U.S. hegemonic practices untenable as multilateral order takes shape, says Kenyan scholar

Published: September 18,2023

The U.S. quest for military, economic and political hegemony is no longer tenable as a more humane multilateral order emerges, which has been largely shaped by the bulk of the Global South, a Kenyan scholar has said.

The “Origins, Facts and Perils of U.S. Military Hegemony” report recently issued by Xinhua Institute, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, traced the root of U.S. military hegemony, explored how America has pursued, maintained, and abused its military hegemony, and shed light on the perils of the country’s hegemonic practices, said Hassan Khannenje, the director of HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Nairobi-based policy think tank. Khannenjesaid that America’s military adventurism abroad and its push for neoliberal economic policies have left the world more polarized, noting that the unrestrained unilateralism that the United States espoused after the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago created a grave political and economic crisis in the Global South, especially Africa. 

A rising China, according to Khannenje, has stabilized the multilateral system, to the chagrin of Washington who irrationally pursues unilateral domination using military and economic might. “The rise of the People’s Republic of China has brought opportunities and provided alternatives to Africa and the Global South,” he told Xinhua in a recent interview. Khannenje said that the principle of shared prosperity has endeared China to African people and the larger Global South, amid respite from decades of pervasive domination by Western powers.

China has emerged as the most strategic economic player in Africa, shattering the old status quo and destructive norms embraced by colonial powers from the West, while the U.S. influence on the global stage is waning rapidly, he said, noting the insecurities behind the superpower’s latest attempt to contain other countries by using unorthodox tactics like misinformation. Khannenje stressed that irrational fear among hegemonic nations like the United States should not stand in the way of attempts to create a fair, cordial and mutually beneficial world order, adding that the ideal multilateral system must safeguard against exploitation of vulnerable nations or containment of rising economies like China by the traditional superpowers. “This calls for coordinated efforts strategically deployed to counter malign messaging and provide objective analysis and presentation of our shared interests,” he said, adding that media, think tanks and research institutions in the Global South have a major role to play in countering toxic and misleading narratives from an insecure West against rising economies like China.

The Global South should not succumb to the temptation of falling victim to the West’s misguided attempt to paint China and other geopolitical rivals as enemies. Instead, the developing countries should define their own narrative about China, based on mutually beneficial relationships that both sides have been pursuing, said Khannenje. The expert said the report details the threat of U.S. military hegemony to global peace, stability and prosperity in a comprehensive manner, drawing from time-tested facts, data and case studies.

In its pursuit of global domination, Washington has not hesitated to deploy its military might, leaving behind a trail of failed states, balkanization, death and destruction of livelihoods. 

According to the report, the U.S. has since 2001 launched wars and military operations in more than 80 countries globally under the guise of fighting terrorism, resulting in the death of about 929,000 people, including 387,000 civilians while displacing an estimated 38 million people. 

Xinhou