FOREIGN Secretary Hunt’s debut in the USA saw him prostrate himself in front of US imperialism in the most fawning and sychophantic manner. He quoted Theodore Roosevelt from 1898: ‘There comes a time in the life of a nation, as in the life of an individual, when it must face great responsibilities. We have now reached that time… all that we can decide is whether we shall bear ourselves well or ill.’
He then declared: ‘History will surely judge that the United States lived up to Roosevelt’s challenge. Thanks to wise decisions made by him and his successors, strong American leadership has put in place a global order that has led to unparalleled peace and prosperity.’ Three cheers for US capitalism! He skipped over two imperialist world wars, the massive slaughters carried out by US and UK imperialism – whether in Africa or Korea, Vietnam or Cambodia – and the various crashes of the worldwide capitalist system.
He also skipped over the fact that the US used the last century to dethrone the UK as the world’s major imperialist power and turned it into its camp follower. He proceeded to demonstrate that, despite appearances, the US has created the best of all possible worlds. ‘For example, notwithstanding terrible recent bloodshed in Syria, the number of conflict-related deaths has fallen from five per 100,000 people across the globe in 1984 to just 1.2 per 100,000 in 2016. At the same time average life expectancy has risen from 31 in 1900 to 72 last year.
‘If you look at the poorest countries you see even more spectacular progress: when I was born in 1966 half of humanity lived in extreme poverty – now it is just nine per cent, with 137,000 people emerging from this condition every single day over the last 25 years. It is probably not hyperbole to say this period has been the most productive and successful in the 300,000 years that homo sapiens has existed.’ These wonders are all down to the USA!
He asked: ‘But how confident can we be that this democratic political and economic order which has done us so proud will actually be sustained?’ He then listed: ‘The challenges to the post war order.’
These are Russia ‘seizing’ Crimea in 2014. ‘The second is that by 2030 China is forecast to overtake America as the world’s biggest economy.
‘Then there is the third challenge, namely the fraying domestic support for democratic systems in our own countries. Since the financial crash of 2008, many voters have started to question globalisation and reject political leaders they associate as defending it.’ In this best of all possile worlds, Hunt is worried that the ruling class is losing its grip and faces being overthrown!
He asks: ‘So how should we respond to these challenges?’ and answers: ‘I want to suggest three things in particular.
‘1. Firstly we need to rebuild the strongest possible alliances between countries that share the same values. 2. We need to regain the economic momentum that ultimately lies at the root of political power. Power follows money. If we want to project our values, we need competitive economies. 3 The final response to the challenges we face must be to get our own house in order.’
He states: ‘The UK and US must continue to make common cause to progress bold and necessary reforms. ‘Those who do not share our values need to know that there will always be a serious price to pay if red lines are crossed – whether territorial incursions, the use of banned weapons or, increasingly, cyber attacks. And part of that credibility comes from unity.
‘We showed that this year with a strong, united response from 28 allies to the use of chemical weapons in Salisbury. 153 Russian intelligence officials were expelled including 60 who were removed by the United States – more than any other country – and the US has since gone further by announcing sanctions.’ Hunt is proposing a counter-revolutionary alliance between the US and UK ruling classes to maintain capitalism at home and abroad. The only answer to this is to step up the struggle for the victory of the world socialist revolution.
