Hegemony is from the Greek meaning authority, rule, and political supremacy. Since 1945 the United States has been the global hegemon. That is changing now. The U.S. recently issued its Annual Threat Assessment. It makes for interesting reading. It lists the various threats Washington faces. It repeats the embedded line that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “unprovoked.” But the report’s focus is on China. It says, “China has the capability to directly attempt to alter the rules-based global order in every realm and across multiple regions, as a near-peer competitor that is increasingly pushing to change global norms.” The phrase “rules-based global order” is vintage Orwell. Translated it means that Washington rules the world and you’d better follow its diktats or else. But China has emerged as the major challenge to U.S. hegemony thus the danger of conflict is increasing.