The U.S. suffered from yet another massacre on Tuesday as terrorist attacks have become an almost ordinary part of daily life in the country.
This time, eight people were killed and a dozen injured when a pickup truck plowed into a bike path, mowing down pedestrians in the vicinity of the World Trade Center in New York City.
As always, officials have issued contradictory statements as to whether this was a terrorist attack or not. But, official statements are not important.
Similar attacks since the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump have signified discomfort and confusion, touching on a sore spot in the country. Generally speaking, all of this presents evidence that holds the Trump administration accountable.In other words, the purpose of all of these incidences seems to be to stalemate Trump. However, the oligarchical structure that has built up in Washington over the years, the one Trump referred to in his victory speech, is not only focused on taming the new president. This structure is also determined to maintain U.S. hegemony around the world through conventional methods.
For instance, Russian-U.S. relations have been rendered even worse than during former U.S. President Barak Obama's terms in office, even though Trump promised to reconcile with Russia before the election.
Congress seems to implement a new sanction on Russia every day. Lately, a list sent to Congress regarding major Russian companies was published by The New York Times. The list includes the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), while the embargoed Russian companies include Kalashnikov Concern, Izhmash Concern, Tupolev, Rostec, MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia, Sukhoi Aviation, Admiralty Shipyard, Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, Oboronprom and Uralvagonzavod.
The U.S. is now aspiring to segregate Russia as it once did Iran, and is probably trying to intimidate other countries to not buy Russian arms.
However, the old days when sovereign states readily and unquestioningly accepted U.S foreign policiey are about to vanish.
For instance, Almaz-Antey, an S-400 missile producer, and Rosoboronexport, a seller of these missiles to other countries, are among the Russian arms producers that the U.S. wants to cut off from the West.
The company, which previously sold missile defense systems to Syria and NATO member Greece, is currently negotiating with Turkey. Neither Ankara nor Moscow seems to have been influenced by the demonization activities of the U.S.
In addition, the wave of revolt against U.S. hegemony is likely to spread to other countries that hope to stop use of the dollar.
So, the international solidarity referred to by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, who conceptualized the notion of empire for the U.S., is likely to be showcased by administrations rather than the people since the U.S. has lost all its allies around the world except the terrorist groups and dictatorships that do not have democratic legitimacy.
The genie is out of the bottle. We will see who ignites the regression of the American empire whose stagnation is reflected in the duality of its own administration.
I do not think we will have to wait long to see the regression if Washington refuses to focus on its domestic problems with a paradigm in line with the new world order, and if it chooses to wage war to compensate for its colossal internal debt.
