US push for hot war with nuclear powers a terrifying prospect

A lack of democracy in the US is dangerous as it increases the possibility that the US will pursue unpopular, brutal wars abroad as the views of the people are not listened to, said Fiona Edwards ( Edwards), the No Cold War (a worldwide organization against the US-led New Cold War) British organizer. In an interview with Global Times ( GT) reporter Liu Zixuan, she noted that instead of focusing on tackling the crises they have caused at home, US mainstream politicians are attempting to impose their will on the majority of humanity in order to maintain the US’ global dominance.

GT: As you put it, “The US spends trillions of dollars on brutal wars which kill people & destroy infrastructure. Infrastructure within the US is crumbling due to a lack of investment.” For Americans, is the ballot box an effective way to change this?

Edwards: The US political system is not very democratic. It serves the interests of billionaires, not the people. The mainstream media in the US is also under corporate control, and alternative platforms are increasingly censored, which is narrowing public debate.

This lack of democracy is dangerous as it increases the possibility that the US will pursue unpopular, brutal wars abroad as the views of the people are not listened to.

The American people are not completely powerless, however. Through big mobilizations of social movements, it is possible for the people to influence the public debate. The Black Lives Matter movement, for example, has had a tremendous impact on public consciousness in the US. This movement played a key role in stopping Trump from being re-elected in 2020.

GT: The US is deeply engulfed in multiple crises at home, yet it is still “extremely bellicose” externally. The American democratic system seems to have been reduced to a tool for a few elites to maintain hegemonic rule and reap profits. What do you think?

Edwards: The US is engulfed in many severe crises. Mass shootings take place regularly, including in schools; over 1 million people in the US have died from COVID-19 over the past three years; half of US adults say they have difficulty affording the cost of health care; living standards are falling as inflation soars; and over 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the US, the highest prison population in the entire world. Yet the US political establishment is holding up the US as a “model” for the world and is attempting to portray China as enemy of the US population.

US mainstream politicians should be focused on tackling the crises they have caused at home, but instead they are attempting to impose their will on the majority of humanity in order to maintain the US’ global dominance. Following its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending the 20-year “War on Terror” has not made the US more “peace loving” but instead made the US focus on new targets. The US is currently pouring tens of billions of dollars’ worth of military aid into Ukraine in order to prolong NATO’s proxy war against Russia. At the same time, there are many hawks in US foreign policy circles who are talking up the possibility of a hot war with China. To push the US toward hot wars with other nuclear-armed states is a truly terrifying prospect that could lead humanity to a total catastrophe. It is clear that the main enemy of humanity is these warmongers in Washington.

GT: During COP27, you tweeted: “The greatest obstacle to solving the climate crisis is the US ruling class and its desire to maintain hegemony through colossal military spending to bully most of the world.” What do you think of the swings in policies in the US? Edwards: Of course, having a US president who acknowledges the existence of climate change and the need for action is welcome. As well as re-joining the Paris Agreement, his presidency has passed a law this year, the Inflation Reduction Act, legislating the biggest investment in clean energy solutions in US history: $369 billion over 10 years, or $36.9 billion a year.

Unfortunately, whichever president is in power, the US continues to prioritize its aggressive geopolitical agenda over solving the climate crisis. The US’ military budget of $722 billion for 2022 is 20 times higher than the spending on climate in the Inflation Reduction Act. What’s interesting, though, is that the US population is largely behind measures to tackle climate change.