The decline or decay of the United States

The first Cold War ended not only with the victory of one side, but with the victory of the other. Never in history has a great power disappeared without having been militarily defeated. That Cold War ended with a radical victory for the side led by the United States, which sought to reimpose a unipolar world.

With a budget and armaments that surpass those of all other countries combined several times over, the United States has been able to militarize conflicts as a way to impose confrontation on the military field, which is the most favorable to it.

But technologically and militarily, the United States saw a decrease in the gap it had with other countries, especially with Russia and China.

Politically, the United States would become the sole superpower with global interests. It was a grand, fleeting illusion. The emergence of BRICS, the most important phenomenon of the 21st century, became a new element in the new Cold War.

This time, the balance is not only achieved on the military front, as was characteristic of the first Cold War. This time, Russia's military might is joined by China's economic and technological power and Brazil's capacity for political maneuvering, along with a huge number of countries that are already in BRICS or intend to join.

Thus, the Cold War in this century has a new character. The main difference lies in the decline or decay of American hegemony. The balance is unfavorable to the United States and tends to become increasingly so.

The trend is increasingly unfavorable to the United States. Its great ally, Europe, has allowed itself to be penetrated by far-right forces, losing importance in the world. The Eurocentric worldview is completely outdated, due to the role that Asia, and China in particular, have come to play. Meanwhile, the organization of the Global South, through the BRICS, has strengthened, not only because of the countries that comprise it, but also because of the long list of countries that want to join. This includes countries that were previously allies of the United States, such as Saudi Arabia, for example.

The world maintains a Cold War-like global climate in this century, but with these new characteristics. The very correlation of forces on a global scale has changed, and to the detriment of the United States.

In Latin America, which has become the epicenter of the fight against neoliberalism, the United States has never been so isolated. Its traditional allies – Mexico and Colombia – have distanced themselves, while its current key ally – Argentina – has weakened considerably.

The question is whether this represents a decline or a decay of American hegemony in the world. American hegemony as it existed in the last century, a truly American century, no longer exists. This is already an Asian century.

It remains to be seen whether this is an irreversible trend or not, which will define the world's situation in the first half of this century – which has already been the first quarter – and even at the end of the 21st century.