The American Empire

Opened March, 20201. Last updated by The POOG on November 06, 2021.

The Unipolar Empire in a Multipolar World

At the end of WWII, the US emerged as the dominant global power and hegemon, both in economic and military strength. The only challenge to this position was the military strength of the USSR. The latter was removed when the USSR dissolved, leaving an American unipolar world.

Pre-WWI, the British Empire had global hegemony with only the colonial interests of other European nations presenting any challenge. It was a unipolar British world until this position was seriously challenge post-WWI by the United States’ emergence as an economic powerhouse.

The parallel to today’s world is that China is the emerging economic powerhouse having arguably created a defacto multipolar world. Whereas the British were economically exhausted by two world wars, the US is exhausting itself with endless foreign wars with the cost of maintaining a thousand garrisons and bases across the globe.

For reasons unclear to the author, the US has revived many Cold War issues with Russia while at the same time provoking China. We may already be in the early stages of WWIII which will be characterized by many new forms of warfare such as cyber warfare and psyops which are already likely in use17].

The US is working through its proxies, Ukraine, Taiwan[17], and NATO. It is the accelerating activity on these fronts which has lead me to reactivate these old blog topics in this new article. So we can break down the US Empire into an Eastern Front dealing with Russia as a regional hegemon, and a Western Front dealing with China as a regional hegemon. Both fronts pose significant military challenges to the US and both, but China in particular, pose economic challenges.

War Inc.

Source: Statista. America’s Longest Foreign Wars

Although the US is slated to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in 2021, it will continue its occupation using covert intelligence activities and paid mercenaries to do the fighting[23]. In the meantime, it continues its war with Cuba[30].

The Deep State in America

There is , in recent years, extensive discussion about a ‘Deep State’ in the US that exerts ultimate control within the country and therefore the empire. In an article, Paul Ryder[33] gives a good overview of its components:

At the core of the military establishment are the Pentagon, big tech firms and weapons manufacturers led by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Raytheon, and General Dynamics. Elsewhere in the government, it includes the Congress, Supreme Court, White House, Departments of Energy, State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, and fifteen other intelligence agencies, AID, and the National Endowment for Democracy. Playing supporting roles are big media, foundations, think tanks, universities, consultants, Democratic and Republican parties, and private security services contractors.

Paul Ryder[33]

Of the think tanks, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Atlantic Council dominate the thought and policy spheres in the US.

The CIA As Agent of Clandestine Aggression

August 09, 2016 @ 11:51 pm, EDT   the POOG

In this essay we look at the history of the CIA, not for its intelligence-gathering directive  but for its clandestine operations in subverting foreign governments. Much has been written on this topic so our intention is to provide enough background to readers to allow them to assess the likelihood of CIA involvement in current and future global insurrections.

The Legislative Basis of the CIA

The CIA was created by the National Security Act of 1947 for “the purpose of coordinating the intelligence activities of the several Government departments and agencies”, specifically, from section 102 (d), emphasis added[1]:

(1) to advise the National Security Council [NSC] in matters concerning such intelligence activities of the Government departments and agencies as relate to national security;
(2) to make recommendations … for the coordination of such intelligence activities … ;
(3) to correlate and evaluate intelligence … and provide for the appropriate dissemination of such intelligence … : PROVIDED, That the Agency shall have no police, subpoena, law-enforcement powers, or internal-security functions: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the departments and other agencies of the Government shall continue to collect, evaluate, correlate, and disseminate departmental intelligence … ;
(4) to perform, for the benefit of the existing intelligence agencies, such additional services of common concern as the National Security council determines can be more efficiently accomplished centrally;
(5) to perform such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the National Security Council may from time to time direct.

In short, thew CIA was created to collect, evaluate, correlate, and disseminate departmental intelligence to the NSC. Points 4 and 5 allow for unspecified other activities as may be delegated by the NSC.

The Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 [2] details the administration of the CIA but does not discuss authorized activities.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 in section 104A (d) [3] reiterates the responsibilities of the Director of the CIA as laid out in the 1947 act as to

collect … correlate … evaluate … and provide appropriate dissemination of …
intelligence; perform such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the President or the Director of National Intelligence may direct.

Note that the president has now been given authority to specify the CIA operations. It further instructs the

Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall develop joint procedures to be used by the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency to improve the coordination and deconfliction of operations that involve elements of both …

improve communication and coordination in the planning, execution, and sustainment of operations …[3]

This reference to joint operations with the DOD may be significant in the field.

Overall, the agency was created as a foreign intelligence gathering agency. If there is any legislative basis for subversion of foreign governments through coups, assassinations, and the provision of intelligence and material support to organizations acting subversively in foreign countries, I haven’t found it.

Off the Reservation?

While one might think, given the above background, that the CIA is strictly an intelligence gathering and processing entity, it has a much darker side. This section lists CIA operations that have been identified that have had significant geopolitical impact. How big the skeleton closet is we may never know.

As we go through, we will try and identify at what level these ‘other functions and duties’ are sanctioned.

The Coup in Iran in 1953

In August, 1953, the CIA organized operation TPAJAX, a military coup against the government of Iran over the issue of state control of Iranian oil and the possibility of a tilt towards the USSR.

As a declassified CIA document says:

the military coup …  was carried out under CIA direction as an act of U.S. foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest level of government[7].

The coup was carried out by the U.S. administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower in a covert action advocated by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, and implemented under the supervision of his brother Allen Dulles, the Director of Central Intelligence.[82]

It was a last resort after all normal rational methods of international communication and commerce had failed. The document states that Prime Minister Mohammad Mosadeq

had become so committed to the ideals of nationalism that he did things that could not have helped his people … [1]

The Americans believed that Mosadeq’s actions could not have conceivably helped helped his people. As well,

the professional politicians of the British government … believed, with good reason, that cheap  oil for Britain, and high profits for the [Anglo Iranian Oil] company were vital to their national interests.

When the British couldn’t get their way they were prepared to wait until the Iranians, needing money, came back to the table. The U.S., however, was afraid that the Iranians would turn to the USSR.

So the motivation behind the coup was to further American strategic interests and British economic interests with a token reference to assumed Iranian interests.

The Methodologies of Subversion

Author Nicolas J.S. Davies  gives extensive descriptions of three techniques for fomenting violence for overthrowing foreign governments. These are[11]:

  1. Creating and strengthening opposition forces;
  2. Violent street demonstrations; and
  3. The coup d’etat.

The new Cold War 2.0

I have been reading references to Cold War 2.0 from various sources. It is another topic that I feel needs resurrection from my old blog. I’ll let Pepe Escobar lead it off[20].

NATO and WWIII

NATO is America’s foreign legion. Policy is guided by the Atlantic Council. In its own words (emphasis added):

Driven by our mission of “shaping the global future together,” the Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that galvanizes US leadership and engagement in the world, in partnership with allies and partners, to shape solutions to global challenges. Find out more about us below.

Source: Atlantic Council – Shaping the global future together.

Canada’s role is noted in NATO and Canada. Created to counter the Warsaw Pact alliance, its rationale for existing ended when the Warsaw Pact dissolved. Like any bureaucracy, it has sought to grow to ensure its survival:

Source: Advancing Time – Biden’s Ukrainian “Putin Push” May Lead To World War III

The US is now attempting to expand NATO’s focus to include China, its emerging worst enemy.

History of NATO Military Aggression

NATO has attacked a number of countries over its history. There are a lot of books on NATO and its adventures which I won’t try and duplicate. Rather, I will capture new articles as I come across them. As an example, Brian Cloughly describes the continuing encirclement of Russia by NATO[31].

The Balkans

US-NATO war of aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999, in The Balkans, resulted in the partitioning of Yugoslavia into Serbia and other small states. NATO is continuing its aggressive stance against Russia with the new exercise, Defender Europe 21[14][15].

An independent opinion forecasts a war between Russia and Ukraine as inevitable in the long run and highly likely in the short run[16]. The opinion is that the US is unlikely to get involved. Expect clandestine support from the US State Department and the CIA.

Libya

March 19, 2011, NATO forces attacked Libya. Manlio Dinucci describes Libya at the time of the attack as the most advanced economy in Africa[21]. He describes the collusion of the US and France along with other agents to destroy Libya before it could create an African currency to rival Western currencies. In the process Western intereests looted Libya.

Ukraine’s Emergence As the Hottest Piece on the Board

There appear to be four major players in the game of Eastern European politics, US/NATO, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. Foreign intelligence services, notably the CIA and MI6[25] are heavily involved also.I’ve added this section to accommodate Turkey as holding an important hand. Through its territory, it controls access to the Black Sea and Russia’s only access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic (excluding indirect Arctic access). Use of the water access has been governed by the Montreux Convention which highly favours Turkey.

Complicating the issue is that Turkey is a NATO member but an unreliable partner, operating according to who offers the best deal to Turkey for support. Turkey’s agenda is to restore the Ottoman Empire. Brian Kalman gives an overview of the current position of the board. However the Ukraine situation develops, Turkey has an interest in Crimea.

A team at Rabobank have discussed the strategic implications of a war with Ukraine[27]. Of particular interest is their analysis of the impact on global grain supplies and prices.

NATO/Ukraine News

I followed NATO as a topic under my old website which can still be found on the WayBack Machine. I only recently added it to my new website because under Biden, NATO has become more aggressive towards Russia. For Russia, Ukraine is the line in the sand that NATO will not be allowed to cross. The equivalent situation for the US would be if Russia could station forces in Southern Ontario near border crossings.

The Ukraine

The current state of the politics and military of the Ukraine are summed up by people closer to the situation: the Ukraine is hardly prepared for a war with Russia although they might instigate one[19]. Dmitry Orlov gives a summary of the state of war preparedness and NATO issues in a blog article[22].

The British Involvement

Britain is stepping up their military posture against Russia in the Ukraine[26]. This goes along side their subversive activities through MI6, the British foreign intelligence service[25].

Decline of the American Empire

A lot has been and is being written about the end of the empire. Here are a few essays on the topic[28][32]. Jeff Thaomas gives 11 characteristics of empires in their final days[29]. All apply today.

Links

References

  1. National Security Act of 1947. Google. July, 1947.
  2. Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
  3. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
  4. History of the Central Intelligence Agency. Wikipedia.
  5. Central Intelligence Agency. Wikipedia.
  6. 1953 Iranian coup d’état. Wikipedia with an extensive reference list.
  7. Declassified CIA document. Source not established.
  8. “Review of All the Shah’s Men by CIA staff historian David S. Robarge”. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  9. 35 countries where the U.S. has supported fascists, drug lords and terrorists, Nicolas J.S. Davies, AlterNet.
  10. Mapped: The 7 Governments the U.S. Has Overthrown. J. Dana Stuster, Foreign policy Group, August 20, 2013.
  11. America’s Coup Machine: Destroying Democracy Since 1953. Nicolas J.S. Davies, AlterNet, April 8, 2014.
  12. Oliver Stone: CIA Fingerprints All Over Ukraine Coup. Daniel McAdams, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, Thursday January
  13. Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II.  William Blum, July, 1995.
  14. Yeadon M. “Defender Europe 21”: The US Militarization of the Balkans. A Threat Against Russia and Serbia. Global Research. April 02, 2021.
  15. DEFENDER-Europe 21 Fact Sheet (PDF). As of April 02, 2021.
  16. Opinion. War Between Russia And Ukraine Is Inevitable: Opinion. South Front. April 05, 2021.
  17. Ukraine, Taiwan… Two-Prong U.S. Aggression Toward Russia, China. Strategic Culture. April 10, 2021.
  18. Understanding Anti-Putin PSYOPs: Preparing for War. The Saker • March 31, 2021.
  19. The Donbass War Of 2021? South Front. April 07, 2021.
  20. Russia ‘would really not want’ Cold War 2.0. Asia Times. April 9, 2021.
  21. Dinucci M. Why NATO Destroyed Libya Ten Years Ago. Global Research. April 12, 2021.
  22. Orlov D. Putin’s Ukrainian Judo. ZeroHedge. April 18, 2021.
  23. DeCamp D. Pentagon: Unclear if Contractors Will Leave Afghanistan. AntiWar. April 16, 2021.
  24. Kalman B. Balance Of Power In The Black Sea: Will The Montreux Convention Prevail? SouthFront. April 18, 2021.
  25. Korybko A. Who is really behind Czechia’s surprise decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats? OffGuardian. April 19, 2021.
  26. Ripley T. British warships head for Black Sea as Russian troops mass on Ukrainian border. The Sunday Times. April 18 2021.
  27. Every M, Fitzmaurice R, and Voznesenski D. Attention: Russia-Ukraine Tension: The current stand off and its potential impact. Rabobank. April 20, 2021. PDF.
  28. Hedges C. Chris Hedges: The Unraveling of the American Empire. Consortium News. April 19, 2021.
  29. Thomas J. How Empires End. International Man. April 22, 2021.
  30. A Bit of Hope That Doesn’t Come from Miami: The Sixteenth Newsletter (2021) Tricontinental. April 22, 2021.
  31. Cloughly B. The Tightening of the NATO Noose. Strategic Culture. May 18, 2021.
  32. Cunliffe P. The fall of an American empire. Spiked. August 20. 2021.
  33. Ryder P. Biden Defied the Military Establishment: Is the Kennedy-Nixon Rule Still in Effect?. Counter Punch. November 5, 2021
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