For decades, the world has borne the costs of the United States wars. These wars were fought not for collective security but for unilateral dominance. America has projected military power across continents while claiming moral superiority, yet its credibility has steadily diminished. The latest war on Iran is not an isolated plunge but part of a deeper pattern: a nation undermined by contradictions embedded in its very own nationalist approach.

These contradictions, such as fraught state behaviour, a nationalist energy vision, populism’s corrosion of democracy, and educational stagnation, are not passing flaws. They are intrinsic factors that have already eroded the legitimacy and credibility of the world order, and they weigh heavily not only on America’s standing but on the wider world.

The United States presents itself as the defender of democracy and global order. Yet its foreign policy is structurally dependent on militarism. Andrew Bacevich, a retired army colonel and author of The Limits of Power, has argued that American leaders operate with an inward-looking mindset, assuming exceptionalism while belittling other nations. This mindset is reinforced by the military-industrial complex, a term coined by President Dwight Eisenhower, which ensures war remains profitable.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent institute based in Sweden, reports that American arms exports accounted for 40 per cent of the global total between 2019 and 2023. William Hartung, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute and author of Prophets of War, observes that the arms industry thrives on instability; without wars or tensions, its business model collapses. The contradiction is stark: a nation claiming to uphold peace and democracy is structurally dependent on conflict to sustain its economy and global influence. Instability abroad becomes essential for profitability at........

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