The Financial Times is warning you about a 'declining superpower' – but not the one waging endless wars of choice.
📰 THE STORY: The Financial Times article, 'Always beware a declining superpower,' posits that even under 'normal leadership,' a 'status-anxious US' would inevitably 'lash out,' seemingly presenting this as a novel and dangerous phenomenon. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'status-anxious US' didn't just appear. Its 'lashing out' is well-documented, from the 1953 CIA coup
in Iran, reversing democracy, to the 1973 coup in Chile that installed Pinochet, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq based on fabricated WMD intelligence. This isn't an anomaly, it's a playbook for maintaining global hegemony. Double Standard: When China increases its naval presence in disputed waters, it's framed as 'aggression' and 'expansionism.' When the US maintains 800 military bases in over 70
countries and conducts 'freedom of navigation' operations thousands of miles from its shores, it's 'global leadership' and 'maintaining order.' The FT article implicitly accepts this power dynamic as normal, only warning about potential missteps, not the inherent nature of empire. Follow the Money: The anxiety isn't just about 'status'; it's about maintaining a military-industrial complex that
profits immensely from global instability and conflict. In 2023, US defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon reported billions in profits, directly tied to arms sales and interventions, often to countries in West Asia and Eastern Europe. This system benefits from a perpetual state of 'lashing out' and the narrative that such aggression is a natural phase of decline, rather than a