Rogue States

The United States is itself a ‘rogue state’ – its position of power has been created and maintained through force.

Throughout history, superpowers have created and maintained their position through force. However, following the destruction of World War II, the 1945 UN Charter outlawed the use of force except for self-defense. The charter was a historic commitment to the idea that sovereignty is a cornerstone of world peace and should be universally respected. The United States, however, has opted to consistently violate the charter and instead follow the example set by its superpower predecessors; it uses the rule of force in pursuit of power. 

In recent years, the US military has directly intervened in Vietnam, Iraq and Kosovo, while also sponsoring brutal state violence in countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Columbia, Croatia, and, before they changed their minds, Iraq. Whether the United States is pointing the weapons or just paying for them, the drastic human effects remain the same. 

The goal is usually the same: to suppress and control threats to US political and economic supremacy. Forceful intervention has allowed the United States to install and support governments that respond favorably to their ambitions. For example, Guatemala’s democratically elected government was overthrown by the United States in 1954 and replaced by a brutally repressive dictator. The Guatemalan government’s crime? They supported labor organizations and agrarian reform that conflicted with the interests of large US corporations such as United Fruit. Since then, the United States has maintained strong support for the new regime despite the severe atrocities it has committed.

In fact, countless examples of such international aggression actually qualify the United States, by their own definition, as the most hostile rogue state in the world.

The United States is itself a ‘rogue state’ – its position of power has been created and maintained through force.