Sean Major-Campbell | A new world order is not a new empire

A NEW world order is coming. However, contrary to the much-touted conspiracy theory that a new world order will be characterised by a totalitarian government, this one will not be totalitarian. It is at our doorstep!

Might President Donald Trump be a call to reality as he affirms national interests above neighbourly sentiments? And, is the CRIBS (China, Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa), my acronym for BRICS, waiting and a soon-to-become holding area for others who may be reading the global trend of nationalism above long-held liaisons? How might the Church with its ‘kingdom values’ continue its mission and evangelism?

Neo-liberal capitalism and its boom saw many losing economic ground with their American dream. Then there was much economic growth in the global south and Asian contexts. What may have been elements of exploitation in lower socioeconomic contexts has seen the rich still getting richer as they moved industry from the global north to the global south and Asia, in search of cheap labour. Of course, the middle class of the north has seen a sharp return to working-class existence.

In the meanwhile, nationalism serves to be an opiate for the base in the West, while capitalist hegemony serves the economic agenda of Russia and the East. Note, though, that, in the East and China in particular, while the economy rides on a capitalist agenda, politically and culturally, this is not so.

Is the USA isolating itself or is the rest of the world isolating the USA? In a post-cold war era and a post neoliberal era, is this going to be a dog-eat-dog world? With a desire for gold standard rather than a dollarised world economy, who will threaten whom?

Will the world powers silently watch as Russia absorbs Ukraine; Brazil absorbs Guyana; China absorbs Taiwan; and the USA absorbs Greenland, the Panama Canal, et al?

Although there has been some reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, how will Iran’s weakened position affect its ambitions in the Middle East? With Israel strengthened and a significant demise of allies in Lebanon, Syria, and indeed Palestine, what does this mean for Iran’s quest for contextual independence, relevance, and power on a grand scale?

The Ancient Egyptian Empire, known for its imperial expansion, was displaced by the Hittite empire, known for its military might. Many readers of Family and Religion who are used to attending Bible study in your various churches would be familiar with reference to the Assyrian empire. This cruel empire displaced the Hittite empire. You may recall that the Old Testament prophets often spoke to anticipated invasions from the north. You have heard of Persian, Macedonian, Roman, and Maurya empires.

During the Golden Era of Chinese history, the Han Dynasty ruled. Is another golden era on the horizon for China? Could history be on a U-turn? May we not forget that while no empire lasts forever (and this is historical fact), the world has seen British, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese empires. Not to be forgotten is the Soviet Union which had its reach into contiguous Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. Hint, hint. Ukraine will never return to what it was before the current war.

Does the Ottoman Empire resonate with present-day aspirations when one considers that its reach included Europe, Asia, and Africa? Could Brazil become a catalyst for the ‘BOttoman’ Empire?

What if the new enlightenment on the horizon is calling us to a new world order? One in which empires are no more but, instead, various centres of gravity informing a more equitable spread of economic, social, and global justice, giving rise to a new world order.

There are too many questions here. However, my hope is that we realise that there is no such thing as a totalitarian world order anytime soon. The only thing totalitarian and remaining totalitarian will be for world powers to protect their various capitalist agendas and to “work together” conveniently, just like global corporate entities have always done!

To be clear, President Trump is aware of the changing realities, even as he does a lovely appeal to patriotic sentiments when he declares that the golden age for the USA has just begun. Those who love the USA, inclusive of those of us with inseparable ties to it, may still read the writing on the wall.

The Economic Output Growth Projections, published by the International Monetary Fund, has noted that economic growth for the USA was 2.8 per cent for 2024 and will dip to 2.7 per cent for 2025. China is to have economic growth of 4.6 per cent, and India, 6.5 per cent. A closer look at the Projections Table indicates much less growth for G7 countries. And what will be the implications of instability in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement?

People of faith may walk deeper into their faith traditions and draw from the wells sustaining universal values of caring, sharing, lighting, healing, and protecting self, country, and the foreigner in your midst. Those who appreciate that we are always interacting with vibrational frequencies and energies may continue to engage universal vibrations for peace and goodwill.

There is a hymn in the CPWI hymnal which states:

“The church of God a kingdom is, where Christ in power doth reign;

where spirits yearn till, seen in bliss, their Lord shall come again.”

The language of faith is worth engaging as it affirms that God’s kingdom is the paradise of love. Any time the expression “kingdom of God” is used, the expression may be replaced with the terms, reign of God, righteousness, peace, and love, or, simply put, a just order for all.

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights and dignity. Please send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com