Hindustan varta : ✍️ Puran dawar 'Thinker & Analyst'
The news that the United States carried out a military operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro along with his wife has stunned the world. However, I am not at all surprised.
Most people see this as an attack on a country’s sovereignty.It certainly appears shocking that a nation which presents itself as the champion of democracy—and whose very declaration of independence carried the resolve that its own freedom would remain incomplete as long as even one country in the world remained under tyranny—could act in a manner that violates another nation’s sovereignty.
To understand this, one must recognise that the United States can fulfil this resolve only so long as it remains an unchallenged superpower. Power alone creates capability. Ironically, America’s internal conditions-excessive emphasis on human rights, radical democracy, absolute freedom of expression, and free thinking-are now creating challenges to its own founding resolve. Small nations, many of them created or sustained with American technological and economic support, have begun to challenge it. Maduro went a step too far by openly provoking the United States, repeatedly daring it to act.
Historically, all of Latin and South America have been treated as the “backyard” of North America. When Colombia opposed the creation of a waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Panama was carved out as a separate nation, and the Panama Canal-an engineering marvel
-was built and effectively placed under American influence. I could get opportunity to visit recently. Now imagine if Panama were to harm U.S. interests or openly challenge the United States-how could that be acceptable?
China and Russia are actively challenging the United States within its own sphere of influence. China has made significant investments in Venezuela and has been purchasing oil in yuan. The United States, under no circumstances, wants the dominance of the U.S. dollar to weaken, because its global power rests largely on dollar-denominated trade. The dollar is its “Kubera-like” currency. Through it, the U.S. provides loans to countries, funds NATO, and finances the United Nations. If the power of the dollar declines, American global influence weakens.
This is also why tensions are emerging in U.S.–India relations. India is buying Russian oil using non-dollar mechanisms and is entering into bilateral free-trade agreements with several countries. Over time, such arrangements also challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar. Growing distance from BRICS nations stems from the same concern—because the dollar is increasingly being questioned.
The United States is a major power largely because global oil trade is conducted in U.S. dollars. It has agreements with Gulf nations on this basis, and in return, the U.S. provided them with oil exploration, refining technology, and security assurances.
India is also facing a similar situation. Bangladesh, created with India’s decisive support, is now challenging India. Neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal, which have long benefited from India’s goodwill, are occasionally seen challenging India under Chinese influence. If such situations cross red lines, India too may be compelled to take firm action.
Overall, it is premature to conclude that American dominance is declining. The United States has not yet reached its peak. India may be emerging as a spiritual or civilisational leader of the world (intangible power), but in terms of material and hard power (tangible strength), that stage is still some distance away.
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