The four nations of Afghanistan, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Libya under Colonel Gaddafi, and Syria under Bassar al AsThe four nations of Afghanistan, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Libya under Colonel Gaddafi, and Syria under Bassar al Assad, were all in their own way attempting to develop their societies by the year 2000. All four had their faults; but all four nations were ‘progressing' on the criterion of development - in popular education, development of infrastructure and industries. As everyone knows, all four were overtly invaded by different variations of the US-led military machine, often alongside proxy forces.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, the western world was stunned. Their hyperbole of criticism and their lack of access to Soviet economic statistics left the Western countries unprepared for what to do next. The USA was prepared to celebrate; their Cold War had been successful, and they moved their best economists to Moscow to advise. From having no access and very limited knowledge, suddenly the situation was reversed. Their imperial ambitions soared.

During the century, the regime had had to deal with the risings of its own peoples: the Boxer Insurrection or the Yihetuan Movement was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901. She had had to be helped by the British in putting down the Boxer Insurrection. All the old colonial regimes took their turn at invasion. All the new up and coming colonial regimes, the USA, Japan, Italy, and Germany all invaded China during the 19th century. By the end of the century, the Empress’s silver reserves were empty, and she retreated with her entourage into inner China for safety.