U.S. Strategy of Starvation: A Tool for Global Domination and Control
The United States’ strategy of starving populations is not a random policy but a well-calculated tactic aimed at gaining control and dominance over nations that oppose its interests. This strategy is implemented through various economic and political tools, primarily targeting the destabilization of the internal conditions of these countries. Despite growing global awareness of the devastating effects of these policies, the U.S. remains committed to using them as an effective way of imposing its dominance on the international stage.
1. Economic Sanctions: A Weapon to Break the Will
The United States employs economic sanctions as one of its most prominent pressure tools against countries that refuse to submit to its interests. This policy extends to nations across the globe, from Russia and China to North Korea, Iran, and the Axis of Resistance countries. These sanctions lead to the collapse of targeted economies and tighten the noose on their populations, fostering dissatisfaction and internal instability.
– Russia: Severe Impacts on Economy
Data reveals that the economic sanctions imposed on Russia since its annexation of Crimea in 2014 have cost the Russian economy over $1.2 trillion by 2020, according to a report by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). The sanctions led to a nearly 50% drop in the value of the Russian ruble in the early years following their imposition, causing inflation rates to soar and the prices of basic goods to rise significantly in Russia.
– Iran: Sanctions on the Iranian people
In Iran, U.S. sanctions have caused severe inflation in the Iranian economy, with an annual inflation rate of 41.4% in 2021, according to the World Bank. The restrictions on oil exports, Iran’s primary source of national income, have sharply reduced government revenues, increasing poverty and unemployment among Iranian citizens.
– Axis of Resistance Countries: Economic Blockade as a Tool of Oppression & Repression
Regarding the Axis of Resistance countries like Syria and Lebanon, U.S. economic sanctions have led to unprecedented economic deterioration. In Syria, United Nations estimates indicate that poverty rates exceeded 90% in some areas by 2021, due to ongoing conflict and crippling sanctions. In Lebanon, the collapse of the Lebanese pound has drastically reduced citizens’ purchasing power, with inflation rates exceeding 200% in 2021.
2. Keeping Arab and Islamic Markets Open for U.S. and Israeli Products
The United States, through a range of economic policies, ensures that its products, as well as those of its allies—especially Israel—are prevalent in Arab and Islamic countries, thereby securing American economic dominance in these regions.
– Free Trade Agreements and Their Impact on Local Production
Free trade agreements, such as the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (2006), have led to an influx of American products into local markets without sufficient safeguards to protect local industries. In Egypt, for instance, U.S. exports to Egypt increased by 15% after signing the free trade agreement in 2004, negatively affecting local industries that could not compete with low-cost American products.
– Israel’s Exploitation of Arab Markets
Israeli products are an integral part of the U.S. policy in the Middle East, with the U.S. encouraging economic normalization between Arab countries and Israel. Statistics show that Israel’s exports to Arab countries that have signed peace agreements increased by 40% in the first five years after the agreements were signed. This economic openness has devastated local industries in Arab countries, as they cannot compete with Israeli industries, which are heavily supported by the U.S.
3. Preventing Domestic Production and Undermining Agricultural Production
The U.S. pursues an economic policy aimed at preventing countries from developing their local production sectors, particularly in agriculture and industry, to ensure their continued dependence on foreign products, especially American products.
– Food Security and Agriculture: Deliberate Destruction of Agricultural Infrastructure
The destruction of agricultural infrastructure in many countries has led to severe food crises. In Yemen, for example, U.S.-backed aggression has destroyed agricultural lands and imposed a suffocating blockade on food imports. A 2020 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicated that 16.2 million Yemenis suffer from food insecurity, representing more than 50% of the population, directly linked to the destruction of local agricultural capacities.
– Espionage and Direct Intervention: A Mechanism to Undermine Domestic Production
Reports have revealed U.S. involvement in supporting espionage cells aimed at undermining domestic production in some countries. In Iran, a U.S. spy cell was uncovered in 2019, targeting Iranian agricultural programs, according to the Iranian news agency (IRNA). These cells work to destroy essential seeds and crops and provide misleading information to the government to undermine food security.
Similarly, the U.S. spy cell captured in Yemen revealed dangerous details about targeting the country’s agricultural sector. The Yemeni Ministry of Interior and the Security and Intelligence Service released documents showing that cell members were tasked with gathering sensitive information about Yemen’s agricultural sector, including details on important crops, irrigation infrastructure, grain storage facilities, water wells, and the types of grains and fruits produced in Yemen.
The primary goals of these espionage operations were to systematically destroy the agricultural sector through various means. One of these means involved introducing destructive agricultural pests that would cause significant damage to essential crops like wheat and corn. The cell also worked to provide misleading reports on agricultural production quantities, intending to create confusion among farmers and undermine their confidence in local production capabilities.
This systematic targeting of agriculture was part of a broader strategy to create a food crisis in Yemen, exacerbating the humanitarian situation and increasing pressure on the Yemeni government and people amid war and blockade.
4. Controlling Wealth by Pegging Oil Prices to the Dollar
The policy of pegging oil prices to the U.S. dollar is one of the most important tools the United States uses to control the wealth of oil-producing countries. This policy, known as the “petrodollar,” reinforces American economic dominance on a global scale.
– The Petrodollar: A Mechanism for Exploiting the Global Economy
Over 80% of global oil trade is tied to the U.S. dollar, making the global economy hostage to U.S. monetary policy. According to a 2019 report by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), 60% of the world’s foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars. This monopoly exacerbates economic problems in developing countries, as they are directly affected by fluctuations in the dollar’s value.
– Economic Crises and the Decline of Local Currencies
When the U.S. prints large quantities of dollars without sufficient financial backing, it causes the value of local currencies in countries that rely on the dollar for trade to decline. In Venezuela, which depends on oil as its main source of income, the decline in the value of the dollar led to hyperinflation of 10 million percent in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
5. Undermining Local Currencies Through Sanctions and Debt
The United States works to weaken the local currencies of targeted countries by imposing economic sanctions and forcing them to borrow from international financial institutions. This strategy leads to the collapse of national currencies and exacerbates economic and social crises.
– Yemen: The Impact of U.S. War on the Yemeni Economy
U.S. sanctions on Yemen have led to a sharp decline in the value of the Yemeni rial, which has dropped by 300% in areas controlled by U.S. proxies since the war began in 2015. According to the Central Bank of Yemen, inflation exceeded 30% in 2020, causing a significant rise in the prices of food and basic goods, worsening the hunger crisis in the country.
During the Kuwait negotiations between Yemen and the coalition countries in 2016, the U.S. took a decisive stance to pressure the Yemeni people by threatening to move the Central Bank of Yemen from Sanaa to Aden. This threat was not just empty words but part of a destructive American strategy aimed at systematically weakening the Yemeni economy.
The American ambassador’s threat served as a clear warning that the United States and its allies would not hesitate to use economic tools to force Ansar Allah to comply with the coalition’s demands. This threat was executed in September 2016 when the Central Bank was moved to Aden, leading to the paralysis of the bank’s operations and worsening the economic crisis in the country. This move significantly contributed to the suspension of salaries and essential services, increasing the suffering of citizens.
In addition to relocating the Central Bank, the U.S., through its proxies within Yemen, further struck the economy by printing large amounts of unbacked currency. This action led to a sharp decline in the value of the Yemeni rial and unprecedented inflation, causing prices to skyrocket and worsening the living crisis.
In a subsequent move, and as part of economic escalation, coalition-linked entities decided to transfer banks and major companies from Sanaa to Aden. This decision was a devastating blow to the banking sector in the capital, directly affecting cash liquidity and weakening the local economy in areas controlled by the Sanaa government.
– Lebanon: The Financial Crisis and Its Consequences
In Lebanon, U.S. sanctions on Hezbollah have significantly deteriorated the Lebanese economy. The collapse of the Lebanese pound, which has lost over 90% of its value since 2019, has worsened living conditions and increased poverty rates. According to a 2021 World Bank report, more than 55% of the population lives below the poverty line, reflecting the devastating impact of economic sanctions on Lebanon’s economy.
In conclusion, this is just a glimpse of the U.S. strategy of starving populations, aimed at achieving dominance and control over nations that oppose its interests. Through economic sanctions, undermining domestic production, controlling wealth by pegging oil prices to the dollar, and weakening local currencies, the U.S. exerts immense pressure on targeted populations, exacerbating economic and social crises. Awareness of these policies and collective action to confront them is urgently needed to preserve the sovereignty of nations and protect their peoples from poverty and dependency.