• xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    If the US became an international bad actor the first crisis to resolve would likely be the outsized environmental impact America has. I’m pretty sure the rest of the world could sanction America into oblivion due to how unnecessary American exports are but it’d put China in an unrivaled power position.

    It’d really fucking suck but that may be where we’re headed.

        • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
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          2 days ago

          Depends where. It has allies and has enemies and frenemies. Since Trumps first term, it’s viewed as more unstable and unreliable. I don’t think his second term will alter that view. America was a lone superpower after the fall of ussr. So, it provided stability. Now with the rise of China, and a more unified EU, it’s less powerful, but still the most powerful. The USA has done some terrible atrocities and continues to support many. The most recent being the current genocide in Gaza. Do you think Palestinians view the USA as a bad actor?

          • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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            2 days ago

            I’m not - my original comment wasn’t talking about whether the US was acting in a morally correct manner but rather if it was seen as a reliable mediator. It is certainly not the most trusted nation in the world but it is highly trusted. Becoming a despotism would break a lot of that trust as “being a democracy” is highly valued internationally and, traditionally, America is essentially the judge of who is and isn’t a democracy (or has control of the organizations that do).

            BRICS is in a really interesting place right now because China continues to prop up Russia and India and South Africa are intent on reinforcing good will with China. They have a real tangible power internationally but Russia is still an extreme pariah. I was disappointed that they didn’t adopt an alternative trade currency as that’d provide (imo) a lot more global stability in the long run - but that may still come together. Also in my opinion if China either dropped support of Russia or supported a coup/revolution to depose Putin it’s likely they’d rapidly overtake the USA in the few western spheres the US still politically dominates - I’m not a political strategist but I absolutely can’t comprehend why China is spending so much potential reinforcing a highly unpredictable government like Putins but that may just be down to personality quirks of Xi.

            • davel@lemmy.ml
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              2 days ago

              Russia is still an extreme pariah

              Russia is still an extreme pariah only if you get your information from imperial core media. Russia just hosted the BRICS summit a few weeks ago, and everyone showed up. The Global South generally doesn’t have issue with Russia, and unlike the imperial core, they aren’t sanctioning it.

              Also in my opinion if China either dropped support of Russia or supported a coup/revolution to depose Putin

              I have no reason to think China has any interest in deposing Putin. I think you’re just making things up in our head. You may be projecting imperialist thinking onto ant-imperialist China.

              a highly unpredictable government like Putins

              The Russian government is not unpredictable. Where are you even getting this from? And neither is Putin an unhinged dictator with limitless powers. He’s quite rational, and he’s about as answerable to the Russian bourgeoisie as Biden is to the American bourgeoisie.

              that may just be down to personality quirks of Xi.

              This sounds like great man theory, which liberals often subscribe to, but Marxists don’t.