A friend was telling me that the whole “empty cities” thing is a big scam the people play on the government.
The people get a piece of property, bare dirt. Start building on it, even though they have no reason to build. The government then comes in and buys the property. Many times, it’s just a shell of a building, separated by some floors. Nothing on the inside. Government comes in, hands over a check and the people take their money and run.
As for the editors/authors of the article, I’d love to have a face to face with them. During which, I’d agree that “Hegemony will no longer pay off for US”. And, given that fact, the US will no longer send it’s hospital ships-free of charge- next time there’s a natural disaster in some 3rd world country ... the US will no longer provide any kind of protection or support to anyone/any country unless they’ve proven they are an ally of the USA ... if people in groups like Doctors Without Borders, wants to go somewhere they will go knowing that the US will not provide any support and that they will be at the mercy of the host country ... basically, the US won’t lift a finger for anyone other than proven allies.
Let’s see how that works out for them. I think it would actually be interesting. At some point Russia and China will realize that we’re no longer in the game and they’ll have to start competing each other. Both are broke and their economies are crumbling. Let ‘em slug it out.
“the US will no longer provide any kind of protection or support to anyone/any country unless they’ve proven they are an ally of the USA ..”
One thing I have never seen discussed, the US Navy is the reason any country can send its ships anywhere. If it were not for the US Navy there would be sphere’s of influence where any transit had to be paid for; much like the Barbary pirates of two centuries ago. Any country, no matter how weak or how belligerent to the US, North Korea, for example, can ship their goods anywhere without fear. Take that certainty away, and the world’s economy would be a vastly different thing.
NATO, especially, is not contributing anything to the US efforts to maintain a free world. I’d argue they are inhibiting the US’ efforts by underfunding their military and developing energy relations with Russia. Trump’s efforts to realign the world are much to the world’s advantage and NATO and other “allies” should stop fighting Trump and start helping him. (Because of the media, no conservative can be a prophet in his own time. Only history reveals him to us.)