The world’s biggest military power is not showing its trademark interventionism in global conflicts. This is what one can derive from the Obama Administrations slow going on the Syrian issue.
Is the US gradually shedding away its imperial instincts in the wake of a number of emerging global developments? Perhaps yes.
The US is not the old oil thirsty country a couple of decades back. In the last year, the US has ceased to be the largest energy importer. That status now goes to China. Hence, the burden to ensure stable supply of crude belongs to the Chinese than to the Americans.
What revolutionized the American geopolitical policy is the discovery of Shale gas. Half of US’s gas supply is provided from the newly discovered shale gas. George Mitchell, who is known as the father of fracking has unearthed a gold mine for his country.
With the potential of shale gas reserves, it is estimated that the US will become a net exporter of energy products by 2020. There, it should compete with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. Here is the new energy republic- the USA.
Discovery of shale gas has thus totally changed America’s political, economic and military interests. The Americans need not make bloody military interventions to protect their economic interest at least. That is why the US, a diehard opponent of chemical weapons is going slow on the Syrian issue.
