Angels and Engines

The West gained its dominant position thanks to technology. It had more machines and more firepower than its rivals. But that edge may be disappearing.

Source: Getty Images

Monday, October 28^th, 2024 

Bill Bonner, writing today from Baltimore, Maryland 

While the US is focused on an internal power struggle, a new world order is taking shape. Sonar21: 

PUTIN Re-Shaping the World Right in Front of Us 

It is fascinating to watch the denial in the West about the importance of this meeting of 36 nations, with 20 heads of state in attendance, and the challenge it represents to the US dominated rules-based international order. [Vladimir] Putin: 

For the past 75 years, Russian-Chinese relations reached the level of a comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. And we can confidently assert that they became a model of how, in the modern world, relations between states should be built. Our multifaceted cooperation is equal, mutually beneficial and of absolutely non-opportunistic nature. 

The BRICS nations met last week. Hosted by Russia, the meeting had representatives from the BRICS themselves — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — but also from the new members, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

These nations already have nearly half the world’s population and, by purchasing power parity, more than a third of its GDP. Putin said at the meeting that 34 other countries, including Turkey, had made inquiries about joining. EIRNews:  

The Global Majority Speaks: A Billion More People Just Joined the BRICS! 

At the summit meeting, ‘partner’ status was granted to Turkey, Vietnam, Uganda, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and Thailand. EIRNews continues: 

This day and this Summit mark an historic moment. Speaking of the BRICS, “We have assumed responsibility for the future of the world, not only in word, but in deed,” is the way Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed it in his opening statement, given as a head of state, apart from his role as moderator for the roundtable.… Putin said, “The BRICS states possess truly immense potential in terms of political power, economy, science, technology, as well as human development. Furthermore, we are united by shared values and a common worldview.” 

For America’s supremacists and full spectrum dominators, the  

news was not all bad.  The values of the BRICS are not necessarily as ‘shared’ as Putin hopes and the BRICS are not establishing a gold-backed substitute for the dollar. Not yet. Nor have they created a military alliance, a la NATO. And they have no coherent economic plan, either. So, the imperialists of The West can sleep soundly for a while longer... and continue to count their blessings... and their profits. 

But western hegemonists might wonder about where this is going. Based on what we’ve seen so far, we offer them some advice.  

First, they should ditch their good vs. evil fantasies; the US and The West act like a dominating power, not an angelic one. Their wars are not really against ‘bad’ people, nor are they prosecuted by ‘good’ people; they are simply the typical battles at the periphery of an aging empire. 

Second, consider that the tech genie is out of the bottle. The West gained its dominant position thanks to technology. It had more machines and more firepower than its rivals. But that edge may be disappearing. Here’s the latest from Asia Times:  

Xiaomi is said to have designed its own 3nm chip 

Xiaomi Inc, a Beijing-based smartphone maker, is said to have “taped out” its first 3 nanometer system-on-chip (SoC) processor, which is to be mass produced in the first half of 2025. 

In the semiconductor industry tapeout is a term – left over from the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape – for the much-awaited point in the development process when the final design data are stored and sent for fabrication.  

Chinese media said that, if the news proved correct, Xiaomi’s achievement in chip-design would be a historic milestone for China as it would be the first 3nm chip designed by a Chinese firm. 

Almost every day, a headline tells us more about China’s rising tech power. Newsweek:  

China Enlarging Nuclear Forces With Eye on America: US Intel 

Salon: 

China now has the biggest navy in the world 

Third, and most notable, we draw their attention to the fact that the meeting took place at all. Russia was supposed to be ‘isolated’ from the civilized world. Putin is subject to wide-ranging sanctions that were meant to cripple his economy and make him a pariah. Instead, he’s the belle of the ball. Now, it’s the US and UK who are more and more isolated, The Cradle: 

US, UK alone in expressing support for Israel's strike on Iran 

France issued a neutral statement calling for de-escalation, while Arab and Islamic states harshly condemned the Israeli aggression... while the US and UK expressed their support for Israel's assault, claiming it was in self-defense. 

Where does this lead?  

Stay tuned. 

Regards, 

Bill Bonner