In 1956 Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, “a waterway controlled by British and French interests.” Before then, the United States had cut funding intended to help build the very important Aswan Dam project and Egypt needed a source of revenue to continue its planning and construction.
“In response, Britain, France and Israel launched a military invasion of Egypt.” Although the Soviet Union threatened to come to the aid of Egypt, it was the intense pressure put on by the Eisenhower administration that made the allies withdraw and allow Egypt to achieve victory.
This moment of humiliation of Britain and France is generally recognized as the point of transition from colonial powers leadership to that of the United States. People around the world understood that America had assumed the mantle of global responsibility for the defense and promotion of democracy as well as the confrontation and mortal embrace with the Soviet Union that took more than 4 decades to resolve.
The other side of the historical coin is now in play. On August 31 to September 1, 2025, some 25 countries and organizations led by China, Russia, India and seven other States met as members and guests of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to continue the development of a new international order that does not include the United States.
There is another world organization that carries the acronym BRICS and holds the membership of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Like SCO, the organization advances the goal of constructing a global economic structure that rivals the G7.
Europe is starting a road away from the United States as it makes military preparations for its own defense with less reliance on America. Exacerbated by the tariff wars, European economic interests are also negotiating with markets that are becoming part of the new world order.
Another unusual event has Japanese fighter jets flying to Canada and to Europe. This together with the fact that Germany has increased its budget in order to become the military power of Europe evidences an emerging center of leadership that is set to replace American influence.
For the West, it is as though we are returning to the time before the 2 world wars in the first part of the 20th Century. Germany is taking economic and military control of Europe and Japan is finding a way to connect to that alliance.
The world is turning away from American diminishing leadership as it finds that the vacuum is being filled by an Asian power structure that holds the largest national demographics in the world. China with almost 1.5 billion people together with India which is even larger is the coming political and economic center.
Meanwhile the United States continues its retrenchment activities at home. The Trump administration is targeting Latinos in order to prevent a minority majority that can eventually become an America with a Brown face.
It is becoming increasingly evident that democracy is becoming less of a goal for our world order. In America, free markets that are the expression of capitalism are being replaced by the arbitrary and transactional.
Recently, President Trump published an executive order increasing the fee to $100,000 for H-1B visas that draw international talent and innovation to businesses and universities. It is like disinviting essential knowledge and genius to our shores.
Even worse, there is a Whites only city being constructed in the State of Arkansas. It manifests the “splendid isolation” of a diminished people.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
