By Ozodi Osuji PhD
Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, the USA has been the top country in the world. For a while, the USSR appeared to pose a challenge to it, primarily militarily but not economically, and thus there seemed to be two superpowers in the world. In 1991, the USSR collapsed into sixteen countries, and Russia became a standalone country. Although Russia has a huge military, it is not an economic powerhouse; moreover, with about 140 million people, it is a far cry from the USSR’s huge population, hence having tremendous manpower, it could use in waging wars.
With the fall of the USSR, the USA became the world’s sole hegemon, with no other power challenging it. Gradually, however, China rose economically and is today the manufacturing hub of the world; some say that it now has the largest economy in the world, with the USA in the second place. The US military is still second to none in the world.
India is rising; Brazil, Japan, and Russia are in the rear mirror. It seems we are moving into a multipolar world. The USA is no longer going to be the sole hegemon. The current war in Iran, where Iran seems to hold up despite the onslaught of the USA and its junior partner, Israel, is increasingly telling the world that the USA is no longer an unchallengeable superpower. Increasingly, many countries will challenge the USA, and unless it wants to be in perpetual wars, it will negotiate with them rather than tell them what to do or else.
The USA is not going to collapse; talk of its imminent collapse is exaggerated; it is just going to be one of about six major world powers. This is probably going to be the case until the end of this century. In the next century, all bets are off, and maybe other superpowers will emerge, but for now, the USA is a great power in a multipolar world. It is going nowhere, and folks must stop expecting it to collapse tomorrow.
The Trump bizarre interregnum will be corrected when more rational political actors come to power in the USA in 2029.
Don’t underestimate the USA; it is still the most advanced country technologically and is leading in Artificial Intelligence research and performance. The Chinese are crawling all over the USA, trying to learn (or industrial espionage) from Americans in the world of science and technology.
Actually, accepting its membership in a multipolar world will finally enable the USA to get out of the mindset that it is the world’s policeman; it will reduce its military spending and finally spend more to improve its people’s lives; it will move toward a Scandinavian type social democracy where the ambitious are allowed to make all the money they want but accept taxation and the revenue is used to pay for all citizens health care and public education through universities and vocational schools. The USA will finally take care of its people instead of being a military that exists to fight for capitalism all over the world while neglecting its people’s needs.
It will probably close its borders and allow only those with the right skills into it and then take care of its stabilized population, no longer allowing the poor from all countries to pour in and lower the wages it pays its citizens. Now, it will pay its working class well, and the people will be happier.
A study of history shows that most empires collapse after about five hundred years. The USA, in that light, has another 250 years of existence as a major power before it joins the likes of Britain, France, and other middle powers.
In the meantime, folks should stop discounting the USA; you are deluding yourself if you believe that there is a power in the existing world that can replace the USA.
Muslim, all over the world, are jubilant that Iran is giving the USA a bloody nose; they hope for the rise of a powerful Muslim country to finally transform the world into an Islamic Caliphate headquartered at Mecca, Saudi Arabia! They have a right to dream on, but that is not going to happen.
I doubt that Muslims can even govern themselves correctly, talk more becoming a power to be contended with in the modern world. The Muslim empire is a thing of the past; like other major empires, it had its usefulness but is now part of the dustbin of history’s collapsed powers.
Collapsed empires had exhausted themselves and seldom rose to further rulership of the world. Egypt, Sumeria, Greece, Persia, Rome, Mongolia, Ottomans, Britain, France, Russia, and other former world empires are not likely to regain their past glories.
The same goes for the Arab Muslim past empire (633- 870 CE). The old are weak and exhausted; the young have youthful energy and vigor to conquer and rule the world.
Ozodi Osuji
June 10, 2026
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