Joseph Stiglitz: America's New Age of Empire

[Celerity]

Joseph E. Stiglitz thinks the rest of the world should plan for the worst and pursue a policy of containment of the US.

https://www.socialeurope.eu/americas-new-age-of-empire



US President Donald Trump has drawn a wave of criticism for his actions in Venezuela, violations of international law, disdain for longstanding norms, and threats against other countries – not least allies like Denmark and Canada. Around the world, there is a palpable sense of uncertainty and foreboding. But it should already be obvious that things will not end well, neither for the United States nor the rest of the world.

None of this comes as a surprise to many on the left. We still remember US President Dwight Eisenhower’s valedictory warning about the industrial-military complex that had emerged from World War II. It was inevitable that a country whose military spending matched that of the rest of the world combined would eventually use its arms to try to dominate others.

To be sure, military interventions became increasingly unpopular following the American misadventures in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. But Trump has never shown much concern for the will of the American people. Since he entered politics (and no doubt earlier), he has considered himself above the law, boasting that he could shoot someone on New York’s Fifth Avenue without losing a vote. The January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol – whose anniversary we have just “celebrated” – showed that he was right. The 2024 election reinforced Trump’s hold on the Republican Party, ensuring that it will do nothing to hold him accountable.

The capture of Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was brazenly illegal and unconstitutional. As a military intervention, it required congressional notification, if not approval. And even if one stipulates that this was a case of “law enforcement,” international law still requires that such actions be pursued through extradition. One country cannot violate another’s sovereignty or snatch foreign nationals – let alone heads of state – from their home countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and others have been indicted for war crimes, but no one has proposed deploying soldiers to seize them wherever they happen to be.

snip

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Well, that's reassuring.

And very clear-eyed. Prepare for the worst.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[malaise]

3. Bookmarked

Rec