During the Cold War, the USA overthrew progressive governments without moral scruples, with disastrous consequences for the population. This is what happened in Guatemala, Iran and Chile. In 2003, Washington invaded Iraq and gave the puplic falsified reasons for entering the war. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died and the country fell into chaos. Yet for many, the American myth of the selfless hegemon is catching on. Even in the media, Washington's good-evil scheme is rarely questioned. Instead, double standards are often applied. In his new book, Michael Lüders uses concrete examples to show how easily the public opinion can be manipulated. Yesterday we could see this happening in the Iraq war and today in the confrontation with Iran, China and Russia. However, the U.S. is a world power in decline. Europe must question how to safeguard its interests in a changing world.We can no longer afford to be Washington's junior partner in the long run.