The Empire's Benevolence Racket
When Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warns that a US retreat from global alliances risks an 'age of authoritarians,' it reads, at first glance, like a defense of democracy from a progressive voice. The framing positions US-led alliances as the bulwark against totalitarianism, a familiar refrain across the political spectrum. This perspective, however, overlooks the very real imperial
history embedded within these alliances, as well as the significant financial and geopolitical interests they serve. What's actually happening: The 'age of authoritarians' was the 2002 Bush administration's justification for the Iraq War, and it's the 2024 State Department's rationale for interventions in countries like Venezuela. The 'alliances' typically involve the US dictating terms to junior
partners, often facilitating resource extraction and bolstering military-industrial complexes. Congress itself plays a crucial role in sanctioning and funding these apparatuses, with over $886 billion allocated to the Pentagon in 2024 alone, much of which flows through these so-called alliances. The double standard is glaring: When the US backs coups against democratically elected leaders, as it
did in Chile in 1973 or Bolivia in 2019, those 'alliances' are framed as stabilizing factors, not as instruments of authoritarian imposition. The 'authoritarian' label is reserved for nations outside Washington's orbit, conveniently ignoring the autocratic clients within its own network. This narrative ensures a steady flow of taxpayer money into the national security state, justifying its global