2013, bad year for United States hegemony

Despite the continuing crisis aggravated by the US in Syria, the year 2013 witnessed key events defying of aggression and unilateralism.

Looking forward to next year, we can expect further progress favoring balanced international relations. If you support policies of aggression and hegemony by the US government, then 2013 must have seemed like a very bad year.

For example, June marked the beginning of revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, who exposed spying excesses that were previously speculated about only in the most scorned “conspiracy theories.”

Initially sparking a debate about a supposed balance between privacy and “security,” rampant power-mongering and the abuse of the US National Security Agency’s supposed mandate were later exposed.

The revelations have now shaken the foundations of transatlantic cooperation, as European countries find their own leaders being spied on by self-appointed global policemen in Washington. This spying program, at first defended as a security instrument by its apologists, has now been exposed as little more than a tool of treachery against members of the public and supposed allies. A sense of betrayal by Washington has inevitably spread throughout the Western world, in response to the secret excesses of US hegemony.

Another undeniable blow to US hegemony in 2013 took place in September, when the White House’s vicious campaign of fabrication, insinuation and warmongering against a country fell flat on its face. This occurred even as Washington prepared to unilaterally force the Syrian people into slavery and death unleashed by the regional monarchs and the pathological liars of their media. The campaign of aggression against Syria in 2013 was averted mainly by the tactful response of the Syrian government and their Russian partners.

When Secretary of State John Kerry “rhetorically” indicated that the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile might persuade the US to disengage from its planned bombing of the country’s defenseless civilian infrastructure, the Syrian government accepted Kerry’s conditions, much to the warmonger’s dismay.

The move to discard Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile not only discredited the proposed US strike on the country. It also discredited a lie used by Syria’s enemies, when it confirmed that Bashar al-Assad’s government is well-intentioned enough to comply with an international agreement, and is the only authority willing to fulfill its obligations to the Syrian people.

In Pakistan in November, the population found a new way to express its fury at the drone terrorism of the United States. With a political consensus formed against the extrajudicial drone attacks by the US, a NATO supply route was blocked by protesters. Protesters in Pakistan have infuriated the US government, at a time when the hypocrites claim to be supporting protesters all around the world. Think of how, even as the US condemned Ukrainian authorities for their handling of protesters in another part of the world, their Defense Secretary was threatening Pakistani authorities with an aid cutoff if they did not launch a violent crackdown on protesters.

Another significant gain for peace and stability came in November, with the accord on the Iranian nuclear energy program. Unwilling to act on its old threats and irrational statements on Iran’s development of peaceful nuclear technologies, and seeing its military and political strength waning in the region, the US was finally pressured into an agreement with the Islamic Republic. The agreement to reduce anti-Iran sanctions and relax the bullying campaign against the country over its technological progress is a blow to US hegemony.

Forced to recognize that other countries have a right to enrich uranium, the American empire may be pressured to abandon its larger position as an oppressive custodian of the world’s technology. While there continues to be distrust and doubt between both sides over the nuclear agreement, progress in implementing this deal continues to be announced. With additional confidence-building steps taken, and the continued failure of Israeli and Saudi attempts to undermine everyone’s security, the deal is a significant step towards regional and global stability.

It is possible that 2014 will see an end to the Syrian crisis. Peace negotiations to end the violence have been repeatedly announced throughout 2013, but were unfortunately sabotaged every time by the band of warlords who vainly announce themselves as the successors of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. These warlords will have no role in Syria’s future, as has been increasingly recognized by the international community.

Although commentators pandering to the self-destructive violence and terror of the “Syrian opposition” will scoff at the repeatedly postponed peace negotiations, countries such as Iran and Russia indicate that they will play a constructive role in these talks.

Whatever the outcome of a peace conference, postponing it will harm the anti-Syrian coalition more than anyone. The fake opposition forces in Syria are consumed in their own flames. Most of these militants are neither recognized by the international community, nor able to present legitimate representatives in peace talks.

Most of the fake opposition can only be expected to ignore the outcome of any peace initiative supported by the international community, hence is it not Bashar al-Assad but the fake opposition leaders who shall face calls for their ejection from the political process. Further refusals to participate in talks will ultimately expel the fake opposition themselves from having any role in Syria’s future.

Continuing the trend, 2014 will witness further accomplishments in a number of resistance fronts against aggression, especially in the wider global struggle against the unilateral criminal behavior of the US government.

The spectacular collapse of US lies on Syria, coupled with the continued revelations by Edward Snowden, represent remarkable progress against US hegemony and will be similarly stirring next year.