruction, civilians harmed most, achieving no strategic aims, just the opposite.

Its criminal class is bipartisan. Each new regime and Congress exceeds the worst of their predecessors.

Endless wars rage with no ability to win, notably in Afghanistan and Syria, profiteers alone benefitting, ordinary people abandoned and abused. Things in the nation's capital are too debauched to fix, symbolic of an empire in decline.

Like his predecessors, Trump was co-opted straightaway in office, the latest in a long line of US warrior presidents, a businessman preferring to focus on profits, not warmaking - forced to go along to stay in power.

It's unclear whether or not he'll withdraw US forces from Syria and half their numbers in Afghanistan.

His public remarks are meaningless, time and again saying one thing, then doing something entirely different.

On Wednesday, his impromptu comments on withdrawing US forces from Syria were long on hyperbole, short on facts, bordering on the absurd at times.

After earlier saying he'll withdraw US forces from Syria in 60 - 100 days, he backtracked to four months, on Wednesday denying his earlier comments, along with maintaining the myth about involvement in the country to combat the scourge of ISIS the US supports - along with virtually all other terrorist groups in the region and elsewhere.

He went on for over 90 minutes on various topics, claiming he fired Mattis, saying let Russia and Pakistan figure out Afghanistan, showing little knowledge of the Soviet experience in the country.

He called Syria "lost long ago…We're not talking about vast wealth. We're talking about sand and death. I'm getting out. We're getting out of Syria. Look, we don't want Syria."

Like virtually everyone in Washington and their media echo chamber, he ignored what's most important - the illegality of US wars, attacking nonbelligerent countries, committing Nuremberg-level crimes of war and against humanity, accountability never following the rape and destruction of North Korea post-WW II to ongoing US wars in multiple theaters.

Trump slammed other NATO countries for lack of greater involvement in unlawful US wars. Despite his militant opposition to Iran, he strangely said "(t)hey can do whatever they want" in Syria.

He spoke out against the US operating as "the policeman to the world" - despite escalating wars he inherited from Obama.

On Wednesday, usually wrongheaded Wall Street Journal editors were right, saying the Dem goal is destroying Trump.

A separate article said Dems intend continued Russiagate witch hunt and other anti-Trump probes well into the new year - perhaps for the rest of Trump's term, aiming to weaken, undermine, and if possible oust him from office by impeachment, forced resignation, or something more sinister.

Journal editors put it this way. The Dems' main agenda "will be investigating, not legislating" up to the 2020 presidential election they hope one of their own will win.

Congressional division with Republicans controlling the Senate may prevent either side from gaining an advantage over the other.

House investigations of Trump are another matter entirely, aiming to blacken his name more than already,  wanting him softened up ahead of November 2020.

For the next two years, political polarization will be the order of the day. At the same time, US imperial wars will continue endlessly with bipartisan congressional support - whether or not Trump withdraws troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

Washington's permanent war agenda won't miss a beat - the longer pursued, the weaker the nation becomes, the myth of American exceptionalism, the indispensable state, and moral superiority more obvious.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html