Since the end of World War Two, the United States has established itself on every continent with hundreds of military bases, and has sent troops to foreign nations (both covertly and overtly) on so many occasions that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. And this doesn’t even take into account the nations that our government has quietly and successfully pressured into going along with its financial and military agenda. The US government commands a sprawling empire which, much like the British empire that preceded it, never sees the setting sun.

But this massive global empire can’t last forever, and there are forces at work that are challenging the US at every opportunity. And this week in particular, the barbarians were brimming at the gates, so to speak. That’s because our government’s interests were confronted by adversaries in several different regions.

For starters, North Korea tested several missiles in the Sea of Japan over the weekend, three of which landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Alarmed by North Korea’s improved missile technology, Japanese authorities went on high alert. The United States has since sent 14 Super Hercules military planes to Tokyo, and has deployed an anti-missile defense system in South Korea.

While that story has been widely reported on by now, the mainstream media has hardly touched this astonishing story from Afghanistan. If you can believe it, the Pentagon has confirmed that the Chinese military has been operating in Afghanistan, albeit for unknown reasons. So far, both the Chinese and Afghan governments have denied this.

Meanwhile in the Persian Gulf, multiple vessels with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard swarmed a US Navy tracking ship in the Straight of Hormuz, coming within 600 yards of the vessel and forcing it to change direction. The US Navy claims that the vessel was unarmed and the interaction with the Iranian military has been called “unsafe and unprofessional.”

And finally, American troops were recently deployed to the Syrian city of Manbij, after Turkey threatened to attack Kurdish forces in the city. Colonel John Dorrian tweeted that the Joint Task Force in the region “has taken this deliberate action to reassure Coaltion mbrs & partner forces, deter aggression and keep focus on defeating ISIS.”

Can you believe that all of this occurred within a few days? If it weren’t for the fact that the US has racked up an astonishing number of enemies over the years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a concerted effort, organized behind the scenes. In reality, it’s probably just a coincidence. America just happens to be odds with so many forces at the same time. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the day when our nation is busy protecting its own shores and nothing else, because hearing about this stuff every week is exhausting.