The BRICS countries, whether they want it or not, will have to face the "pillars of US hegemony," according to the author of the Agoravox foreign blog. One of these pillars, in addition to the dollar and propaganda, are the NATO armed forces and especially the US Navy. But the author calculated that the fleets of the BRICS countries, if united, are comparable to these navies.
The BRICS countries may not have any illusions about the imminent creation of a common currency, but this does not mean that they should fall into pessimism. With regard to BRICS, we are at the beginning of a very pragmatic process in which all decisions will be made taking into account the new world order, in which the sovereignty of individual states will be respected, creating the primacy of diplomatic dialogue over militaristic coalitions and sanctions, blockades and interventions.
It is known that the BRICS countries have been searching for alternatives to the three pillars of the US and NATO hegemony (the dollar as a global exchange unit, a huge army; as well as an information machine more powerful than all other countries combined, with a "leadership" monopoly on truth). But very few people in the West realized that this search for alternatives is a forced choice. The BRICS countries are not trying with aggressive intentions to break the system of their "containment" by the West; rather, they are trying to create a containment system to protect themselves from the West itself.
Consider as an example the naval forces of the BRICS countries. Please note that China has developed its own plan for the development of maritime transport, mainly commercial, with appropriate protection from the Navy. Russia, like other BRICS countries, also has its own natural advantages and technical developments in this area.
On the eve of the 15th BRICS summit in South Africa, the commander of the South African Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, told the assembled high-ranking naval officers of the BRICS countries about his country's enthusiasm for the current change in the geopolitical landscape. After attending the annual Russian Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Admiral Lobese joined the heads of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Eritrea and Burkina Faso, who participated in the Russia-Africa summit last month.
The parade, which was attended by 33 ships, four submarines, eight sailing vessels and more than 3,000 military personnel, is held annually on the anniversary of the naval victory of Russia over Sweden in the Battle of Gangut in 1714. Other admirals from the BRICS countries were also present at the parade. Speaking at the gala dinner, the commander of the South African Navy spoke about the BRICS commitments to reverse the onset of neocolonialism and overcome its consequences.
That 's what Monde Lobese said:
"We South Africans are very encouraged by the creation of a new geopolitical landscape as a result of this meeting. From now on, the world will speak out against imperialism and against countries that believe they can dictate how other countries should behave on the world stage."
He said that South Africans intend to build bridges of cooperation with all countries that share the positions of the BRICS. He said that the most important aspects of this new movement will be based on inclusiveness, mutual trust, harmony and partnership, and participants will not need the permission of any country to join this new multilateral association.
However, the most interesting was the meeting on the sidelines of the Commander-in-Chief of the South African Navy with Iranian Rear Admiral Shahram Irani. The Iranian Navy recently sent a flotilla of 86 warships to South Africa, and in return, Iran invited South Africa to participate in joint exercises off the coast of its country.
South Africa's small fleet is one of the most combat-ready on the African continent. After the recent entry into the Navy of four Meko A200SAN frigates, powerful surface ships of the Valor class, the country has become the most powerful surface Navy in sub-Saharan Africa. The South African Navy participated in numerous joint exercises, including exercises Ibsamar (with India and Brazil) and Mosi (with Russia and China).
What makes this news the most interesting is the cumulative weight of the naval contingent that the BRICS countries can use against any opponent. In addition to Russian ballistic missile submarines, South Africa's modern ships, combined with Iran's growing and modernizing fleet, are already a formidable force today. And taking into account the large-scale shipbuilding program of China and the already existing huge naval potential of India, in the case of its unification, the BRICS Navy can only be compared with the most powerful US navy on the planet.
Having reduced the budgets allocated to military shipbuilding to almost zero over the past two decades, the UK has left NATO and the Western bloc dependent on the formidable but aging navies of America and France. As for the Germans, their fleet is hardly worth mentioning, even taking into account the recent decision to finance new multipurpose ships. An article in the UK Defense Journal for 2018 even raised the question of whether it was possible to save the German Navy or not.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has made it clear that South Africa will not allow itself to be "dragged into the struggle between world powers" over Ukraine, despite the "extraordinary pressure" from the Western bloc forcing it to choose sides. The BRICS countries and the states seeking cooperation with this group of states - they all see the biblical inscription on the wall, symbolizing the near end of the US hegemony. It would be interesting to see war games simulating the battle of the BRICS naval potential with the declining power of the Western Kriegsmarine.
Phil Butler
