So far I’ve seen the ongoing collapse of US hegemony as a protracted process of imperial decline, driven by a rally-to-the-flag retreat from the world known as “MAGA”. But now I’m wondering if that rally to the flag will actually lead to a much more violent and sudden process
The US has a heavily armed population which lacks access to mental healthcare and social safety nets. Increasingly, the random and senseless school shooting is being overshadowed by the targeted political assassination as the go-to “exhaust vent” of these social processes
Obviously, this is terrible. A Democratic representative, a healthcare CEO, a conservative commentator and the attempted assassination of the current president can’t be dismissed anymore as fluke accidents. Arguably, some are choosing to do this instead of mass shootings
In other words, we are witnessing the transition of US-style political violence from “senseless” to “targeted”. And this is a very dangerous moment where cool heads and wise leadership must prevail. But the dynamics of hegemonic collapse make this almost certainly impossible
The US is now a country displaying several of the hallmarks of what its expert class named the “underdeveloped” world or the “failed” state. Categories that were never meant for introspective reflection but imperial projection.
The US thus has no social tools with which to escape the spiral its society seems trapped in. These are dangerous times. As is the case with all processes of imperial decline. I worry that things may only get worse and more violent after this.
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