Thomas Piketty: 'The reality is the US is losing control of the world'

Is the US Losing Control or Giving It Up?

• Many argue the US is not being forced out but voluntarily retreating from its post–WWII “world police” role, driven by cost, voter fatigue with wars, and domestic priorities.
• Others see no coherent strategy, just incompetence, greed, and short‑termism; interventions (e.g. Venezuela threats) contradict any tidy isolationist narrative.
• Some think the US is shifting focus from Europe/NATO back to enforcing dominance in the Americas (revived Monroe Doctrine).

Economic Hegemony, Dollar, and Trade Imbalances

• Several comments stress that US deficits underpin demand for export-surplus economies; a rebalancing could hurt surplus countries more than the US.
• Others worry US debt and reliance on “free” money via dollar printing are unsustainable and could end in default, tariffs, and a weaker dollar.
• Debate over whether external dollar/IOU holdings are real wealth or effectively tribute that only works while the US is global enforcer.
• One thread predicts dangerous experimentation with private money creation (stablecoins) potentially triggering a larger crisis and rearranging global order.

Allies, NATO, and “World Police” Fatigue

• Some Americans resent paying for global security while being criticized by European allies; others note Europe genuinely valued demilitarization after its wars.
• There is skepticism that US defense spending will actually fall even as Europe rearms in response to Russia.
• Several commenters welcome an end to US hegemony; others warn that pre–“world police” eras had far more war and piracy.

Who Fills the Vacuum: China, Russia, or Chaos?

• Strong concern that a weakened US means greater influence for China and Russia, seen by many as more authoritarian and dangerous.
• Others argue China’s ambitions are mainly regional and economic for now, but its ideology is viewed as deeply illiberal.
• Some predict more regional wars, genocides, piracy, and collapsed trade if US naval/security guarantees fade and “multilateralism” repeats post–WWI failures.

Domestic Politics, Isolationism, and Authoritarian Drift

• Multiple comments trace a bipartisan trend toward increasing isolationism across recent administrations, culminating in the current “America First” posture.
• Fierce debate over whether current right‑wing politics amount to fascism or just authoritarian erosion of norms (attacks on institutions, media, protesters, migrants).
• Several link foreign-policy retrenchment to voters’ anger over wars (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan) and economic inequality, amplified by fragmented, propagandistic media.

Energy, Technology, and Future Leverage

• One line of argument: oil’s geopolitical leverage is eroding as renewables spread, potentially weakening traditional US power tools.
• Others counter that militaries still run on fossil fuels and that the US and EU are doubling down on oil and gas because China dominates green-tech supply chains.
• Some think AI and space might give the US a new edge; detractors see current US choices in energy and health tech (mRNA, GLP‑1) as self‑sabotaging and note manufacturing advantage lies increasingly with China.

Moral Ledger and Soft Power

• Commenters highlight US invasions (especially Iraq) and civilian death tolls as already having damaged legitimacy and encouraged Russian justifications for aggression.
• Others maintain that despite its record, US-led “hegemonic liberalism” is preferable to any foreseeable illiberal alternative.
• A few argue the US never truly “controlled” the world, but once commanded enormous soft power—cultural, economic, and aspirational—which is now visibly fading.