The globalist vision, once heralded as a noble pursuit to transform the world into a "global village," promised to replace hatred with harmony, violence with peace, and divisiveness with integration. It claimed to merge diverse cultures into a shared human identity and replace zero-sum politics with cooperation. But in practice, globalization—particularly in the seven decades following World War II—has largely served as a mechanism for dominance, not unity.
Post-War Illusions and the Rise of Neo-Dominance
The end of World War II, the collapse of colonial empires, and the decline of communism gave rise to hopes for a freer and more just global society. However, rather than abandoning their imperial mindsets, the global powers repackaged dominance under the banner of globalization. This new order was marketed as a pathway to peace and prosperity—but it was equipped with tools of control: military power, economic influence, global institutions, corporate capitalism, media propaganda, and a selective version of democracy.
The Role of Global Institutions: United Nations as a Theater
The United Nations, initially envisioned as a forum for global peace, has often become a platform for geopolitical manipulation. Rather than serving as a neutral peacekeeper, it has frequently been used by the Permanent Five (P5)—the United States, Russia, China, the UK, and France—to legitimize their actions and marginalize dissenting nations. Most military interventions of the last century have been either sanctioned or manipulated through the UN, yet very few genuine peace efforts have emerged from it.
Global Militarization and the Arms Race
Since the conclusion of World War II, the world has seen an unrelenting arms race, with nuclear proliferation and advanced military development accelerating among major powers. These arsenals are not merely defensive; they serve as tools of coercion. Any nation that resists the dominant global narrative risks being branded as a threat to peace, sanctioned, isolated, or even invaded under the guise of maintaining global order.
Capitalism and Economic Imperialism
Capitalism, once promoted as the path to prosperity, has also been exploited as a tool of economic domination. Global powers, particularly the United States and China, have used economic globalization to infiltrate and exploit resource-rich nations. Through multinational corporations, trade deals, and debt traps, they extend influence under the guise of economic development.
The Weaponization of Democracy and Media
The self-proclaimed defenders of democracy, particularly the United States and its allies, have often used democracy as a pretext for regime change. From Iraq to Libya to Ukraine, governments have been toppled in the name of promoting freedom—while media outlets echo these narratives to justify interventions. In this context, democracy is less a genuine principle and more a geopolitical strategy.
The Collapse of Global Solidarity: Lessons from COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a brutal wake-up call. If globalization had truly fostered global unity, the world would have responded collectively. Instead, the crisis exposed nationalist reflexes, supply hoarding, vaccine inequities, and lack of cooperation. The absence of coordinated global action proved that globalization was never about unity—it was always about power.
The Global Order in Disarray
The myth of globalization is now unraveling. China is asserting itself aggressively, particularly on its borders. The United States continues to challenge the global order it once led. Europe is entangled in foreign interventions in Libya, Syria, and beyond. The Mediterranean, South China Sea, and Persian Gulf are more militarized than ever.
Far from being a peaceful village, the world has become a fragmented arena of rival empires and economic empires, all vying for dominance.
