【世界聚看點】Balloon incident much paranoia about nothing
Forthepastweekorso,theUnitedStateshasbeeninthegripoframpantparanoiaoverwhatithastermedasa"Chinesespyballoon"andtheallegedsightingofseveralother"unidentifiedflyingobjects".Asashowofforce,andinadisplayofdomesticpoliticaltheater,theJoeBidenadministrationhasbeenshootingthemdown.
【資料圖】
Theseobjects,portrayedasthreatstothenationalsecurityoftheUnitedStates,arebeingusedtoweaponizemasshysteriawithaviewtopushasporadicanti-Chinaagenda,astheBidenadministrationstrivestopushUSdefencespendinguptounprecedentedlevels,andropeinalliestomilitarilyandstrategicallycontainBeijing.
RecognizinghowtheUSweaponizesfear,masshysteriaandparanoiainpursuitofitsgoalsiskeytounderstandingUSpoliticsasawhole.Whileintheory,theUSisadecentralizedfederaldemocracywithmanylayersofgovernment,thehistoricaltrajectoryofthelasthalfofthe20thcenturyhasconditionedadramaticcentralizationofpowerinlieuofthechallengesthecountryfacedwhileemergingasahegemonicstate,includingtheColdWar,thecounterculturalrevolutionofthe1960s,the"globalwaronterror",andnowthestruggleagainstChina.
Simplyput,inordertostrengthenunityandbuildaconsensusontheUS"internationalgoalsinadeeplydividedcountry,Americanstatecrafthasveeredtowardweaponizingfearandmasshysteriatosustainitsagendaandpoweramidtheriseofmassmedia.TheUS,afterall,isapopulousanddiversecountrywhich,throughoutitshistory,hassoughttoholdtogethertheentirepopulationunderoneideologydespitethevastsocioeconomicandethnicfracturesthatwereonceenoughtotriggerafull-blowncivilwar.
ThesefactorshavecreatedastructuralarrangementthroughwhichtheUSleadershipstrivestocentralizepowerinadecentralizedcountry,andlikewisemustsecuredemocraticconsentforpolicieswhich,byandlarge,arehegemonicincludingthosepromotingendlesswarsandencouragingpoliticalinterferencesinothercountries"internalaffairs.
Andtodoso,USpoliticianshavelearnedtocultivateparanoia,dramaandmasshysteriaasameanstodrivethepoliticalagendaandconsensusesintheirdirection,bycreatingconstantfearofagiven"other"whichineachscenario,threatensthe"exceptional"ideologyandvaluesoftheUS.
Indoingso,theUSconstantlyexaggeratesandamplifiestheperceivedthreattoitsnationalsecurity,interferenceinitsinternalaffairsby,ortheillintentionsof,itsdesignatedopponentsinabidtomandatepublicconsentforitsaggressiveforeignpolicies.Thisincludeshighlydubiousallegationsofspying,espionageandsubversion.
TheUSportraysitsenemiesasall-powerful,all-threateningandomniscientactorsfarbeyondtheirrealcapabilities,whichitusestospreadpanicamongAmericans,promptingthemtobelievethey"mustactnow"againstit.SuchportrayalsincludemanufacturednewssuchasSaddamHusseinpossessing"weaponsofmassdestruction",theDemocraticPeople"sRepublicofKoreaplanningto"launchanuclearstrikeagainsttheUS","RussiainterferinginUSelections"and"ChinapurportedlyspyingontheUS"inawholerangeofareas.
Thespy-balloonandUFOdramaisbeingusedbytheadministrationandthePentagontomanufacturesupportforincreaseddefencespendingandmassmilitarization.Lastyear,theBidenadministrationweaponizedtheeventsinUkrainetoreorientitsforeignpolicytomuchmoreaggressivelycontainChinamilitarily.
TheBidenadministrationplacesgreateremphasisontheencirclementofChinabydeepeningitsallianceswithothercountries,whichismorebelligerentandprovocativethanthepolicyoftheDonaldTrumpadministration,whichdespiteits"AmericaFirst"policywasnotsomilitaristic.Thishelpstheadministrationtoseekdomesticsupportforevenhighermilitaryspending,andspreadthesameparanoiaandfearintoothercountriestolockthemintothestrategicagendaitissetting.
TheUShasfoundintheballooncontroversytheperfectpitchforsuchanarrative,remindingusonceagainthatthecalibrationoforchestrateddramaandfearisacriticalaspectoftheUS"hegemonicforeignpolicy.Usingthisfear,theUSstrivestoraisethestakesofideologicalconfrontationandpretendeveryforeignpolicyissueisa"doordie"momentforthecountry.
ThishastransformedUSpoliticsintoahotbedofparanoia,irrationalityandinstabilitywhichposesriskstothesecurityandstabilityoftheworldatlarge.
TheauthorisaBritishpoliticalandinternationalrelationsanalyst.Theviewsdon"tnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.
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