Daily Times

There have been too many global wars and conflicts within the first 24 years of the 21st century. Several countries have changed for good. The people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, and Ukraine have suffered immensely due to unnecessary wars.

Unfortunately, all of these were fought between Unequal Military Powers (UMPs) because on the one side was the military might of the United States (US) and the unflinching support of the European Allies, and on the other was a weak developing country. The outcomes were obvious; the smaller and weaker states, as mentioned, were destroyed and may never be the same.

As we enter 2025, the Russia-Ukraine war continues with increasing intensity as it approaches the end of its third year. Likewise, Israeli strikes on non-combatant civilians and children continue with more force and venom. Therefore, there is a need to rethink the universal peace and stability across all world regions.

If one follows the election promises of incoming President Donald Trump, one can only hope that his Administration will strive to stop the ongoing wars and not start a new war during his new term. President Trump’s anti-war record shows that he will try his best to fulfil the promises made to the Muslims in the US that he will stop the war in Gaza and strive for a broader peace in the Middle Eastern region.

President Trump’s anti-war record shows that he will try his best to fulfil the promises made to the Muslims in the US.

The US-led Western allies have been waging wars as an instrument of policy, religiously following Carl Von Clausewitz’s precepts. However, they did not realise that other actors in the 21st Century had vastly different ideologies about power and its applications to influence the behaviour of their allies. For instance, China adopted Sun Tzu’s precepts of winning wars without fighting and concentrated on its economy instead of waging wars within the region or beyond, even when it had conflicts in the South China Sea and with India in its northeast, alongside an ever-pressing issue of Taiwan.

The post-World War II scenario introduced a Cold War between the two superpowers of the time: the US and the USSR. However, the 21st-century competition has a vast canvas. China is not challenging the US military prowess but its ability to influence the behaviour of its allies and other developing nations. The physical engagement of the US in wars and conflicts since the tragic events of 9/11 has virtually drained its economic resources. “The $36 trillion gross federal debt includes debt held by the public and debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts. In fundamental terms, this can be considered debt that the government owes to others plus debt it owes to itself.”

The US seems to be losing its grip not only on its close allies in different regions but also among the member countries of the Global South, which includes over 130 states in different regions. Together with Russia, China is striving for de-dollarization in the trade markets, and if that happens, the US will lose its leverage and monopoly over world trade.

I fully understand that the realists will not support the idea of universal peace because, for them, the interests of the states are supreme, even if their peripheral interests are challenged. The fundamental difference between Sun Tzu and the Machiavellian precepts lies in the accumulation and dispensation of power. One talks of influencing the behaviour of the allies through diplomacy and cooperation, and the other believes in doing the same through compellence and sanctions.

The concept of forcing an ally or a neutral country to bandwagon with a powerful state now seems to be backfiring because there is another player in the field with a better offer of productive engagement. President Xi Jinping’s vision of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has revolutionised development and progress in the developing world. Africa appears to have adopted the concept in letter and spirit. Several nations have challenged the continued hegemony of their colonial masters and acted far more independently. France seems to be a net loser in West Africa as BRI projects show promise to ordinary people of least developed countries.

In my opinion, President Trump’s reentry into the White House after a four-year absence is perhaps the last chance for the US and its allies to prolong its superpower status for another decade or so. If Trump fails to live up to its promises of striving for a broader peace and denying wars as an instrument of policy, the US will be recorded as the shortest-time superpower in the world’s history.

The writer of this article has authored three international books: “Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan” “South Asia Needs Hybrid Peace” and “Understanding Sun Tzu and the Art of Hybrid War.”