The Americanophilia that was cultivated after the Second World War lived on… as long as the world was simple, to the extent of opposing only two blocs: the free and democratic, and the totalitarian Soviet. Each accused the other of imperialism, and each was therefore right. If the war was cold, the cultural battle was fierce. We remember the Voice of America radio broadcasts, Hollywood productions, the Peace Corps, or the ousting of the specter of Allende by the rattle of Pinochet. But the Komintern’s heirs were not idle in decolonized Africa, Latin America and Europe, with a German school of philosophy that was its useful idiot and which, among other things, nurtured assertive terrorism and the agitprop of the famous “Lieber rot als tot” of pacifist movements against the stationing of Pershing missiles in Western Europe. There were, of course, the “non-aligned countries”, from which emanated more hints of Moscow influence and anti-Americanism than vice versa.

Then the wall came down and the Iron Curtain was lifted. The end of history was prematurely declared. All that remained was to install democracy in a world that had remained politically infantile.

The illusion of multilateralism developed within UN institutions, with relative successes and thunderous failures, particularly in peacekeeping. The World Trade Organization was finally created, which, even if lame, is a more useful duck than if it didn’t exist, and needs to be revitalized. Uncle Sam was happy to play these games, as long as they served his interests, including in Europe through NATO. Systematically doomed not to be resolved by its direct protagonists, the Near East question no longer preoccupied Washington. At the start of his mandate, George W. Bush rejected interventionism, declaring that the USA had no business being the “policeman of the world”.

The emergence of Islamism through Salafism and the massacres of the 90s in Algeria, followed by the extension of its reach by multi-faceted terrorism and then by a rogue state, fundamentally changed the situation. American interventionism took on a new dimension.

After showing signs of great military weakness (Afghanistan, stalemate in Iraq and Syria) and diplomatic incapacity (failed dialogue with Moscow, deaf dialogue with Beijing), sanctions regimes were imposed on Iran and Russia, the effects of which seem counterproductive. Unwavering support for Israel has gone so far as to ignore any limits that an extremist government simply oversteps, and support for Ukraine consists of an attempt to contain Russia, combined with large orders that the military-industrial complex is delighted with. The United States is more imperial and far more belligerent than ever.

While the election of Donald Trump might have suggested that things would change, this simple tweet (or Xweet) from December 1^st sets a different tone.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1863009545858998512

The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER. We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2024

Full text: The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER. We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy. They can go find another “sucker!” There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America.

For those who don’t want to understand, this is one of the most important statements of all, reaffirming a resolutely imperialist American policy.

Donald Trump has realized that, in the wake of the sanctions imposed on Russia, the alternative payment systems to SWIFT – Russia’s SPFS, China’s CIPS and Iran’s CEP – were not simply mechanisms designed to circumvent these sanctions, but an attack on the empire. And this is unbearable, not only for himself, but for the entire American political class, on all sides of the political spectrum. However, phrased as a rodomontade, it marks a certain feverishness, and tariffs are a double-edged sword that can cost his fellow citizens dearly. In the past, Rome delegated its local governance to proconsuls and celebrated triumphs for victorious generals on the margins of the Empire. This is no longer necessary today; a single individual, with a small staff and lots of IT, can run the show from Washington. It’s not even necessary to send troops; and if he has to, he won’t mind.

There are two possible responses to this blackmail: in Europe, to stand down and obey, as you might expect. Elsewhere, it will be interesting to see whether the BRICS of Putin, Xi Jinping, Modi et al. will bend or meet this challenge. Political life is not just about weighing up short-term economic interests, but about the framework conditions that enable long-term prosperity. In this sense, it is an advantage for authoritarians or totalitarians not to be exposed to electoral pitfalls and not to have to respect political balances. Will they allow themselves a confrontation with the United States, whose zillionaire indebtedness could prove to be its Achilles’ heel? This is perhaps possible in a conflict whose outcome cannot be settled with nuclear firepower. As for Milei, the anarcho-capitalist, if he’s true to himself, he won’t be savouring this tweet either, which doesn’t invite to ¡viva la libertad, carajo!

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