By: Samuel Li
The event that changed the world and how it currently views the United States as the preeminent superpower of the 21st century is when President Barack Obama commented following Russia’s entry into Syria, “We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus. That would change my equation.”
Obama went back on his remarks and this sent shock waves throughout the world.
For 30 years, Russia was kept at bay by the past sitting presidents and had no presence in the Middle East. Russia bypassed the UN and American wishes and did whatever they wanted and stuck it to the United States.
Russia would go on to invade Ukraine directly and indirectly to gain sovereignty and the United States has kept silent. Russia’s’ warpath will continue as long as America stays silent.
The Chinese took the message that America is weak and started to reclaim what they considered their own territory and have been more belligerent towards the world. Last year, the Chinese entered Filipino waters and basically said to the Filipino government THAT if you do not like it, you do something about it.
The Filipino government launched formal complaints but for the most part it went onto deaf ears. Shortly later, the Chinese built an oil derrick in Vietnamese territorial waters. The Vietnamese protested and again this fell on deaf ears.
The Chinese are now building up their presence in the South Pacific. The U.S. Navy has requested several times that more patrols need to be done to counter the Chinese. The Obama administration has denied their request. It is Obama’s last year in office and to trouble the waters is something he will not do.
He is almost done with his tenure and to do so would tarnish his image.
If the United States does not counter Chinese or Russian aggression abroad we will see our present-day world forever changed as both countries will become the new superpowers of the 21st century.