Portrayal of US foreign policy as a “colonial protection racket” and imperialism

What it claims

US foreign alliances and defense agreements are cast as a global extortion scheme mimicking the methods of the British Empire. Citing former diplomats and economists, the authors inflate security cooperation into a “protection racket” sustained solely by coercion and the threat of financial collapse. Support for allies in the Middle East and Ukraine is portrayed as complicity in genocide, leading to America’s total isolation and an inevitable new Great Depression.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• US financial dominance is sustained by an extortion scheme in the Gulf states, mirroring the methods of the British Empire.

  The Duran, 15 Aug 2026

  theduran.com/prof-michael-hudson-exposes-trumps-gulf-protection-racket-a-new-great-depression-looms/

• American policy supports the “Greater Israel” project, which involves the destruction or displacement of millions of Arabs.

  The Duran, 14 Aug 2026

  theduran.com/options-to-defeat-iran/

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Goal

Convince American voters that their country is an aggressive imperial entity whose foreign policy will inevitably lead to domestic economic collapse.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUse of terms like “protection racket,” “genocidal agenda,” and “US Empire.”
• Appeal to Fear / PrejudicePredicting a new Great Depression and total diplomatic isolation as a consequence of current policies.

The real grievance it exploits

Real American anxiety over high inflation, rising national debt, and exhaustion with long-standing overseas military commitments.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Note the use of historical analogies to imperialism to discredit modern security agreements based on mutual interests and formal treaties.
• Prebunk: Ahead of the 2026 elections, expect fear-mongering about an “inevitable economic collapse” to pressure voters into abandoning international alliances.

Sources (all time)

• The DuranTier 3
  4 posts · 11–15 Aug 2026

  • 15 Aug · theduran.com/prof-michael-hudson-exposes-trumps-gulf-protection-racket-a-new-great-depression-looms/
  • 14 Aug · theduran.com/the-u-s-empire-is-ending-iran-and-russia-will-never-again-negotiate-with-trump-trump-tries-to-merge-the-wars-against-iran-and-against-russia/
  • 14 Aug · theduran.com/options-to-defeat-iran/
  • 11 Aug · theduran.com/us-oil-reserves-hit-40-year-low-europe-faces-ukraine-missile-dilemma-trumps-food-truck-escape/