The important event that future historians will be studying
with regard to our era, is something that happens only once in several
centuries or even millenniums. It is the gradual shrinkage of an empire that has
reached its apogee. This time the honor (if you can call it that) has fallen on
the shoulders of the United States of America.
In the same way that we can choose to age: gracefully or
gracelessly; there are ways for an empire to adjust to new realities: choose to
coexist with its rivals or they'll build a world that excludes the has-been in
the making.
The peculiar thing about America is that it did not intend
to become an empire. But the status was thrust upon it when events conspired to
make it so. Like the Arab empire that rose to prominence when the Roman and
Persian empires fought each other to exhaustion, America rose to prominence
when the European powers that dominated the world for centuries fought each
other to near extinction.
After reaching its apogee, the Arab civilization began to
shrink because it was too civilized for its time, falling victim to its own
high morals at a time when the world was steeped in immorality. It is that the
Arabs put down the foundation for modern chemistry; also invented artillery but
refused to use them in war because their culture forbade them from killing
people at a distance or killing them en masse.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that the Arabs had civilized
Europe by bringing the Renaissance to it, the dwellers of the Continent
remained as savage as they were during the Dark Age. They used the chemistry
and artillery they inherited from the Arabs to destroy the achievements of
their teachers and those of everyone else in the world. This done, the
Europeans colonized and looted everything in sight. And nothing could be more
savage than that.
As to the American empire, it began to shrink too soon for
its time, falling victim to its own naivety. What happened was that the old
colonial powers (Britain and France) and the new wannabe colonial power
(Israel) kept dragging America into adventures that served them by eroding
America's power, its credibility and standing in the world. And the modern-day
colonial hopefuls did worse than that: they convinced a chunk of the American
political elites that their country was indispensable for maintaining peace and
order in the world, even if reality on the ground is the opposite of that, and
out there for all to see.
What you'll see is hinted at in a piece that came under the
title: “North Korea's Complaint” and the subtitle: “The sanctions erode as
Pyongyang continues its nuclear arms program.” It is an editorial that appeared
on August 5, 2018 in the Wall Street Journal.
The elements that make up the foundation of this story have
been developing for decades. One element is that the North Koreans worked
diligently for several generations to defend themselves against an attack that
America has been threatening since the Korean War. The second element is that
the world – spearheaded by Russia, China, and now Europe and India – have had
it up to here with American bullying. They decided to oppose the shrinking
giant as much as they have to in the effort to neutralize it without provoking
it. They started doing just that by standing with Iran, and would do the same
with North Korea if America pushed its luck there too.
You can see in the Journal's piece that at least the editors
of that publication are beginning to understand the new realities, and
preparing themselves psychologically – as well as their readers – to accept the
brave new world that's in the making. Here is the evidence:
“President Trump agreed to phased progress and dropped
demands that the North agree up front to dismantle weapons. Let's look at this
with North Korean logic. The North's production of ICBMs and warheads
continues. Trade in petroleum and coal has increased. The North's exports of
textiles are strong. The North has added two buildings at its
missile-production facility as well as new facilities at it nuclear-enrichment
facility. It has expanded a facility that makes solid-fuel missile components.
The North hasn't turned over a list of weapons and facilities. Russia
registered 10,000 new North Korean workers this year. The global sanctions
regime erodes because Russia and China do not enforce them”.