Gates: In the Face of Russia, China and Iran, the US is a Dysfunctional Superpower

The former United States Secretary of Defense said the US is currently facing unprecedented and major security threats from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.

Robert Gates, in his article published on the Foreign Affairs website, Friday (29/9/2023) wrote, "The US is now facing a greater security threat in recent decades. This country has never faced four countries at the same time, namely Russia, China, North Korea and Iran."

 Gates claims that Russia, China, North Korea and Iran can increase their military arsenals by around two-fold in just a few years. According to him, since the Korean War, the US has never faced a strong military enemy in Europe and Asia. "The problem is that just when these events demanded a firm response from the US, the country was unable to react.

Political leaders in the White House and Congress were unable to convince the people that the transformation of China and Russia was important," he added. According to the former US Secretary of Defense, US political leaders cannot explain how the threats from these four countries are related to each other.

US political leaders were also unable to explain a long-term strategy to ensure that the US would win. "The US realizes that it is in danger because it is facing an aggressive enemy, but it cannot muster the unity and strength needed to stem it. On the other hand, the dysfunctional US, as a superpower, makes this country's power unreliable, thus encouraging autocrats to place dangerous bets that could lead to disaster," he concluded.