they can't do it today . their empire build on the rep of them being good guy , world police keep sea trade safe for large part of the world
another problem for them is once war with china start every merchant container ship will fly any other flag than china (include china's armed "civilian ship")
to make matter worst in wartime , they can't afford to spare a massive cost/resource/man power to board and check every single merchant ship to make sure they don't shot the wrong one .
they must choice one option between 2 poison :
letting their hard to replace warship/sub at risk or attack all civilians ship show up 1000km around their force . that gonna piss off alot of nations
The problem is, the so-called "good guy" reputation is pure liberal nonsense; it simply doesn't exist. Even if they did, things they have done since the 21st century have already exhausted it. The so-called "worldwide" is actually limited to Europe (and Europeans often think so too).
With most countries in the world relying on China as their largest trading partner, the United States becomes a threat to global trade. Precisely because they are well aware of this, they will immediately and directly attack civilian vessels. Just like with Nord Stream 2, they will go all the way, leaving Europe (and other countries) no room for negotiation.
Just as the US blocks Chinese technology, it will demands that ships from these countries voluntarily impose embargoes on China. If any violations are found during surveillance and blockade, the entire country's merchant fleet becomes a target for attack. When faced with no other choice, these countries naturally compromise and seek alternatives. This sounds very much like power politics, but look at Liberation Day, didn't most of the country compromise?
What maintains their imperial status is only military and economic power; each country acts solely to maximize its own interests
Look at Ukraine and Gaza during Biden's presidency. Were any countries outside Europe willing to follow suit with sanctions and boycotts? No, or most were merely symbolic.
Trump's decision to back down during his term wasn't for any kind of reputational stunt; it was simply a strategic retreat. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to act recklessly in Venezuela.
When AR threatens their military and economic hegemony, they won't care about any "good guy" reputation.
