How modern conquest is eroding the Globalist liberal theory of before.
Shanghai Harbor. - (WIX, 2024)
Since the dawn of civilization, nations of immense size and stature have risen to conquer others and exploit the resources of the defeated. These grand empires make marks on history so significant that even thousands of years after their rule, they remain relevant parts of the socio-cultural framework of our world. From Ancient Rome to Ancient Egypt, the Parthians, Mongols, British, Spanish, Americans, Soviets, Mayans, the Songhai, and Ancient China, empires have built and destroyed our world. They have brought advancements to human society and destroyed social constructs, pushing people back centuries. In recent memory, the grand empires of Europe were by far the most extensive and successful in size and wealth. The UK, Spain, and France essentially crafted the modern world through violent conquests, social restructuring, technological advancements, and economic control. Their relevance as empires remains essential today. Their reigns ended within the 20th century as the world progressed to a new stage of independence, liberal freedoms, and human rights protections alongside the UN. Despite this, imperial states like Russia and China have recently regained notoriety for their aggressive economic and military attacks globally.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the USA remained the sole superpower globally. It retained a sort of power dedicated historically only to other empires. During this brief period of American hegemony, other states, like the newly restored Russia and resurgent China, began to look towards the future and take hold of it. China, in particular, has indeed become the only competitor to the USA in today's society. Other significant players like France, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Brazil, and the UK retain lesser roles, although significant as the great powers. This new global system has emerged as new alliances are being forged in the ashes of proxy wars and minor armed conflicts globally. With the War in Ukraine, Gaza Conflict, Haiti's conflict, Sudan's War, the Mali War, China's Neo-colonialism in Africa, and the foundation of the BRICS, the world appears to now be shifting away from Western domination (the cradle, 2024)
For decades, the USA, EU, Japan, CANZUK, and the UK controlled the entire global economic and geopolitical sphere of influence. However, the rise of BRICS has meant that this order is slowly crumbling. Whether it is the conspiracies of the "New World Order," Russia saying, "...Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that while he agrees on the need for a "new world order," he does not believe the US should be at the helm. Any new system should be "free from the concentration of all mechanisms of world governance in the hands of one state," he said." (Aljazeera, 2023), or the growth of the BRICS its become clear a new rival to the age-old NATO and Western global alliance has grown. China has used this new change to be the dominant player on the world stage. "Humanity is once again at a crossroads," said the 5,400-word Chinese proposal, which calls for greater multilateralism in international affairs with a reformed United Nations and an expanded Security Council at its core." (VOA, 2023). This dynamic at the UN has also been supplemented by American attempts to shift it to their side. Despite the best efforts of the West, forces within and outside are shifting it with or without them. This paints a daunting future for liberalism, democracy, and human rights. With the UN, ICRC, NATO, and various other Western blocs declining and China and Russia rising again, it has become clear that our world in the following decades may be unrecognizable.
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