The mistake in “American empire collapse” narratives is assuming the empire is the thing that holds power. It isn’t. Capital does. Modern billionaires and oligarchs aren’t loyal to flags, voters, or even countries—they’re loyal to liquidity, legal arbitrage, and mobility. If U.S. hegemony weakens, they don’t suffer; they pivot. Assets move. Passports change. Headquarters relocate. Monaco, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Moscow—pick your jurisdiction.

What collapses isn’t global capitalism, or elite power, or greed. What collapses is the American middle class’s access to the leverage that once came with being inside the dominant system. The belief that “America” is the center of global capitalism is a 19th–20th century idea rooted in industrial empires and national elites. Today’s elites already operate in a post-national, meta-state economy. If the American empire falls, it won’t be the rich who pay the price—it’ll be the people who can’t leave.