by Shao Xia
The U.S. military actions toward Venezuela may appear unstoppable and intimidating, yet they actually lay bare the predicament of hegemony -- seemingly winning everything, but ultimately losing it all.
STRIPPING OFF THE DISGUISE
For 250 years since its founding, the United States has clung to a hegemonic logic. But in the past, it at least made an effort to find a pretext: first labeling a country as "dictatorial" or "terrorist," then orchestrating color revolutions or military actions, and finally bringing in capital to extract and plunder.
Fast forward to 2026, and the same script is still playing out. The labels attached to Maduro are still "drug trafficker" and "terrorist." But this time, U.S. politicians take the stage and make no secret of their true objective: oil.
A few years ago, the United States claimed to deal with other countries "from a position of strength." Now, the rhetoric has grown even blunter: "the world is governed by strength, by force, by power." To the United States, every geopolitical entity is either an asset or a threat, but never a true equal.
In an article lamenting this situation, The Economist asks: "What happens when vice no longer feels any compulsion to pay homage to virtue?" Throughout history, countries forcibly "restructured" by the United States have often been plunged into endless chaos and poverty. Ensuing refugee waves and rising regional tensions have set off a recurring chain reaction. In seeking a quick win this time, the United States may well be sowing the seeds of its own prolonged pain.
USING EXTERNAL ISSUES TO COVER UP INTERNAL ILLS
The root cause of the U.S. wrongdoings around the world actually lies within its own borders. Marxism holds that the bourgeois ruling bloc can only manage internal contradictions and build domestic consensus by creating external enemies and exploiting foreign resources. This approach of replacing internal reform with external expansion may temporarily contain domestic crises, but it only masks society's true problems rather than solving them.
In the United States, the homeless on the streets need food and shelter; struggling drug addicts need rehabilitation; children need to grow up free from the fear of gun violence. Yet sadly, it seems no one cares about their needs.
No wonder some argue that the United States is sliding into a post-constitutional era of moral decay. Recently, protests against the attack on Venezuela have erupted in over 100 U.S. cities, coupled with demonstrations in multiple places against violent law enforcement by federal agents. These are the most direct and clear signs of a society in trouble.
THOSE WHO RELY ON FORCE DECLINE
As a Chinese saying goes: temporary victory lies in strength, while eternal victory lies in righteousness. The reason is simple: hegemony is inherently reliant on the exercise of dominance over others. But oppression not only drains the hegemon's own resources but also keeps creating more enemies -- a vicious cycle that will inevitably lead to collapse.
Today, the backlash against hegemony is already plain to see. Countries of the Global South no longer just complain in private about "having endured enough of U.S. bullying"; they are starting to unite and strive for self-reliance.
Two hundred years ago, the United States invoked the Monroe Doctrine to treat Latin America as obedient servants and cash cows to be milked at will. Now, a quarter of the 21st century has passed, yet that attitude of arrogance persists. Sooner or later, Latin America will unite to pursue strength -- and the incident in Venezuela may just be a turning point.
Even America's long-time allies, though they may not say it aloud, are seeing things more clearly: the United States is nothing but a global bully and the world's biggest source of chaos. Its alliance system is crumbling. For instance, Greenland is on high alert. Some commentators argue that further reckless actions by the United States will lead to NATO's dissolution. One scholar put it bluntly: "We must abandon the illusion that the United States and New Zealand share common interests and values."
The "opening drama" of 2026 seems to have opened Pandora's box, ushering in a year of intense rivalry, chaos and transformation. Yet things go into reverse when pushed to the extreme; unrestrained power only leads to self-destruction. Every act of sabotage perpetrated by a hegemonic power only accelerates its own collapse. Every chain it forces on others will ultimately tighten the noose around its own neck.
We can expect no shortage of "gray rhino" events ahead. America's "October Surprise" may turn into a monthly or even daily surprise. But as long as more and more people choose to open their eyes, stand tall and speak up, as long as we all defend the bottom line that "the world must not be governed by fists," and uphold international law, no matter how recklessly these threats charge, they will not breach the walls of justice.
Editor's note: The author is a commentator on international affairs, contributing regularly to Xinhua News, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN, etc.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.