Gone with the wind
THE epic 1932 movie Gone with the Wind depicts the fall of the slavery-based Confederate States of America under the weight of its hegemonic structure and the push from the Civil War against the northern states. The latter were anti-slavery but their hands were stained with blood from the genocide of natives.
The political beliefs underpinning this legacy of genocide and slavery have continued to compete with the rhetoric of enlightenment, human rights and democracy underpinning the US Declaration of Independence and founding constitution over the centuries. The US made important contributions to global peace and prosperity through scientific advancement, global aid and the creation of multilateral institutions especially in the decades following World War II. But even then its uglier face reflecting the legacy of slavery and genocide kept appearing as seen in the nuclear bombing of Japanese cities, the Vietnam war, imperialism, support for dictators abroad and domestic racism.
Over time, and especially from the Reagan era onwards, the negatives started outpacing the positives drastically. In the last three years alone, Washington has supported and protected Israeli genocide in Gaza, abducted the Venezuelan president and launched an illegal war against Iran. In short, the US is acting more like a gangster than a responsible global power. These acts are part of a vicious cycle and are both the cause and effects of America’s steady downfall from the unipolar moment when it was the world’s unchallenged global power. Thus, the time seems ripe for a sequel to the 1932 epic to be made — this time on a collapsing global hegemonic empire.
The roots of America’s malaise lie in the ills of its domestic economy and politics that have been captured by an increasingly selfish and greedy rich elite. So, its political system is marked by unusually large levels of political polarisation, gridlock, influence of money, distrust in institutions, voter disenfranchisement, populism and social inequities. There has been a significant political shift to the right and even mainstream Democrats today espouse right-of-centre economic policies. The political system is unable to solve the problems of the lower classes and caters mainly to the needs of a small rich class.
The time seems ripe for a sequel to the 1932 epic.
These ills translate into massive economic inequities. Real wages for lower classes have not kept pace with productivity while the wealth of rich billionaires outstrips it massively. The top 10 per cent own nearly 70pc of wealth while the bottom 50pc own only 2.5pc. Jobs for the lower classes in industry are disappearing due to automation and capital flight abroad by rich companies looking for cheaper labour. These economic and political inequities result in mental and other health problems, racial tensions, crime, drug use, family instability and decline of community life. In fact, among the developed countries, the US does poorly on most social indicators. Even its unsurpassed scientific prowess in finance and informational areas mainly serves the interests of the rich.
These internal problems contribute to its increasingly erratic global behaviour whether it is trade wars or real wars, abandonment of multilateralism and global aid or disregard for pressing issues such as climate change. These trends all emerge from the constraints of its domestic political interests and alliances controlled by a selfish rich class. While some think that the end of Donald Trump’s presidential tenure may reverse these increasingly reckless domestic and global policies, there is no guarantee they will. Trump will continue to influence US politics and shape Republican party policies for years after leaving office, thus even pushing the Democrats further to the right. The loss of jobs that drove Trumpian populism may increase and spread to the upper middle class too due to AI-caused job losses. Thus, Trumpism may even become uglier and more well-entrenched in US politics.
Some think that growing multipolarity will checkmate the US. But growing multipolarity is a reality mainly in two domains — industrial and scientific. Militarily and financially, the US still towers above the rest. Thus, no one can checkmate it when it decides to flex its financial and military powers to wreak global havoc. The world may face an unpalatable predicament for decades — a US too weak and divided to provide responsible policies internally or externally or even achieve its aims but strong enough to cause massive global turmoil periodically. As the Urdu idiom says pithily, even a dead elephant is worth much!
The writer has a PhD degree in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley, and 25 years of grassroots to senior-level experience across 50 countries.
Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2026