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https://ericzuesse.substack.com/p/the-us-empire-is-gaining-in-its-long  

https://theduran.com/the-u-s-empire-is-gaining-in-its-long-war-to-conquer-russia-and  

The U.S. empire is gaining in its long war to conquer Russia and China.

30 August 2026, by Eric Zuesse. (All of my recent articles can be seen here.)

The “turnabout” against Russia that I was speculating about in my 30 January 2025 “A Possible Turnabout in the Ukraine War” turns out to have signaled a much broader turnabout in favor of the U.S. empire’s continued growth — toward ultimately taking over even Russia and China — even despite the imperial U.S. regime’s blatant errors since that time (such as its failed aggressions against Iran). Not ONLY has it won Venezuela, but an excellent article and video was issued on August 23rd by Vanessa Beeley and Fiorella Isabell, “The Zionist Expansion in Latin America and Russia’s Influence Contraction in West Asia”, which explains on the broader global perspective, how and why both Russia and even China are now — at least temporarily — falling back, while America and Israel are increasing their likelihood of taking over the entire world. So, I shall here post that:

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/the-zionist-expansion-in-latin-america-and 

“The Zionist Expansion in Latin America and Russia’s Influence Contraction in West Asia”

23 August 2026, Vanessa Beeley and Fiorella Isabell

[The 72-minute video discussion can be viewed without ads just by clicking onto that article, which embeds also the video without ads, or else by clicking onto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4py7jfGY_s which is interrupted by ads. Following here is only the article itself, which appears to have been written only by Isabell:]

In a candid discussion, Vanessa and I paint quite a sobering picture of a world in flux and “lift the veil” on the current geopolitical landscape. Our talk marks my return after a period of personal absence, and we did not shy away from the harsh realities of the ongoing U.S. war against Iran, a conflict that has been characterized by dueling declarations of victory from Washington and Tehran. We also dive into the shifting sands of power in West Asia and Latin America, toward Washington and Israel, one that some say is a Pax Judaica of sorts but I’d venture so say it’s even more complex than that.

At present, there’s a narrative of retreat, realignment, and a global struggle that defies the simplistic narratives of victory often presented by both mainstream media and unfortunately much of alternative media—who are more often than not becoming spectators and cheerleaders rather than journalists or analysts seeking truth, shifting away from difficult realties needing face. We either get complete nihilism or fantasy with little in between. From the Levant to the Andes the old order is not simply being challenged but rather systematically dismantled and replaced by a new architecture of control, one that’s not collapsing but rather transforming.

Syria’s Fall, Russia’s Handover & Their Vulnerabilities

A significant portion of our dialogue centered on the fall of Syria with an emphasis on Russia’s pragmatic and naive moves that have also made it quite vulnerable to Western ambitions. Contrary to the popular narrative of a triumphant Russia against Ukraine expanding its influence, we argue that the situation in Syria exposes Russia to being in a position of retreat and scrambling, surrounded by a very fragile multipolar dream.

The collapse of the Assad government and the subsequent rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under Jolani has been widely misread. Far from a strategic victory for Russia, their now proven handover of Syria, (which we have discussed with Vanessa ad nauseam) exposes Moscow’s profound vulnerability. Based on our own sources, Russia, once the guarantor of Assad’s survival, is now negotiating from a position of weakness with the Al-Qaeda affiliated HTS, led by Jolani and is eager to salvage its military foothold at the Tartus naval base and the Hmeimim air base.

Under the old agreements with Assad, Russia enjoyed near-total sovereignty, diplomatic immunity, and indefinite access, privileges that have vanished under the new memorandum of understanding with Jolani. The bases are now slated to become joint training facilities, with HTS personnel occupying half the space and civilian control returning to ports and airports. This isn’t a simple downgrade but a humiliation for a power that once projected force across the Mediterranean, a stark indicator of how far its position has deteriorated compared to the ironclad guarantees once provided by President Assad. Not withstanding, the Ukrainian forces along with the terrorist forces Russia’s long fought, are now forced allies via the new Syria.

The Corruption Within Russia’s Military, Its Reduced Spheres of Influence & Ukraine’s Shadow War

The erosion of Russian influence is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern, one that began to form itself much more clearly after the fall of Damascus. We reconnect the dots between the fall of Syria, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the expansion of Ukrainian and NATO-backed forces into Africa and the Caspian Sea. This multi-front pressure, combined with deep-seated corruption within the Russian oligarchy and military that was laid bare by the Ukraine conflict, has left Moscow overstretched.

Drawing on firsthand intelligence from Russian military sources in Syria and Ukraine, it appears Putin had been systematically misled about the readiness of his armed forces. The promised stockpiles of drones, for example, never materialized—a gap that forced Moscow to rely on Iranian-supplied UAVs. This pattern of deception is endemic to a system where oligarchic interests and military corruption have festered for decades. The sacking of Defense Minister Shoigu and several of his deputies was acknowledged as a symbolic move, but the underlying structures remain intact. The consequence is a Russian military that cannot sustain multiple theaters of operations simultaneously.

Further, Ukraine has become a black hole, draining resources and attention, while Syria, Africa, and the South Caucasus have become fronts where Moscow is forced to play defense rather than offense. Russia’s strategic overreach, built on false assurances, has left it exposed and scrambling for survival as the Ukraine conflict has metastasized into a global proxy war.

Ukrainian special forces and NATO-linked operatives have been embedded in Syria since 2023, not only training HTS fighters but also coordinating false-flag operations in Iraq to destabilize resistance actors. The Caspian Sea, long considered a safe zone for Russian-Iranian cooperation, was struck by a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel just days before Zelensky met with Trump—a clear signal that no theater is off-limits. In Africa, Ukrainian-linked forces have targeted Russian PMCs in Mali and Sudan, while in the South Caucasus, NATO and Israeli influence have expanded into Armenia and Azerbaijan, further eroding Russia’s traditional sphere of influence. This appears to be a deliberate U.S. and NATO strategy to bleed Russia on multiple fronts simultaneously, using Ukraine as a proxy army that grants NATO member states plausible deniability. The result is a Russia that is besieged not by a single adversary but by a coordinated, global campaign designed to fracture its influence and exhaust its resources.

The hardly ever talked about corruption in Russia’s military isn’t merely NATO-fueled propaganda or fake news, even if few but them are reporting it, but a sad reality very well-known to locals involved in the military and Russians informed on the geopolitics of the country. There’s many who have spoken out on not being paid, or being paid less than offered, on the harsh treatment, and on the lies to the President about drones and equipment. Meanwhile, Moscow’s inability to project power effectively has emboldened regional actors like Turkey and Israel, while its long-standing policy of pragmatism and its historical reluctance to fully commit to an ideological battle are now being seen as strategic weaknesses–noted as well by Iran.

Unlike China, which has invested heavily in soft power, infrastructure, trade, and diplomatic engagement, Russia has relied almost exclusively on hard power and oligarchic networks to project influence. This approach seems to have been proven catastrophic. The oligarchs, many of whom are Western-educated and deeply integrated into global financial systems, have acted more as Trojan horses than as vanguards of Russian interests. Their corruption and self-serving actions have undermined state goals, while their personal ties to Israel and the West have made them unreliable instruments of national policy. Moscow’s reliance on oligarchic capital mirrors the very capitalist cabal that Russia ostensibly opposes, leaving it ideologically compromised and strategically paralyzed. In contrast, China’s soft power expansion through the Belt and Road Initiative and its growing presence in Africa and Latin America has quietly outpaced Russia’s military adventurism, securing influence without the crippling costs of direct confrontation.

Internally Russia is facing inflation, internet disruptions, grain shortages, Ukrainian attacks on major energy infrastructures, Ukrainian drone attacks on residencies in Moscow, including attacks on major delivery hubs like Wildberries, gas lines and fuel shortages, growing disapproval from citizens on the length of the war and the increasing difficulties—these are unfortunately weakness NATO can and will exploit, toward their dreams of Balkanization. But you will not hear this on any pro-Russian or State Media, only note it is happening and will come out eventually. Our mentioning of this isn’t to bash Russia, but rather alert people to a darker reality that the country is heading toward—one any honest journalist would reveal. Russia’s recent actions are not calculated withdrawals but reluctant actions by a military machine hamstrung by corruption, overextension, and a global shadow war against it.

Latin America’s Fall: Puppets, Earthquakes, and Zionist Expansion

From West Asia and Russia, we turn to the Western Hemisphere where a similar, if not more decisive, offensive is underway. The US-Israeli-Zionist takeover of Latin America is rapidly advancing, and the election of far-right, US-backed candidates in Peru and Colombia are not democratic expressions but a coordinated coup orchestrated by Israeli-linked intelligence firms bringing pro-U.S.-Israel leaders into power. We touch on former Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s accusations that private intelligence firms like Black Cube and Black Core are behind the fixing of many elections, including Colombia’s. These operatives have been accused of fixing elections, destabilizing leftist governments, and paving the way for fascist leaders who are openly loyal to Washington and Tel Aviv.

In Colombia, President Abelardo de la Espriella—a Trump-voting, U.S. citizen who made his fortune as a Miami lawyer defending drug traffickers—has already recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and withdrawn from the ICC case against Israel, all while welcoming Israeli “aid” in the wake of a devastating earthquake. He exemplifies the new brand of puppet leaders installed to serve the interests of a global elite, effectively stripping their nations of any semblance of genuine sovereignty. It’s impossible to ignore the uncanny timing of these natural disasters, which have consistently served as pretexts for Zionist humanitarian intervention, masking a deeper agenda of military occupation and economic exploitation.

Once the standard-bearer of anti-imperialism in the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela has now reopened its embassy in Israel, welcomed Israeli military and intelligence advisors, and watched 50% of its oil production, some 500,000 barrels per day, flow into the United States. The situation in Venezuela has been particularly devastating and at face, a disgusting, if not reluctant, betrayal of its Chavista legacy driven by U.S. blackmail and economic strangulation. The recent earthquake, which devastated vulnerable communities, has become a vehicle for disaster capitalism, with Israeli NGOs and NATO-linked agencies swooping in to exploit the chaos. The government’s decision to reopen relations with Israel and welcome its “aid” after a devastating earthquake, signals a complete capitulation but also does not change Venezuela’s status of surviving under the barrel of a gun and sequestered. Venezuela also withdrew from the ICC, but this began under Nicolás Maduro and was finished under Delcy Rodriguez. .

Looking ahead, the upcoming October elections in Brazil are a crucial battleground. A victory for Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running a campaign adorned with American and Israeli flags, would effectively complete the takeover of the continent, leaving only Cuba as a potential holdout with Nicaragua hanging on in Central America and Mexico facing Washington–another vulnerable nation for its proximity and economic closeness to the U.S.

The AI Panopticon and the Criminalization of Resistance

This strategic victory for the Zionist-US axis is, in our opinion, part of a larger plan for global control, a scaffolding of a global panopticon where AI data centers and sophisticated surveillance technology and biometric tracking systems are the new tools of empire designed to criminalize resistance and make dissent nearly impossible if not entirely criminal. The Gaza model, a strategy of total surveillance, AI-driven targeting, and relentless military pressure, is being exported as a template for domestic population control in the West and beyond.

Ultimately we once again remind our listeners and readers that Iran and its Axis of Resistance now stand as the only remaining ideological bulwark against this globalizing force, that transcends nation states as we know them and can be more acutely described as a convergence of global, capitalist, predator elites. Russia is right now in more danger to Balkanization than it has been in a long time, as much as others wishfully hope this is lunacy. It remains now a struggling great power, more interested in securing its seat at the capitalist table, re-hashed as the BRICS bloc, than in leading a principled fight against it.

Meanwhile China’s rise through soft power does not liberate it from its clear embracing of pragmatic global capitalism, rather than a humanitarian or even “communist” alternative. In fact, China, far from being an alternative to this dystopia, is itself a leader in AI and surveillance technology, suggesting that the emerging world order is less a clash of ideologies than a competition among technocratic elites for supremacy in a dehumanized system. As much as China is structurally in government modeled after a communist project, and is not behaving in the same imperial and aggressive manner as Washington, its behavior and output in the global economy relies fully on successful capitalist objectives.

We emphasize in our conversation that the era of global wars, served in neat, defined lines is over. We’ve entered the era of continuous, multi-theater conflicts where the battle for humanity’s future is being fought not just in West Asia, but everywhere simultaneously. Wars will no longer be segmented into boxes but are part of these continuous and transformative waves. Seeking to put a bow on a box end to the Iran war, will prevent clear analysis of the reality that this war is the beginning of a long, enduring and global fight. That these conflicts like the War in Ukraine, the fights in Latin America, the War on Palestine, Lebanon and everything happening in Syria, are all entirely connected and orchestrated by the same people. This will become clear as time goes and the reality that the war isn’t on States, but on people, will also become vivid.

The takeaway here is that resistance must now be local, community-based, and self-sufficient. Neither Russia, nor China, nor BRICS will save anyone. The only reliable defense is the cultivation of resilient communities, grounded in mutual aid and a clear-eyed recognition of the reality we are in, with a vivid picture of the monster we face.

[For further details, view the 72-minute video.]

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Investigative historian Eric Zuesse’s latest book, AMERICA’S EMPIRE OF EVIL: Hitler’s Posthumous Victory, and Why the Social Sciences Need to Change, is about how America took over the world after World War II in order to enslave it to U.S.-and-allied billionaires. Their cartels extract the world’s wealth by control of not only their ‘news’ media but the social ‘sciences’ — duping the public.