A hefty case can be made that the Empire of Chaos currently has no allies; it’s essentially surrounded by an assortment of vassals, puppets and comprador 5th columnist elites professing varied degrees of – sometimes reluctant – obedience.
The Trump administration’s foreign policy may be easily deconstructed as a crossover between The Sopranos and late-night comedy.
– Pepe Escobar, in his recent Consortium News piece: Empire of Chaos in Hybrid War Overdrive
While the U.S. empire’s existed in various states of decline for much of the 21st century, I’ve been opining on the topic with far more frequency and urgency since the election of Donald Trump. This isn’t because he’s fundamentally much different from the imperial managers (aka presidents) that came before him on foreign policy, but because his personality, style and overall boorishness serve to accelerate the pace of decline.
As many astute observers have noted, what really bothers establishment types on the “NeverTrump” right and the “Russiagate conspiracy theory” left is not so much what Trump does, but how he does it. These political cliques may disagree on many issues, but what they have in common — aside from Trump derangement syndrome — is a love affair with U.S. empire and an unwavering dedication to the maintenance of American geopolitical dominance at all costs.
Both the NeverTrump right and the Russiagate conspiracy theory left are concerned that Trump, unlike Obama, is a poor global salesman for empire. Obama had the rare quality of being able to bailout bankers and keep them out of prison, pass healthcare “reform” only an insurance company could love, and expand American wars across the globe and still be revered around much of the world and celebrated as a liberal at home. That’s the sort of person you need in charge to keep a corrupt and violent empire running smoothly.
It keeps the mask on a while longer and allows everyone to pretend the status quo still works. In contrast, there’s no lipstick on the imperial pig under Trump and his band of creepy recycled neocons. It’s just an endless stream of threats and sanctions, and most importantly, an increased willingness to use the U.S. dollar and the global financial system as a weapon, even against allies.
This is called weaponization of the financial system.
If a global financial system can be weaponized by one nation (empire) it fails to serve a neutral function and is on its last legs. Very dumb move. https://t.co/HJjPFQhFUh— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) March 7, 2019
What’s most interesting is that as the U.S. runs around sanctioning and trying to regime-change any sovereign state that dares to be anything less than an obsequious poodle, many traditional allies have begun to bristle. We saw it with the opening of a new trade channel earlier this year by France, Germany and Britain to avoid U.S. sanctions on Iran following Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA last May. We saw it again recently with the European Commission decision to allow individual countries to decide for themselves on Huawei’s participation in the 5G buildout, despite the Trump administration calling for a ban. We also saw it with Italy recently signing up for China’s belt and road initiative despite U.S. objections, as well as Xi Jinping signing a variety of deals with France last week while the U.S. remained in the midst of a trade war.
Am I the only one noticing that as the U.S. runs around sanctioning half the planet, China’s going around the world signing deals.
— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) March 26, 2019
The mere fact that America’s European allies have been so glaringly dismissive of U.S. demands on a variety of fronts recently makes me consider that perhaps a multi-polar world isn’t coming at some point in the distant future, but is in fact already here. In other words, it seems the world as it stands today is already being shaped and influenced by a variety of geopolitically significant powers as opposed to just one. The only faction that doesn’t seem to understand this yet is the U.S. government itself, which is of course a very dangerous situation. The rest of the world doesn’t know how to break reality to those in charge of the levers of power in America. No one wants to tell them bluntly, because it’s become pretty clear that many diehard imperialists are still willing to double down on some very evil and stupid things in order to maintain an illusion of world dominance.
With the failed regime change attempt in Syria and now the flailing coup in Venezuela, it’s become clear the U.S. can’t easily get whatever it wants anymore despite its gigantic defense budget and 800 formal military bases in 80 countries. The most effective weapon the U.S. empire still currently has at its disposal is a dominance of the global financial system and the core role of the USD in it. This is why the Trump administration’s been flexing these financial tools so aggressively, but of course, this abuse of America’s exorbitant privilege is precisely what will ultimately lead to a serious decline in the global position of USD down the road (I expect it to play out by 2025).
If you’re an American reading this and find it depressing, don’t despair. The U.S. empire as it stands today is exceedingly corrupt, violent and works against the interests of the average American citizen, both economically and from a civil liberties perspective. Although the transition from being the unipolar power to just one of several major powers will be challenging, we should see it as an opportunity. Our government and our culture spends far too much of its energy and wealth trying to dominate the world that we’ve collectively lost sight of caring about the country we actually live in.
Our media’s a joke and bridges are crumbling as I write this, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
— Blake News (@blakehounshell) March 31, 2019
#BREAKING: Bridge collapses on I-75 in Chattanooga; interstate closed in both directions https://t.co/vB7kiljSgu @tomreganWSB
headed to the scene for LIVE updates on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. pic.twitter.com/3Xh5FZLM5d— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) April 1, 2019
Trump pledged to change this, but his campaign promises are being brushed aside as he fills foreign policy positions with wild-eyed neocons focused on making imperial dominance great again. Nothing will get better until we stop spending all our time playing Game of Thrones with the world, and transition our domestic affairs away from the corrupt and unaccountable oligarchy we have today, into a robust, creative, entrepreneurial, and freedom-loving society.
It’s very possible, we just have to get out of our own way.
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The only thread of hope I see is 48% do not vote.
Excellent and insightful column. And of course the American addiction to empire, war, and petulant scolding of everyone in the galaxy is in large part due to the hypercompetitive nature of American culture and our complete inability to “be still” and tolerant about much of anything.
Another observation worth noting is that the Chinese have not been involved in a war in over 40 years. While the U.S. engages in one pointless Middle East war after another, and spends 716 billion last year to continue to do so.
Extremely well put ! Yes, I believe we HAVE transitioned to a multi polar world order, and yes, it is extremely dangerous that the old order is still the only one not acknowledging this. – I agree also that Trump is greatly hastening both the transition and the eventual acceptance of it.
Krieger makes many good points but may be failing to connect the last few dots. Today most nation states have signed on to many NWO protocols. Either at the U.N. or at such confabs as the Paris Accord. Russia, Iran, China and even Venezuela all have their pro Agenda 21 policies. So does the USA but in work arounds to the current admin’s stated policy. In fact all nation states are little more than cutouts that hide the hidden hand of the owners of world spanning financial capitalism. All major ideological political brands and their living political parties support NWO protocols either from a liberal or conservative stance by placing these protocols in their party platforms where applicable as there are plenty to go around from any POV.
So we should not be losing sleep over the controller’s strategy of tension when we know that all these nation states are controlled by the same entity. What we need to be concerned with is knowing that the biggest problem for these controllers are those democracy loving peoples, primarily in the west but abundant elsewhere also.It is the common worker bee that has to brought along. The management already serves to this end goal. “The state exists to enforce the dominance of elites, all the rest being propaganda, misdirection and obfuscation.”
On the two dimensional level where nation states a peoples exist a multi polar world seems to be arriving while at the 3D level a NWO Technocracy is enveloping all while hiding behind the 2D illusions. The telling of lies we are told to believe about the lies we have be told to believe all closely monitored. There’s no telling the lengths the controllers can and will go to to get their way, especially if too many of the worker bees stop believing and begin questioning. Currently the truth community as a percentage with gumption is relatively small. But such movements as the yellow vests in France are on their radar as much as the awakening of the people of Venezuela. Meanwhile in Russia, the EU and less formally elsewhere in the west increasing censorship of the internet, a la the multi polar China, is beginning to be rolled out….just as a Technocracy is being rolled out.
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The only certainty with respect to our future is that it is guaranteed to be painful for a lot of people. But as you point out, it’s so bad now that change in any direction would probably be an improvement.
Why put it off? People need to simply step out of the welfare/ warfare federal system (and in most cases local systems). Stop paying the taxes, stop filling out the paperwork.
Excellent article, Michael, thank you, and as one commentator said, very insightful. I agree that de facto we are in a multi-polar world and the only state not noticing is the USA itself.
The bully will always continue with his attitude until he is confronted, head on, and this is a very dangerous position for the rest of the world because any significant challenge will be responded to with extreme violence.
IMHO, the EU should invite Russia to join their economic block. This would support the failing European economies, support BRI and at the same time send a sound message to the Great Satan – who just might take notice. I do believe that the Bible prophecies maybe coming true which is a little worrying to say the least.
My book explains all this and more and is exactly in line with Michael’s views expessed here. We are singing from the same hymn sheet. If you want know more or would like a pdf copy of my book, by all means email me at: [email protected]
“In contrast, there’s no lipstick on the imperial pig under Trump and his band of creepy recycled neocons.”
Which in the long view was inevitable, and in the short view, is an excellent development.
Especially now that the phony Russian conspiracy theory has been exposed.
Western Europe is every bit as bad, and China (aka/Oceania) is also in very deep economic shit.
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I don’t see those behind the throne who love perpetual war, going silently into the night. With wealth so concentrated into so few hands and social media, and alternative media so powerful, I see these elites clamping down hard on free speech and simultaneously creating civil strife and havoc. Whether they use false flags or groups, such as,antifa or other so called counter racist groups or both simultaneously is up in the air. Those at the top have too much to loose and will institute draconian measures to achieve absolute control.
You are so right Patti, they will fight tooth and nail to maintain their priorities and this is a natural progression. Thus, all you predict is almost certainly a real possibility.
Nevertheless, when the chips are down and the paper empires have collapsed and all that is left is real assets, perhaps the people will have the last say. I hope and trust that this is will be the case.
Pitchforks at dawn – in the end the people will revolt – and I wouldn’t want to be a rich bast**rd then – shades of 1789?
https://ourfiniteworld.com/
Trump’s neocon transformation is nearly complete as this article implies. It’s been interesting to watch some supporters fall out of love with him at this realization, but most others have their heads buried in the sand. MAGA was too catchy and they’re not willing to let it go yet, reality be damned.
Military action against Venezuela, Iran, or any other new theater would jolt some of those people awake. The crumbling infrastructure won’t help Trump, nor will acknowledgement that his economic policy revolves entirely around sanctions and easy money from the Fed. As time goes on more people will reluctantly realize they’ve been had, but of course the blue team is determined to hand the 2020 nomination to another establishment sycophant. No outsiders like Tulsi or Bernie allowed!
I don’t trust China, Russia, or the EU to rule with any benevolence, but the US richly deserves to lose its unipolar status since it decided to go all in on empire as the USSR fell. That was bad enough, and the post 9/11 Forever Wars and neocon delusions are just icing on the cake.
All agreed Tengen, well put – and the final test IMO will come when the dollar is under pressure, but we are a while away from this yet I think.
Tengen, it is also important to note that both Bush 1 and Bill Clinton oversaw the complete plunder of what was left of the USSR after it fell.
Which was in the interest of “empire” as you noted, as well as pure greed by the insiders who enriched themselves personally.
That was the beginning of the Bush-Clinton cabal, and the assholes from Harvard acted as the henchmen.
All of which is why Putin and a lot of Russian nationals have a major grudge against the US. In addition, it did not go unnoticed by the Chinese.
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Michael,
I saw your interview on the Corbett Report and I agree that Transparency is the answer. The Oligarchs have existed throughout time because they have found ways to deceive the masses. Selling lies and deception requires operating in the shadows.
Ed Griffin’s book “The Creature of Jekyll Island” exposes the meeting of Oligarchs that took place on Jekyll Island in 1910 which lead to the creation of the Federal Reserve Act, and how careful they were to keep it secret. Yet, even with some Journalists exposing the plot as early as 1912, the Oligarchs were able to deceive the masses into thinking that it was a Republican plan so that when they also paid for Wilson’s Campaign no one saw it coming. President Wilson signed the 16th Amendment and the Federal Reserve Act in his first year, then went on to get reelected (with the help of the Banksters) in 1916 stating that he would “keep America out of the War”, only to enter the War based on the False Flag event “Sinking of the Lusitania”. (It kind of parallels how they controlled Obama)
The Oligarchs, (now Banksters) that created and own the Federal Reserve have continued to gain more and more power over the years due to the way they set up the Federal Reserve. The U.S. Dollar was defined in terms of a specific weight of pure of silver by the Coinage Act of 1792 and this has never changed. What has changed is that the U.S. Dollar has been replaced by Federal Reserve Notes. The coup that took place on November 22, 1963 which included the Assassination of JFK, and the installation of LBJ put an end to the U.S. Dollar. By 1965 all U.S. Quarters and Dimes no longer contained any Silver (they became Tokens), The Half Dollar and “Silver Dollar” went to 40% Silver thus no longer fitting the definition of a U.S. Dollar.
Dear Michael,
I enjoyed your article & the many good points that you made in it. However, I do not share your optimism.
“Nothing will get better until we stop spending all our time playing Game of Thrones with the world, and transition our domestic affairs away from the corrupt and unaccountable oligarchy we have today, into a robust, creative, entrepreneurial, and freedom-loving society.
It’s very possible, we just have to get out of our own way.”
The common folk would love to get out of the way of the transformational change you talk about, but they aren’t the ones standing in the way. It is the oligarchs who run the show who oppose it, and there is good reason to believe that when they see the game getting away from them, they will create a hell on earth for the 99%.