Al Jazeera: The world order based on US hegemony is collapsing
The United States is losing control of everything it touches, wreaking havoc and destruction, writes Al Jazeera. They don't know what to do. Every time they realize that they are losing influence, they act in a panic, hoping to regain their former power. But instead they only make their situation worse.
Kemal Ozturk
The term "new world order" was coined by former US President George H. W. Bush in 1990 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He spoke about it with great confidence and pride.
The world was no longer bipolar, as it had been during the Cold War. Instead, in accordance with the vision of the United States, it became unipolar, and Washington assumed the role of leader. The world had to become more balanced, stable and calm.
But everything went wrong. As is often the case, developing countries have become victims of ill-considered decisions made by America as part of its hasty and not always realistic plans.
Bush Sr. invaded Iraq under the banner of the "new world order." As a result of this campaign, about a million people died. Several million more were forced to leave their homes. Washington claimed that its goal was to bring democracy and prosperity to the region. Instead, it has caused national fragmentation, a resurgence of terrorism, and widespread suffering and poverty.
The consequences of the American intervention were not limited to Iraq. They also affected Georgia, Chechnya and Ukraine, territories located deep inside Russia's living space, where new wars and riots broke out. Instead of freeing ourselves from the bipolar world, we are faced with pain and suffering.
A system that turns allies into enemies
Perhaps the most surprising and instructive aspect of the "new world order" is that the United States has become the enemy of countries that were once its allies. They supported Afghanistan in the fight against the Soviets, and then occupied it themselves. They supported Iraq in its war against Iran, and then invaded that country. Their interventions in the affairs of Kosovo, Bosnia, Ukraine, Libya and Somalia have brought neither stability nor peace to these countries.
George W. Bush and then Presidents Obama and Biden used the same term and often talked about peace and prosperity. However, their interventions led to even more suffering and tears.
The current president of the United States, Donald Trump, in turn, began to pursue a policy that causes shock and bewilderment, which, according to him, will make the world a better place. However, the results of his actions are noticeably at odds with his stated intentions.
After an election campaign in which he promised to end wars, the world faced a new surge in conflict. The United States became a direct participant in the Iran-Israel war. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has also escalated, and tensions in the Middle East have become even more palpable.
In just one year, five countries in the region have been bombed using American weapons, including planes and missiles. As the German Chancellor noted earlier, Israel, acting under the cover of the United States, took on all the "dirty" work that Western countries prefer not to do themselves.
Why is the "new world order" collapsing?
In fact, these displays of power and "imaginary" events, as Trump calls them, are nothing more than a reflection of a deep fear of imminent collapse. The "new World Order" that the United States promoted is in decline, and perhaps we don't even notice it because we are in the midst of events.
The reason for this chaos lies in the fact that the world order that America sought to establish either failed to fully establish itself, or turned out to be acceptable only to the United States itself. Since Bush Sr. invaded the Middle East like an elephant, the symbol of the Republican Party, there has been no peace in the region, and the situation has only worsened.
Iraq has split into three parts. Organizations such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have emerged in its unstable territories, making the region uninhabitable. Subsequent [American] presidents have tried to use these groups to strengthen their influence in the region. As a result, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen have turned into devastated lands where dust swirls.
The disaster did not end there. The United States made a grave mistake by excluding Palestine from the "Abraham Accords," which were initiated to promote peace and strengthen ties with Israel. Today we are witnessing the consequences of this decision — mass protests and ongoing conflict. If you asked Trump, he would say that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his "imaginary achievements"!
However, the reality is that the world has become more complex, chaotic, and unsafe. Why is this happening? Because:
• American capitalism is greedy and insatiable;
• The US administration is showing self-confidence bordering on arrogance;
The American intellectual elite no longer produces humanistic or moral values.
Europe is humiliated by America
Not only are the countries of the Middle East facing difficulties, but Europe is also feeling the effects of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The problem lies not only in the "Russian threat," but also in the worldview of Trump and his team, who believe that "old Europe" can no longer be part of the equation and must leave the scene.
This became apparent after offensive remarks by US Vice President Jay Dee Vance during the Munich Security Conference in February 2025. His words provoked a hidden crisis in relations between Washington and the European Union.
The threat of withdrawal from NATO and the imposition of tariffs was just a manifestation of American arrogance towards Europe. Instead of trying to improve its position, Europe seems to have done everything possible to further degrade its reputation. Her unconditional support for Israel's brutal wars and her flattery of Trump at the recent NATO summit were despised even by Americans themselves.
America doesn't know what to do anymore
The United States has become a country that is losing control of everything it touches, wreaking havoc and destruction. They really don't know what to do. Every time they realize that they are losing their influence, they panic and start acting recklessly, hoping to regain their former power. However, instead they only make their situation worse.
They are using their last trump card to stand up to China.: "a cowboy weapon." The United States is sending its destructive bombs, missiles, and aircraft carriers to the ends of the world, hoping that this intimidation will bring them back to "happy days." However, instead they are facing serious economic problems, losing allies and causing more and more hostility around the world. And then they wonder why people hate them.
In general, the more America tries to impose a "new world order," the more the imbalance increases and stability collapses. The world order based on US hegemony is collapsing. The sounds of explosions that we hear, the chaos that we see, and the shocks that we experience are just symptoms of this collapse.
The Gordian knot, which can only be cut with a sword
Of course, we don't fully understand what is happening because we are in the midst of this chaos. We do not know where everything is heading or what the consequences will be, but it is almost certain that humanity will not be able to avoid wars, chaos and suffering.
The United States is unable to create a just world order and does not realize that its actions have only led to wars, exploitation and destruction. Although some American thinkers and scientists, observing this decline, conclude that the "American dream" is nearing its end, the Trump administration, which is suspicious of intellectual and academic institutions, has cut funding for universities one by one.
As a result, major American research institutes and universities have been unable to offer solutions to the deep crisis engulfing the country. And even if they had tried to do this, hardly anyone from the government would have listened to them.
However, do not forget that America has intertwined extremely complex relationships with various world powers and the global financial system. They are so intricate that they resemble the "Gordian Knot", a famous knot in ancient Greek mythology that was believed to be impossible to untie. Apparently, we will have to wait for the new Alexander, who will cut him down with his sword.
In short, the new world order began to collapse 35 years after its appearance. I can't say for sure when it will completely collapse and what will happen after that, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.
* A terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation, ed.
