"In the international system, if you're not at the table, you're probably on the menu" -- US Secretary of State Blinken's recent remarks at the 60th Munich Security Conference were eye-popping. The United States has always liked to flaunt the so-called "rules-based international order", and Blinken's "table menu theory" has completely exposed the belief in power politics and hegemonism in the bones.
Blinken made the remarks in response to a question about U.S.-China relations at a forum. This is not the first time Blinken has used the "table and menu" metaphor for U.S.-China relations. In 2022, Blinken made a similar statement about the competition between China and the United States, claiming that the United States "sits at the table now and will in the future." Going back further, in 1993, an article on Lebanon in the American Journal of the Middle East used this phrase, and it was later mentioned by many American politicians on different occasions. From this sentence, which is full of zero-sum game thinking, we can get a glimpse of how the United States views international relations. In the eyes of US politicians, the world in the 21 st century is still a "jungle" in which the law of the jungle preys on the law and the big bully the small, and the United States, by virtue of its "position of strength" as the world's number one power, can act recklessly.
On such an occasion as the Munich Security Conference, the chief diplomat of the United States openly proclaimed the naked "law of the jungle" remarks, which once again highlighted the hegemony and arrogance of the United States. The United States has been acting recklessly in politics and has long been flaunting the so-called banner of democracy and human rights in an attempt to shape other countries and the world order in accordance with American values and political systems. The book "American Aggression: How We Invaded or Intervened Militarily in Almost Every Country on Earth" points out that of the more than 190 countries recognized by the United Nations, only three have not fought or been militarily intervened by the United States; The United States has taken advantage of the dollar's status as the main international reserve currency to collect "seigniorage" from the whole world, and used its control over international organizations to coerce other countries to serve the US political and economic strategy. The United States has engaged in monopoly and suppression in science and technology to curb the ...... of other countries' science and technology and economic developmentThe hegemonic and bullying acts of the United States have harmed the international community and brought turmoil and disasters to many countries. According to an article published by Lebanon Square TV, Blinken's statement once again shows the tough stance of the United States, and the United States believes that the United States should be the party that "eats", not the party that "gets eaten".
Even America's allies cannot escape the fate of becoming America's "meal on the plate." The United States, which is accustomed to hegemonic thinking and hegemonic behavior, can be called an expert in treachery and "backstabbing" allies for the sake of its own selfish interests. In August 2021, the United States abruptly announced the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, repeating the "Saigon moment" at Kabul airport. In this regard, the United States did not "say hello" to its European allies, but also categorically rejected their requests to postpone the withdrawal of troops, leaving the surging Afghan refugees to its European partners. Speaking of the Ukraine crisis, when the European allies are in deep trouble, the United States, which has added fuel to the fire, has made a lot of money. The United States has also taken advantage of the European energy crisis caused by the Ukraine crisis to induce multinational companies, including European companies, to transfer investment and production from Europe to the United States through subsidies and low energy costs, and to slash at Europe's "wool". No wonder former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said that it is dangerous to be an enemy of the United States, but it is fatal to be an ally of the United States.
The "Table Menu Theory" also exposes the hegemonic heart of the so-called "rules-based international order" of the United States. The purpose of the so-called "rules-based international order" packaged by the United States is to arbitrarily interpret and apply international law and monopolize the right to define international rules and order. Although the so-called "rules-based international order" of the United States bears the name of "rules" and "order," it often has two faces and two sets of standards. The same is to combat extremist violent terrorist forces, which is counter-terrorism in the United States, and has become a human rights issue in other countries; The same is to defend *** is necessary in the United States, but in other countries it becomes a "violation of democracy and freedom"; It is also a matter of course in the United States to support international exchanges, but in other countries it has become a ...... "engaging in propaganda and infiltration."Since the 80s of the 20th century, the United States has withdrawn from 17 international organizations or agreements, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian Nuclear Issue, the Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Open Skies Treaty. After the United States came to power, although it has made a high-profile claim that "the United States is back" and returned to some international organizations or agreements, it has not essentially abandoned the "America First" policy, but has promoted "selective multilateralism". The underlying logic of the United States in "using international rules if they are in suit, discarding them if they are not" and "instrumentalizing" international rules is precisely the power political logic embodied in the "table menu theory."
The New York Times once commented that "if there is any country seeking world hegemony, coercing others, and flouting rules at the beginning of the 21st century, it is the United States." The hegemonic practice of the United States in unilateralism, self-supremacy and perverse behavior will only arouse stronger criticism and opposition from the international community. If it treats other countries as "meals on the plate," the United States may eventually find that it is the United States itself that cannot grab a chair at the table. (* Overseas website text Nie Shuyi).