For decades, the United States has predicated its global primacy on the control of the “Global Commons”—specifically the maritime chokepoints and the energy corridors that sustain industrial civilization. By maintaining a blue-water navy capable of throttling the Strait of Hormuz, the Malacca Strait, and the Suez Canal, Washington has effectively held a “kill switch” over the global economy, ensuring that any nation wishing to participate in international trade must do so under the umbrella of the Pax Americana.
