THE FAILED UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO MAINTAIN ITS GLOBAL HEGEMONY

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States' political, military, and economic elites have sought ways to solidify and stabilize its global hegemony in the various spheres of power.

Since the implosion of the socialist bloc in the USSR and Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, efforts have sought to consolidate US hegemony through unquestionable military superiority over all potential adversaries; the establishment of an economic system based on global value chains flowing to the United States, which would also reaffirm its position as the global financial center; and a "rules-based international order" defined almost solely and unilaterally by the hegemonic superpower.

But two international actors stood in the way of this grand scheme to consolidate US hegemony in the world: Israel and China.

The United States' victory over the USSR in the Cold War opened the possibility for the dominant pro-Israel lobby in the United States to finally direct the majority of the superpower's political, economic, and military resources to achieve the objectives of international Zionism, which had been in place since its creation in the mid-19th century: the destruction of countries considered enemies of Zionism; the definitive consolidation of the State of Israel through the expulsion of the Palestinians; and the creation of "Greater Israel."

Achieving these objectives required a large-scale regional war or a deliberate strategy of chaos and destruction against countries considered enemies of Israel (Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran), given that at least two of them had already yielded and accepted Israeli hegemony in the Middle East through "peace" agreements (Egypt and Jordan). And something similar was sought to be achieved with the highest representative of the Sunni branch of Islam, Saudi Arabia, and with the Petro monarchies of the Persian Gulf (with Turkey the relationship was ambiguous, since there were diplomatic relations, but Ankara maintained a standoff with Tel Aviv over the Palestinian situation and influence in the Levant).

Thus, terrorist attacks of unprecedented magnitude struck New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, during which the 17 U.S. national security agencies stood by, doing nothing to prevent them, and the al-Qaeda group was accused of being responsible.

Immediately, the U.S. political-military apparatus, controlled by neoconservatives, attempted to launch a widespread offensive against several Middle Eastern countries (coincidentally, those Israel considered its main enemies) to put an end to "international terrorism" once and for all.

But prudence prevailed, and retaliation was directed against al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

This did not discourage the pro-Israel lobby, which continued to insist on attacking countries considered enemies of the Israelis and thus led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, under the pretext of "weapons of mass destruction," which were never found. However, this served to destroy one of the countries Israel wanted to eliminate as a competitor in the Middle East.

And so, the deliberate strategy of chaos and destruction in that region (Libya, Syria, and Iraq again) continued, allowing Israel to repeatedly strike at the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, not only to weaken resistance against the illegal occupation of their territories, but also to create unacceptable living conditions, forcing them to emigrate to other countries.

This entire strategy of Israeli domination of the Middle East, financed and supported militarily, politically, and logistically by the United States, cost more than $7 trillion, resulted in thousands of deaths and disabilities in the US armed forces due to its interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria, and a constant focus on events in the Middle East. This weakened the US presence on other continents (Asia, Europe, Africa, and even Latin America) and allowed two other major powers to develop their own capabilities without US interference: China and Russia.

Thus, Israeli domination of decision-making processes within the United States diverted economic and military resources, as well as the superpower's political and diplomatic attention, to a region that, while important, is not vital to US hegemony. This paved the way for China, primarily, to develop its potential without constant US interference.

China quickly became the world's second-largest economic power. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, it extended its economic influence throughout the rest of the world. It formed the BRICS group with the Russians to compete with the United States and the West in economic and diplomatic matters. And it substantially improved the capabilities of its armed forces.

By the second decade of the 21st century, it was already clear that the unipolarity established after the fall of the USSR was giving way to multipolarity; this has led the American elites to rethink their strategy to confront the Chinese challenge to their global hegemony.

The liberal elites, represented first by Obama and later by Biden, sought to reaffirm US hegemony through two avenues: redirecting a large part of the United States' political, economic, and military resources and capabilities toward competition against China (a pivot to Asia); and weakening Russia (the weakest element of the Sino-Russian alliance) through a debilitating military conflict (a war with Ukraine).

Instead, the American elites representing the sectors hardest hit by the opening of markets, global value chains, and the "rules-based international order," who have been represented in two different terms by Donald Trump, want to shed "ballast," in the sense that they consider that the "international responsibilities" of the United States, as the world's "policeman" and in terms of international "aid," divert resources of all kinds to causes and regions that bring neither greater security nor greater "profits" to the United States.

Likewise, these elites represented by Trump believe that the globalization strategy has deindustrialized the United States and, in turn, empowered China, Southeast Asia, the European Union and even its neighbors, Canada and Mexico. However, it has left the United States weaker, given that in a potential military confrontation with China and Russia, it would not have the industrial base sufficient to sustain a conflict of this magnitude.

At the same time, they believe that the strategy of weakening Russia with the conflict in Ukraine has not worked. On the contrary, the large number of resources that the United States has given and would have to continue giving to Ukraine to sustain the conflict with the Russians harms rather than helps the United States.

Thus, the strategy now is to pause the conflict with Russia to free up resources that can be used in the strategic competition with China; and at the same time, to force US allies to contribute to the reindustrialization of the United States (through tariffs) so that it can maintain the strategic competition with China. However, what the United States has not been able to escape is its subordination to the priorities imposed by Israel, which is why it continues to provide all the support demanded by the Zionist elites to achieve the goals of Greater Israel, the definitive expulsion of the Palestinians, and the destruction of countries considered enemies of Israel.

Therefore, the strategies pursued by both branches of the American elite have failed to achieve the goal of consolidating American hegemony to the extent that Israel remains the thorn in their side that forces them to keep their resources and attention in the Middle East. And China, despite the trade war against it and the alliances with various countries to keep this Asian power surrounded, remains the most dynamic economy in the world, the one with the greatest industrial power, and increasingly competes with the United States in terms of scientific and technological innovation.