The US decline is accelerating. The war in Iran has seriously damaged the image of unquestioned US omnipotence, in the eyes of its allies and enemies and of the peoples around the world. It is obvious that the US are no longer able to achieve their goals without facing meaningful resistance, even blowbacks. The new U.S. National Defense Strategy, in a rather concise manner, acknowledges the loss of American global dominance in its previous form.
However, those who suggest that Washington is abandoning its plans against China and Europe, as well as its military escalation, in order to confine itself to its ‘backyard’, are mistaken.
US interventionism is brutal across the globe, meddling in the Middle East, Latin America, and in its military deployments in the Pacific and the South China Sea, amongst many other regions. In the military offensive in which US imperialism is currently engaged, we are not neutral. We stand with the oppressed nations and their just struggle against any imperialist interference. The reactionary, obscurantist and deeply anti-worker nature of the Ayatollah regime in Iran does not make us lose sight of the fact that the defeat of US imperialism, with the support of the European Union and other states, represents a positive development for workers across the world who seek to free themselves from its yoke in every corner of the globe.
The decline can’t be understood solely in military and geopolitical terms. We must take also into account the «internal factor», namely the evolution of the US capitalism itself – of which Trump is the result and not the cause. The weakening of its position in the global balance of power is rooted in the structural crisis of the capitalist system, owing both to internal factors and to the rise of other capitalist economies. The era of the uncontested economic and military supremacy of the American capitalism is coming to its end. This does not mean that the US has already been brought to its knees. It still possesses the power of the dollar, despite losing ground as predominant rcurrency in the world. It has the most powerful military machine in world history, with military spending three times greater than China’s.
Faced with this situation, the people are beginning to rise up. In the United States, various radical movements have emerged, although these are generally co-opted by forces that operate within the capitalist framework and the Republican-Democrat political system. We are referring to the mass protests under the slogan ‘No Kings’, strikes in Minnesota, the growth of trade union organisation, resistance against ICE and fascist-like forces, and the rise of candidates and leaders associated with left-leaning or social-democratic factions, such as those of the DSA in New York and in so many other cities. This phenomenon is combined with strong activism amongst young people, workers and, to a large extent, migrants, who are beginning to draw fundamental conclusions. This is the case with the struggles and activism in Seattle, Oakland and so many other urban centres where criticism of the two major parties is spreading due to their funding of genocide, military spending and the propping up of capital, gradually paving the way for the emergence of a revolutionary organisation of the working class at the very heart of capitalism.
There is growing resistance in the United States to the ICE attacks on immigrants and against the techno fascists with protests against Musk including the growing opposition to AI. The mass mobilization in Minneapolis included important sections of the unions and community to organize against the ICE terror raids was an important sign of mass resistance. It did not lead to a general strike but it showed the potential of mass working class action. At the same time there has been a frontal attack on Black representation and the resegregation of the South. There needs to be national mobilizations against these attacks rallying the entire working class and all unions.
The DSA victories in New York and other cities show that many are fed up with the policies of the Democratic Party leadership however the DSA national leadership see a peaceful road to socialism and are not preparing for martial law and organized attacks on the democratic right to vote by workers action. At the same time the pro capital and pro imperialist trade union bureaucracy is a major obstacle to taking this struggle forward.
The growing inflation, tech bubble and massive expansion in the wars on Iran and other countries around the world cannot be stopped by Democrats but only be confronted by the movement for a general strike and the formation of a mass democratic workers party.
The rise of fascism and the direct capture of the capitalist state by the techno fascists is a new historic development of the crisis of US capitalism and there must be a mass working class united front to defend democratic rights and also for a working class program for national healthcare, public control of energy, housing, utilities and banking.
The role of US fascists who have state control and are using it to push for militarization globally and who are intervening directly in supporting rightwing and fascist movements around the world must be challenged globally by the working class.
