Jeffrey Sachs: BRICS Builds a New World - Without the West
Summary
Professor Jeffrey Sachs joins Glenn Diesen to analyze the BRICS summit and the shift toward a multipolar world. Sachs argues that US hegemony, established after 1945, is ending as Asia’s economic rise outpaces the West. He highlights BRICS’ growing demographic and economic weight compared to the G7, noting its push for multilateral governance and a new global order. The discussion warns that US refusal to accept this reality, driven by delusional security policies, risks escalating global conflict.
Topics discussed
Introduction and the shift from US dominance to multipolarity
Historical context: Europe's rise and global ascendancy
Causes of European dominance: colonization and technology
The Industrial Revolution and the British Empire
US imperial expansion and the colonization of Africa
World Wars and the exhaustion of European powers
The Cold War: US, USSR, and the Non-Aligned Movement
China's Century of Humiliation and post-war independence
US-led global institutions and post-1950 dominance
Soviet reforms, collapse, and the end of the Cold War
US unipolar moment and the 'End of History' narrative
Asia's economic recovery and China's rapid growth
Current economic balance: BRICS vs G7 and China's rise
BRICS membership, population, and economic weight
Declining US global support and the BRICS declaration
BRICS goals: multilateralism and China's upcoming presidency
Challenges of the new order and US/European reactions
Sachs' 1997 predictions and the failure of US strategy
Critique of US security state mentality and closing remarks
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