Reset

If then, we were to identify a core or main objective for the neoliberal order at the moment, it would be the overthrow or the overturning of the American constitution. In a sense, the neoliberal order considers the overthrow or the overturning of the American constitution as the means by which it can thwart its own collapse, given that there is a process we are undergoing. For one, the process began with limited wars at the beginning of the 21^st century. Second, we had moneyed corruption take over Washington, the peak of which was the Citizens United case in 2012. Soon after, we saw a surge in entrepreneurial initiative in response to the limited wars and corruption, as epitomized by the rise of Donald Trump. Entrepreneurial initiative led by Trump then set the stage for the collapse of the neoliberal order as a whole. And with the collapse of the neoliberal order, we are on the brink of total war, given that what is likely to ensue from the collapse of the order is total war. 

The trek towards total war began with the takeover of the Biden administration in 2021. Afghanistan in 2021 was the beginning of the trek towards total war under Biden. Soon after, in 2022, the war in Ukraine exploded, to the point where Russia was on the verge of seizing Kyiv. And in 2023, war erupted in the Middle East. This trek towards total war will only continue as long as the Biden administration is in power. China will soon get involved if the policy of “containment” which the Biden administration espouses continues. As a matter of fact, China recently dropped its “peaceful reunification” policy with Taiwan, which hints that China is willing to expand the already expansive war against Washington and its allies. 

Moreover, the only real outcome of “containment” is total war. And if total war is inevitable as a result of the status quo in terms of policy and strategy, then there is the question of whether there is military readiness on the part of Washington. There is also the element of suspense, given that total war constantly looms over us as a result of both the status quo of policy and strategy and the collapse of the order. And as Thomas Schelling wrote: “If the leaders on either side think the leaders on the other are about to find [the suspense] unbearable, their motive to throw the switch is intensified.” He added:

“But almost certainly there is more to it than just throwing the switch; there are things to do, and there are things to look for. Things to look for are signs of whether the enemy is getting closer to the brink or has already launched his force. The things to do are to increase ‘readiness.’ Readiness for what? Some steps can increase readiness to launch war. Some steps reduce vulnerability to attack.”

It follows that: “There is bound to be overlap between the steps that a country can take to get ready to start a war and the steps it can take to make war less inviting to its enemy or less devastating to itself.” Has America taken those steps towards both readiness for war and the reduction of American vulnerability to war during the Biden administration? The answer is no. The Biden administration, with its failed policies and strategies, invited war, and will invite total war if the status quo continues and if there is no change in administration come November. Only a new administration can initiate a reset of sorts, whereby military readiness in terms of any contingencies or possibilities is worked upon and improved. Especially at a time when the Pentagon is dealing with recruitment issues, budget issues, and the possibility that America’s military posture around the world and as a whole will be changed and reconsidered in the near future. “Deterrence” itself will perhaps go through a revision. In other words, there is the chance and possibility of drastic changes to whole-of-government policy in due time, given that the aforementioned all stem from whole-of-government policy.