Turkey almost lost, Pakistan as well, Iran a long time enemy. US is creating more and more enemies
Turkish president Erdogan recently warned, in a letter published in The New York Times, that in the case of further US unilateral actions against Turkey, a member of NATO, his country will be forced to find new friends. Relationship between both countries allready worsened after the failed military coup against Erdogan, and in the recent weeks hit a new low. The reason for sanctions was the detention of pastor Andrew Brunson and Trumps imposing of tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium exports to the US.
In recent years, American actions in the world managed to damage their standing. United States have two large, important competitors, Russia and China. Russia is a military great power with immense natural resources. China is an economic behemoth with the largest population on the planet and a military force in the process of modernization. Both countries are in a every tighter alliance. For United States, it is important to isolate these two competitors to the largest extent possible. Something, that cannot be done without allies. In Europe, NATO, tensions in Ukraine, baseless accusations that Russians poisoned their own ex agent on British soil, disagremeents about Syria, are used for building that alliance against Russia. Against China, discomfort by their ever growing strenght, can be used for mobilizing the likes of Japan and India. There is nothing extraordinary then, if a US warship visits Viernam, for instance.
Looking back at history, United States used a belt of states from the Mediterranean to China, to block Soviet advances. Now, relationships with all those states are in bad condition. First, there is Iran, enemy for the past 40 years. New sanctions imposed against them, will just be a continuation of decades long warfare against the islamic republic. Pakistan is balancing its foreign policy between United States and China. Disagreements between Pakistan and US got bigger, while relationship with China stayed positive. Treats from US president didn’t help, something, which might have contributed to a reaction in the form of destabilization in Afghanistan, where Americans have for years unsuccessfully been trying to defeat the Taliban and lately even the Islamic State.
Then there is Turkey. We should not blame Turkish economic worries on US alone. Their economic growth is debt financed and the reckoning had to come sooner or later. But, it is clear, that Americans are acting in a hostile manner against Turkey and Turks are fully aware of it. They are so aware of it, that Erdogan is even considering joining BRICS and that there are rumors of impending exit from NATO.
Let us take a look on the map.
United Stated managed to create enemies out of countries, they need to block the Russian-Chinese alliance. The access to Central Asia is nearly gone. The only way leads through Georgia and Azerbaijan and can be swiftly cut. This means, in the future Chinese and Russians won’t need to focus their attention on Central Asia, as their borders there will be safe. Americans will be forced to leave Afghanistan sooner or later.
Even worse. Americans lost the war in Syria and Iraq is more of an Iranian friend, than theirs. With this, the Eurasian expanse, not controled by United States, just gets bigger.
American hegemony is crumbling and Trumps actions are just an answer to that process. What the US president is trying to do, is to lift the country, mostly on the economic level and that is partly working. GDP growth is high. Trump is forcing the rest of the world to sign new trade agreements, which will be more to his liking. On the other side, Americans are waging economic warfare against their opponents. Now imposing sanctions against Russia, then against Iran, Turkey bein gnext in line, not to mention the trade war with China. They want to prevent the economic growth of those countries, even push them over the brink, as they can deal better with failed states, like Libya, who don’t present as big of a threat as strong ones, like Turkey under president Erdogan. We can notice the increased aggressivness in that endeavor, which exposes the realization, that their domination in the world is sliping through their fingers.
The consequence is, that more and more countries are trying to exit the global system run bythe US. They wish to trade amongst themselves, connect, replace the US currency. Russians have made the biggest advance in that field, having in the recent years worked tirelessly on their self reliance and resistance to outside shocks, which made them less vulnerable. Turks, on the other side, will pay a high price for their disagreements with United States, even if Erdogan will most likely survive the ordeal. It is understandable, the Turks will not support sanctions against Iran with such attitude from Washington and will be less lenient to American presence in Syria. When Iran is concerned, it is clear, the Chinese will not stop importing Iranian oil, but will increase their presence, ousting Europeans, who are more susceptible to American threats. Even Indians seem not to be intimidated and will continue with trade.
We live in a dangerous time. After debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans seem to realize, their military strenght is not enough to change conditions on the ground in their favour ,after the initial military victory. That’s why they are using economic warfare. They have weaponized the global financial system. Yes, it is a war with different means, but a war nontheless. Victims feel the attacks in the form of diminished economic activity, expanding poverty and many other discomforts, which have as a goal devastating revolutions, which are used to change the governments of states, or their outright destruction.
Yet, Americans are creating more and more enemies, who are finding ways to cooperate. Iran is opposing US sanctions against Turkey, Erdogan is treatening to find new friends. It is only a matter of time, until US moves facilitate the creation od a strong alliance, even an alternative financial and economic system, lead by China. The damage will not be done only to the United States, but also to Europeans who will, if they blindly follow in their footsteps, close many doors. Instead of making deals in Iran, they will be replaced by Chinese, Russians will redirect their gas and oil to the east and Turks will increasingly see their future in Asia.
This is something, we really don’t need.
