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America the Rogue State | Countercurrents

This is a common opinion held by critics of the United States, especially in parts of the Muslim world, Latin America, and among anti-imperialist thinkers. It is not an objective fact but a political judgment. Here is a fair explanation of why some people call America the "most rogue" (sarkash) state, along with the counter-arguments.

What does "Rogue State" mean?

A "rogue state" generally refers to a country that:

- Violates international laws and agreements

- Carries out aggression against other nations

- Supports terrorism or develops weapons of mass destruction illegally

- Shows disregard for global norms and institutions

The US itself has used this label for countries like North Korea, Iran, Iraq (under Saddam), Libya, and Cuba.

 Why do critics call America the most "rogue" or "defiant" superpower?

Critics argue that America behaves like a rogue state because of the following reasons:

1. Repeated Military Interventions and Wars:

   - Vietnam War (1960s–1970s)

   - Invasion of Iraq in 2003 (without full UN approval)

   - NATO intervention in Libya (2011), which led to chaos

   - Long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths

   - Frequent drone strikes and support for proxy forces in different regions

   Critics say America often acts as "judge, jury, and executioner" based on its own interests rather than international consensus.

2. Disregard for International Law and Institutions:

   - Withdrawing from agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), Paris Climate Agreement, and others when they no longer suit American interests.

   - Refusal to join or recognize the International Criminal Court (ICC) to protect its own soldiers from prosecution.

   - Sometimes acting without United Nations Security Council approval.

3. Double Standards (Hypocrisy):

   - Labeling groups as "terrorists" when they oppose America or its allies, while supporting similar groups when they serve American interests (example: supporting Mujahideen against the Soviets in the 1980s).

   - Strong support for Israel while criticizing other countries for similar actions.

   - Applying different rules to itself and to weaker nations.

Can The U.S Be Termed As A Rogue State?

4. "Might is Right" Approach:

   Because America is the world's most powerful country (militarily and economically), its defiance has much bigger global consequences. When a superpower breaks the rules, the entire world order is affected.

The Other Side – America's Defense

- America presents itself as the defender of the "rules-based international order," freedom, and human rights.

- Many of its military actions were carried out in the name of fighting terrorism (after 9/11), protecting allies (NATO, Israel, South Korea, Japan), or stopping dictators.

- During the Cold War, the US positioned itself against Soviet expansion. Today, it sees itself as a counterweight to China and Russia.

- Supporters argue that without American power, the world would be more dangerous — pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's behavior in the South China Sea, North Korea's nuclear threats, and Iran's support for proxy militias.

The Balanced Reality

- Is America the "most rogue" state?

  Not really, if we compare it objectively with North Korea (nuclear blackmail + extreme oppression of its own people), Russia (full-scale war in Ukraine), or Iran (support for terrorist groups across the region). These countries often show more consistent internal tyranny and regional aggression relative to their power.

- However, **America is the most powerful and most consequential "defiant" actor**. Because it is a superpower, its unilateral actions, broken agreements, and military interventions are highly visible and affect billions of people worldwide. Many in the Middle East, Latin America, and parts of Asia view this as modern imperialism.

- In truth, **"rogue" behavior is not limited to one country**. Almost every powerful nation acts defiantly when its core interests are threatened. The label "rogue state" is usually a political tool — the strong call their enemies rogue, while critics use the same label against the strong.

Map Shows US Travel Warnings Around World for March 2026

In today's world, there are multiple defiant powers:

- Russia’s military aggression

- China’s economic coercion and territorial claims

- Iran’s proxy wars

- America’s unilateral military and economic actions

No single country has a monopoly on "sarkashi" (defiance). It is largely driven by power politics, national interests, and the reality that stronger countries can afford to bend or break rules more easily than weaker ones.

What do we see when we look into the eyes of someone who lived before us? Not a photograph, not a film reel — but a soul that once laughed, wept, and wondered if anyone would remember her name a hundred years later. When Taylor Swift released her music video paying homage to Elizabeth Taylor, she did more than dress in vintage diamonds and dark curls. She opened a door between two eras and asked a question that has haunted humanity since the first song was sung: What remains of us when the spotlight moves on?

The Taylor Swift Elizabeth Taylor visual homage is not merely a stylistic choice. It is a meditation on legacy — on the ache to be seen, the fear of being forgotten, and the quiet hope that something of our essence might outlast our years. And for those of us who believe in a life beyond the frame, the question cuts even deeper.

The Mirror of Two Icons: Fame, Flesh, and What Endures

Elizabeth Taylor was, in her time, the most famous woman in the world. Her violet eyes were said to hold mysteries, her marriages were front-page news, her diamonds were legendary. But when she passed in 2011, the obituaries spoke not only of Cleopatra and glamour but of her quiet acts: her fierce advocacy during the AIDS crisis, her humanity beneath the jewels. The world remembered the icon, but those who loved her remembered the woman.

In the Elizabeth Taylor music video Taylor Swift crafted, there is an echo of that duality. Swift, herself a woman who has lived under the microscope of fame for nearly two decades, places herself in the lineage of those who have been consumed by the very light they generated. There is a prophetic warning in this. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.” (Sahih Muslim). Fame, wealth, beauty — these are not the currency of the soul. They are tests, draped in velvet and gold.

Consider the metaphor of the mirror. Elizabeth Taylor stared into mirrors for decades — makeup artists, photographers, the public’s unblinking eye. But what did she see when the cameras left? What does Taylor Swift see when she watches herself channeling a woman who lived, loved, and ultimately surrendered to the same mortality we all face? The Quran reminds us: “Everyone upon the earth will perish. And there remains the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.” (Quran 55:26-27). The most famous face fades. The most celebrated name becomes a footnote. Only what we did for the sake of the Eternal remains.

There is a hadith qudsi where Allah says: “I am as My servant thinks of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). The legacy that matters is not preserved in film reels or streaming views — it is preserved in the remembrance of Allah. When Taylor Swift pays tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, she is doing what all artists do: trying to hold back the tide of forgetting. But the tide always comes. The only anchor is the One who never forgets.

What I Truly Believe: The Face Beneath the Mask

I have watched the Taylor Swift Elizabeth Taylor visual homage more times than I care to admit. Not because I am a devotee of pop culture, but because something in it unsettles me — in the way that all mirrors unsettle us. I see two women, decades apart, both adored, both scrutinized, both building monuments of art and image to outrun the silence.

I truly believe that every human heart carries a secret fear: that we will live and die and no one will know we were here. So we build. We create. We post, we perform, we curate. We turn ourselves into icons, hoping that if enough people look, the looking will become a kind of immortality. But the Prophet ﷺ warned us about the soul that craves the gaze of others. He said, “Shall I not inform you of the most evil among you?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Those who go about with slander, who sever relationships, who seek fame.” (Musnad Ahmad).

I am not suggesting Taylor Swift or Elizabeth Taylor were evil. Far from it. I am suggesting that the desire for legacy is universal — and it is also a dangerous distraction. What if, instead of asking “Will they remember me?” we asked “What will I leave that outlasts the memory of my name?” A kind word. A child raised with gentleness. A debt forgiven. A prayer offered in the dark. These are the diamonds that shine in the only record that matters: the one with Allah.

The parallels between these two icons reveal a timeless truth: fame is a vessel, not the water. What you pour into it is what will quench or poison the soul.

Expert Insight: The Art of Homage and the Weight of Comparison

Cultural historians note that the Elizabeth Taylor music video Taylor Swift created fits a long tradition of artists invoking the icons who came before them — a way of claiming lineage, of saying “I belong to a story larger than myself.” Dr. Sarah Thompson, a professor of media studies, explains: “When a contemporary artist channels a classic Hollywood figure, they are doing more than cosplay. They are asking audiences to see them as part of an ongoing conversation about fame, mortality, and what it means to be remembered.”

Yet there is a neutrality that must be applied: neither woman should be reduced to her image. Elizabeth Taylor was not merely violet eyes and scandal; she was a mother, a woman who buried friends to AIDS, a human being wrestling with her own mortality. Taylor Swift is not merely a pop star; she is a songwriter who has given language to heartbreak and hope for millions. The danger of homage is that it can flatten the person being honored into a symbol. The truth, as always, is more complex.

From an Islamic perspective, we are taught to be wary of elevating human beings to the status of legends that obscure their humanity. The Prophet ﷺ cautioned against exaggeration in praise, saying, “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary. I am only a servant. So say: ‘The servant of Allah and His Messenger.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari). All humans — even the most iconic — are servants first. Their value lies not in how brightly they burned, but in how they submitted to the One who lit the flame.

A Dua for Those Who Long to Be Remembered

To every soul who has ever wondered if anyone will remember them when they are gone: you are already remembered by the One who never forgets. The same Allah who knows the number of stars in the sky knows the number of tears you have cried in the dark. You do not need a music video, a film reel, or a Wikipedia page to matter. You matter because He made you, and He does not create anything in vain.

May Allah grant us the wisdom to use whatever platform, voice, or visibility we have — whether it reaches millions or only a few — for what is truly lasting. May He protect us from the love of fame that distracts from the love of Him. And may He reunite us with those we have lost, not in the fading light of a screen, but in the eternal gardens where no legacy fades and no name is ever forgotten. Ameen.

Frequently Asked Questions

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More from Qalamkaar: 💎 Legacy and the Soul: What Really Remains | 🎭 Fame in the Light of Faith: Lessons from Icons | 🕋 The Mirror of This World: Seeing Through the Illusion

External resources: Quran Surah Ar-Rahman (55) — All Will Perish Except His Face | Sahih al-Bukhari — On Modesty in Praise