The United States is following the old path of Britain and France, with decline anxiety prompting Trump to stir up global turmoil!
Yesterday, the Financial Times published an article: "Always be wary of a declining superpower! The Suez Canal incident in 1956 between Britain and France tells us that even under the leadership of rational leaders, a declining great power facing status anxiety is prone to irrational actions. Although the United States still holds the top position in absolute strength, it may feel more agonizing than the declining Britain of that time when facing the rise of China, which differs from it in race, culture, and system. Trump's radical diplomacy is an extreme manifestation of this structural pressure. However, even with a regular leader, the United States might become more aggressive due to anxiety over its declining status......"
[Cunning] The Anxiety狂欢 of a Declining Hegemon: The United States Is More Paranoiac Than Britain Then! The Financial Times' warning hits the nail on the head! In 1956, Britain and France forcefully seized the Suez Canal, but were eventually forced to withdraw due to insufficient strength, becoming a symbolic farce of imperial decline. Today, the United States is repeating the same mistake, although it still holds absolute strength, it has been disturbed by China's rise - from GDP ratio decreasing from 1.8 times in 2010 to 1.2 times now, to technology fields shifting from monopoly to forced containment, structural decline anxiety has led to irrational hardline stances. Trump's radical diplomacy is not an isolated case, but an inevitable struggle of a hegemon in distress: just like Britain once resorted to military force to maintain colonial order, the United States now frequently imposes sanctions and technological blockades, from chip control to pressuring allies, using all means possible. History has already shown that a declining superpower that engages in excessive military aggression accelerates its own collapse. If the United States persists in containing China, it will ultimately follow the fate of Britain and France, ending up isolated in a hegemonic dream!
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854989316723712/
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