While predictions of a US decline are premature and overblown, there are real issues that must be addressed down the road.

Is The US Decline Inevitable? 

America That I Admired!

According to the saying, "A half-truth is even more dangerous than a lie." My desire to study the United States developed with information gained through Hollywood films and documentaries, particularly those concerning war (WWII). 

Visual media has a powerful influence on the human brain, and I was no exception.  

The open and vibrant society, economic power, cutting-edge military weaponry, and incomprehensible scientific advancements effectively generated an atmosphere of invincibility and confidence in American principles. 

The moral aptitude and leadership qualities, the commitment to upholding democratic values at any cost, made America the leader of the righteous world, at least in my eyes.

However, with time I learned that perception creates a smokescreen that opaques the reality. It hinders a person's ability to do rational thinking, and I, too, was blinded by one side narrative meticulously planned and executed through media. The American Betrayal of ordinary Afghanistanis was the proverbial last straw. 

While American dreams enticed ordinary citizens and US citizenship became an apparent goal, the US emerged as the promised land of milk and honey. But, gradually, as I continued with my quest to learn about the US, some uncomfortable facts started tumbling out. 

Scratching The Surface

Active Participation of the United States in Regime Change

Learning about the successful attempts by the US to topple regimes in South America surprised me. 

What amused me most was the Guatemala coup (1954). Endorsed by the USA, it was a blatant misuse of power and against all democratic principles that it claims to uphold. There's a long list of where the US overthrew democratically elected governments between the 1950s till the 1980s. Unfortunately, the hunger for a strategically crucial foreign land and natural resources have yet to end. 

History was again repeated in Iraq, where a regime was overthrown, and the entire region hasn't stabilized yet. The byproducts of the illegal Iraq war are the Syrian bloodbath, the ISIS monster, the Yemen crisis, and instability in Iraq. 

The US Refuses to Play Ball in International Treaties

If one was to track the record of honoring International treaties by respective nations, the US stands exposed with its abysmal record. It is abrogating International treaties unilaterally, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, Trans-Pacific Partnership, and North American Free Trade Agreement. 

The US even rejected an International Court of Justice ruling on Iran. However, it doesn't bode well with a country that sermonizes other nations to comply with such treaties.  

The Unholy Alliance

Not just duping the civilized world, America has a past chequered history of making opportunistic alliances with terrorist organizations, autocratic regimes, and radical Islamic states. 

From selling weapons to providing technical knowledge or monetary assistance, America furthers its propaganda without deliberating on consequences. 

Not to forget that America is the only country that dropped Nuclear weapons (Japan) and used chemical weapons(Vietnam) in the world. It still possesses the most massive arsenal of Nuclear bombs and the most significant defense spender. 

The complexities of different societies, treacherous diplomacy, and economic windfall gains at the expense of misery inflicted on hapless innocent people due to successive American governments are under-reported or brushed aside by the media.

Though Gobbles is the fallen guy and is blemished, even today, American policy is the real culprit in waging propaganda wars and peddling their narrative as sacrosanct throughout the globe. Mischievous propaganda is propagated by dominating media. 

There is no denying that autocratic or communist regimes have abysmal respect for world peace or human rights, but American policymakers are no different either. Whether supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia for killing Yemini civilians or abandoning Afghan society at the mercy of the Taliban, the US has treaded an opportunistic path.

Image courtesy- Google Images