Xinhua think tank report reveals perils of U.S. military hegemony

This photo taken on July 15, 2023 shows a view of Qala-e-Shatir village, where the U.S. forces dropped cluster bombs in 2001, in Herat City of west Afghanistan's Herat province. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A new research report Xinhua News Agency's think tank released on Tuesday uncovers the damage and threats of U.S. military hegemony.

In the report titled Origins, Facts and Perils of U.S. Military Hegemony, Xinhua Institute outlines the formation of the U.S. military hegemony, summarizes the means Washington adopted to maintain it, and delves into its perils by presenting facts and data.

"This report ... aims to trace the root cause of U.S. military hegemony, to explore how the United States has pursued, maintained and abused its military hegemony, and to tell the truth about the perils of the practices of U.S. military hegemony to the whole world," the think tank said.

The concepts of "empire" and "hegemony" are found throughout the history of the United States, the report said. "The idea has continuously influenced U.S. policies and behavior on its way towards global military hegemony."

"As both a dream and a fact the American Empire was born before the United States," it quoted Bernard DeVoto, an American historian, as saying.

Throughout the 240-plus-year history of the United States, there were less than 20 years in which the country was not at war, stressed the report.

Since 2001, the United States has launched wars and military operations in more than 80 countries around the world in the name of "anti-terrorism," which have directly resulted in the death of about 929,000 people, including 387,000 civilians, displacing about 38 million people, it said.

"With its military hegemony, the United States has been promulgating hegemonic policies and actions, bringing tremendous harm to the whole world," the report added.

"The United States has a long and bloody history of military intervention and expansion. Its wars and interventions have caused immense human suffering and instability around the world. The United States must change its ways and adopt a more peaceful and cooperative approach to foreign policy," said Mohamed A. Elchime, professional associate of political science at Helwan University in Egypt.

The U.S. military hegemony is bound to backfire. "The pursuit of absolute security, political exclusion and military containment ... will not help establish a security framework, but lead to a dilemma and even turmoil," the report said.

"It could not foster peace and security, but only create war and disaster; it could not bring equality and freedom, but only slavery and oppression; it could not offer development and cooperation, but only cause conflicts and division," the report concluded.

Noting that the study is "of historic significance," said Zivadin Jovanovic, president of Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals.

"I have no doubts that this document will play an important role in strengthening global understanding, solidarity and coordination of efforts toward building a polycentric, more just, inclusive, truly democratic new world order," Jovanovic said.