China also dominates in most technologies at this point, and in science. The US still has some power, but the reality is that it is a fading empire now. The whole retrenchment strategy is a clear admission of that. The US is no longer able to play the role of the global hegemon, and it’s now focusing on getting whatever resources it can out of Europe, and trying to consolidate control over western hemisphere.

I don’t see how the US is in the lead position in terms of global power projection. They lost their proxy war in Ukraine, which has been incredibly costly for them. They were unable to take on Yemen, and had to quietly pull back. They pulled a stunt in Venezuela, but didn’t actually manage to accomplish regime change, and did not put boots on the ground. Now they might try to start a war with Iran, and if they do that will go badly for them if they actually go through with it.

On the economic front, the US lost their trade war with China, and now countries are flocking to China seeing it as a stable alternative. The industry in the US is collapsing with each set of numbers being worse than the last. Things are so bad now that Trump admin is rushing head over hills to shut down reporting of the numbers on the economy.

I would argue that the collapse is in fact settled because it’s the material reality that matters in the end. The ephemeral things the US produces like entertainment, service industry, tech platforms, and so on, are not essential things people need to live. And they only have value when basic needs are met. At the end of the day, eople need to eat, they need goods for their every day lives, food, housing, jobs, healthcare, and retirement. The US is increasingly unable to provide these things for their population. It is no longer self sufficient in many critical areas, and it’s reliant on China to sustain basic economy. That’s precisely why the US was forced to pull back from their trade war.

It’s possible, of course, that the US starts a nuclear holocaust, but my bet is that the oligarchs will choose to rule over a diminished empire rather than live out the rest of their lives in bunkers like rats.

agreed on all points

The funniest thing for me is that humans end up doing the exact same thing. This is why it’s so notoriously difficult to create organizational policies that actually produce desired results. What happens in practice is that people find ways to comply with the letter of the policy that require the least energy expenditure on their part.

that’s a really long winded way to say you have no clue how economics work and don’t understand what democracy is

by all foreign media you must mean a handful of burger reich platforms? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China

ironically, the only one aiming to suppress freedom of opinion here is you bud

Right, but all the infrastructure supporting international medical services was developed at cost through massive state investment. Now that it exists, using it is cheap, so you can charge low prices to foreigners for access and still make a profit.

gotta love how racists freak out when they’re exposed to media from other countries

same

get fucked colonizer

you are literally sniffing so much glue that your mind exists on another plane of existence

I would argue that it is in fact bad because it’s a threat to national security and sovereignty. The Europeans are now finding out that they’re unable to produce things domestically that their people need, and have become entirely reliant on US energy exports and military protection.

China isn’t forcing anybody to buy their goods at gunpoint last I checked. The fact that western markets are unable to produce comparable goods at the same prices is entirely the problem with the way western economies are structured. The whole premise for loosely regulated markets was that they were supposed to be more efficient than state planning, turns out that was a big fat lie. So now the dumb fucks in the west are crying that their failed economic model can’t compete with China. Tough!

🤡

It’s pretty clear that Epstein network operated all throughout Europe. Mandelson revelations being a prime example of this.

medical in China is so insanely cheap precisely because it’s not run for profit

I agree, but I’d argue that material production is what matters at the end of the day, and here China is absolutely dominating. The power of the US now largely lies in media, and ephemeral stuff like technology platforms. Manufacturing is actually shrinking, and the tariff war only accelerated the process because the costs of inputs for US manufacturers went up.

The US is now trying to use its remaining military power to destroy countries aligned with BRICS, and to do land grabs like Greenland. But I really think these are just final gasps of a dying empire. The US military can’t even produce many essentials like artillery shells at scale now, and they rely on Chinese components for any advanced manufacturing. Rare earths are prime example of a critical supply chain that China has a monopoly on. Once the US runs through existing stocks, it’s not really clear how they will replace them. And without the ability to project military strength globally, the US will continue to lose grip on its hegemony.

And things aren’t looking so hot domestically for the US either. It’s basically teetering on a brink of a civil war right now. And if there is an economic crash, which is a likely scenario in the near future, that could act as a catalyst for a USSR style collapse.

Also, it’s fascinating how agency and self determination is only reserved for movements that are pro western. Notice how easily liberals dismiss the right of LPR/DPR for self determination.

Hasn’t really been working out like that. Unsustainable debt and weaponizing the dollar is creating a need for alternative currencies, banks, and payment systems. And China is stepping up. While western countries are still hesitant, majority of the world now sees China as a stable alternative to the US, and trade is increasingly being reoriented towards China as a result.