The United States was the world’s largest military superpower when it lost to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. And they have been defeated whenever they wanted to make their informal empire formal: to occupy a country. However, they have conquered us all as an informal empire: globalizing us with their technology, business and lifestyle.
But it’s not just the U.S. that loses if it invades: Historian Adam Tooze has shown that since 1914 no power has been able to occupy any country, or that it was far superior militarily. The paradox is that being a superpower would serve to win wars, but you only continue to be one if you don’t start them.
Therefore, we expect another defeat for the Russian invaders when they face those who defend their country; but also because there are provinces in Ukraine that consider themselves Russian, Putin will save his face from failure insofar as he manages to pass it on to the Russians as a victory and the Russians will be defeated insofar as they accept it.
That is why President Biden is already the second loser in Ukraine, as Hirsh explains in Foreign Affairs, because his gesture as a defender of democracy in the world after the flight from Afghanistan has not helped him to return to the polls at home. – inflation is punishing him – and a democratic defeat is expected in mid-November.
On the rest of the planet, most deplore the Russian invasion just because it has violated borders and everyone has theirs to defend; but they believe that the democracy of the United States cannot teach him lessons. Indonesia, for example, has just invited Putin to the next G-20 summit in Jakarta.
Biden perd; but the United States as a superpower can benefit from the new world disorder as it capitalizes on the resurrection of NATO, and Germany – the third loser – has lost the economic leadership of European reunification. Maybe what Volkswagen and Mercedes were in Eastern Europe will end up being Tesla.
The Europeans and the EU, which was born to serve peace, are obviously the fourth losers. And you know why and you’re already noticing it in your pocket.
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