“WASHINGTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!”

How do North America’s political elites feel they are perceived across our world where they are involved in an attempt to coerce us all into being their mirror image? As shining white knights on proud stallions who are fearlessly coming to the rescue of metaphorical maidens in danger? Stalwart guardians of all that is decent and praiseworthy ever holding aloft the holy flags of freedom and democracy, selfless warriors giving their all so that others can be free?

Or… behind all the rhetorical flourishes that signify the spotless sanctity of all the above are they in reality quite cynical about the reception they are accorded and see through all the false smiles and glad-handing to the far grungier fact that though they may be seen as useful when bestowing patronage and a leg up to their favorites when it comes to winning elections, they are in fact despised as incorrigible self-seekers? The reality is much more likely to be the latter… but do they care? As long as what they do guarantees that American interests are enhanced, probably not.

Under the flags held aloft signifying all things wondrous and inherently attractive that display what they bear as gifts, the fact of hard-bargaining to win the fruits of the bribes offered lurks always. The quid pro quo for the largesse offered by way of influence-peddling or the covert nobbling of inconvenient opponents or even perhaps the odd assassination is always the furtherance of American national interests. Neither party is naive, nor anything approaching wet behind the ears novices at this game. All the political niceties regarding the totem buzzwords, ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ are dispensed with as hard bargaining begins. All the theatre for the cameras is left far, far behind, especially when a chosen despot who may further American foreign policy is concerned.

So how are they seen, these Secretaries of State who come mincing in all smiles while the cameras roll and then instantly switch such fakery off when the gloves come off? For what they are without doubt, soulless automatons for a ruthless but extremely powerful state there to provide influence and finance in exchange for a certain prostituting of national values and populations. Slit-eyed negotiators out for all they can get and to give as little as possible by return, always looking for the possible need for the ‘jackals’ to come in and twist a few arms if some leader is not quite cooperative enough.

This game has been played for so long now that it appeared to be almost the only one in town. The almighty USA and its emissaries held the whip hand and those who were dependent on their largesse and ability to destroy inconvenient political opponents were seen as a necessary evil if you wanted to take power in a nation with the least resistance possible. That dirty game however has suddenly come under threat and all evidence points to it being spoiled. An equally powerful player, and some may say an even MORE powerful player has entered the fray. That player is China and to a lesser but increasing degree, Russia can be said to be waiting in the wings also.

Going, and in some cases already gone, are the easy pickings for U.S. state figures roaming the world seeking to bribe, threaten, corrupt and cajole others to side with them or if not then to ruin the political chances of those who “mistakenly” believe their loyalties lie with their own populations. Are we to believe the fancy words spoken at press conferences afterwards? More merit is surely to be found in believing in the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. The ego-massaging and fanciful phrases about the upholding of western liberal values and so forth is so much hogwash lapped up by a media not known for overestimating the sheeple who rely on them for their “facts”.

Thankfully these cynical theatrics are now about to dwindle and fade from view. Some honest relationships are now being formed where such horsetrading for influence within a Mafia-like ambiance will be consigned to a desperately few locations for a disgraced USA whose methodologies have been fully exposed to the light of day by contrast with the new openness to come. A nation that has for too long abused and sullied relationships around the world through its criminal and semi-criminal interactions is about to be shamed, never to show its ugly face again.