Why America's global influence isn't what you think

The Great Delusion: America’s “soft power” is a façade

Every Sunday night, pundits wave the flag, tout the “unparalleled” reach of U.S. culture, and claim the world still kneels at Washington’s feet. But the numbers tell a different story. A Pew Research Center survey from June 2022 found that a clear majority of Americans believe U.S. influence is waning while China’s star is rising. Even more telling, a 2025 Pew poll shows that although the United States is still respected for its military and economic heft, its global sway is perceived as shrinking.

The “soft power” narrative is a carefully cultivated myth that serves two masters: the defense‑industrial complex that needs public consent for ever‑bigger budgets, and the corporate elite that sells the idea of a benevolent empire to justify overseas extraction of resources and labor. The reality? An empire bleeding legitimacy, propped up by a cocktail of military aid, corporate subsidies, and a relentless propaganda machine that refuses to admit defeat.

Who’s really pulling the strings? Corporate war‑machines vs. citizens

The United States’ foreign policy is no longer a sovereign, democratic decision‑making process. It is a corporate‑driven venture where defense contractors, private equity firms, and multinational extractors dictate strategy from boardrooms in Virginia and Texas.

• Defense contractors receive more than $800 billion in federal contracts annually (Congressional Budget Office, 2023). Their lobbying budgets dwarf those of most NGOs combined.
• Private equity now owns a growing share of overseas mining, oil, and agricultural assets, turning war zones into profit zones.
• Tech giants provide the surveillance infrastructure that powers modern counter‑insurgency, selling data to the Pentagon while touting “freedom” and “innovation.”

Meanwhile, ordinary workers see the cost: higher taxes, endless wars that siphon resources from public services, and a labor market hollowed out by overseas outsourcing. The myth of a benevolent America masks the wealth extraction that fuels the empire’s footprint.

The data they hide: declining influence and rising resentment

The public narrative tells us that the United States is the “indispensable nation.” The hard data tells a story of diminishing clout and growing global skepticism.

• Pew 2022: 62 % of Americans say U.S. influence is weakening; only 27 % believe it will grow.
• Guardian 2026: A global survey shows no majority anywhere—including the U.S.—believes American influence will increase, except in a handful of outlier nations (Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey).
• Pew 2025: While 71 % still view the U.S. as “respectable,” a record 58 % think its power is on the decline.

These numbers are deliberately down‑played in mainstream media, which continues to spotlight the Pentagon’s “strategic successes” while ignoring the systemic erosion of credibility that makes allies question U.S. commitments. The result is a security vacuum that other powers—China, Russia, even non‑state actors—are eager to fill.

Misinformation mania: the lies sold to keep the empire humming

The propaganda apparatus surrounding American power is as sophisticated as any corporate ad campaign. It spins falsehoods to sustain consent, and it does so across the political spectrum. Below are the most pernicious myths, why they crumble under scrutiny, and who profits from keeping them alive.

• Myth: “The United States is the sole guarantor of global stability.”
  Reality: The U.S. has withdrew from or failed to prevent crises in Syria, Yemen, and the Sahel. Multilateral institutions and regional coalitions often step in where American troops are absent. The claim persists because it justifies military spending that benefits defense contractors.

• Myth: “U.S. influence is expanding, especially in Asia and Africa.”
  Debunked: The Guardian 2026 survey shows no majority in any surveyed country believes American influence will grow. In fact, China’s Belt and Road Initiative now accounts for over 30 % of global infrastructure financing (World Bank, 2023), dwarfing U.S. aid.

• Myth: “American values are spreading through democracy promotion.”
  Falsehood: U.S. support for authoritarian regimes—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates—contradicts any claim of a moral crusade. These relationships are profit‑driven, ensuring access to oil, arms sales, and strategic ports.

• Myth: “Regulation of corporate power harms the economy.”
  Reality: Unchecked corporate lobbying has funneled $1.2 trillion in tax breaks to multinational firms since 2000 (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 2022). This wealth extraction depresses public investment, undermining the very “economic power” the myth touts.

By refusing to call out these lies, mainstream media and bipartisan politicians keep the public docile and the elite profitable.

What it means for workers and communities – and how we can flip the script

If America’s global influence is truly eroding, the fallout lands squarely on the backs of workers, communities, and marginalized groups. The empire’s decline is not a cause for patriotic lament; it is a rallying cry for collective action.

• Economic diversion: Billions spent on overseas bases could fund affordable housing, universal healthcare, and green infrastructure in distressed U.S. neighborhoods.
• Environmental injustice: Military training grounds and overseas bases pollute air and water, disproportionately affecting low‑income and Indigenous communities.
• Labor exploitation: Corporations that profit from foreign extraction pay sub‑minimum wages to workers abroad while lobbying for trade deals that undermine U.S. labor standards.

A progressive road map

Reclaim public investment – Redirect at least 10 % of the defense budget (≈$70 billion annually) toward renewable energy projects in the Midwest and Appalachia.
Nationalize strategic sectors – Bring
Strengthen multilateralism – Empower the United Nations and regional bodies to take the lead on peacekeeping, freeing the U.S. from the costly “world police” role.
Enforce corporate accountability – Pass legislation requiring full disclosure of overseas profits, tax payments, and human‑rights impacts, with heavy penalties for concealment.

The collective power of organized labor, community organizers, and progressive policymakers can transform America’s waning influence into a force for global equity—not a tool of extraction. The question is not “Can we stop the decline?” but “Will we seize the opportunity to rebuild a world that serves people, not profit?

The uncomfortable truth: America’s influence isn’t what you think

The United States no longer commands the unilateral authority it once boasted. Public perception is shifting, global power balances are redrawing, and corporate interests are steering a foreign policy that benefits a few while leaving the many to bear the costs.

This is not a call for nostalgic isolationism; it is a demand for transparent, democratic control over a foreign agenda that has long been hijacked by defense contractors and multinational profit‑seekers. If we continue to feed the myth, we empower the very forces that erode democracy at home and abroad.

The choice is stark: continue buying the illusion of endless American dominance, or ignite a movement that redirects resources toward people, justice, and a sustainable future. The evidence is clear; the stakes have never been higher.

Sources

• Prevailing view among Americans is that U.S. influence in the world is weakening and China’s is growing – Pew Research Center (2022)
• Trump is making China – not America – great again, global survey suggests – The Guardian (2026)
• The United States’ standing in the world – Pew Research Center (2025)