How does the US sustain hegemony through fake theories

A woman wears a vest with a picture of Patrick Liuya as protesters march to Liuya, the black man who was shot and killed by a police officer, in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. April 16, 2022. Photo: VCG

Editor’s note:
How have the theories of “American exceptionalism” and “American innocence” affected American culture? Why is the problem of racism so deeply rooted in the United States? Global Times (GT) reporter Yu Jincui organized a dialogue between Wei Leijie (Wei), an associate professor at Xiamen University School of Law, and Danny Haiphong (Haiphong), an independent journalist and researcher in the United States, about these issues. Wei is among the translators of American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News–From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror, co-authored by Roberto Cervent and Haiphong.

Wei: At the invitation of JT, I am glad to have this opportunity to communicate with Mr. Haiphong. Let’s start with the World Cup in Qatar. Some Western countries, especially European countries, on the eve of the World Cup criticized the so-called human rights record in Qatar, which FIFA President Gianni Infantino said double standards behind the critics. He also said, “For what we Europeans have been doing all over the world for the past three thousand years, we must apologize for the next three thousand years before we start giving people moral lessons.” Mr. Haiphong, what do you think of Infantino’s comments?

Haiphong: Infantino is…