Independent New Hampshire Journalism · Northfield, NHCorrection, Sept. 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. EDT: This column, published Jan. 16, 2026, said BRICS formally expanded in 2024 and 2025 to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Argentina. Argentina declined its invitation after a change in government, and Saudi Arabia did not publicly confirm that it had accepted; Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in 2024, and Indonesia joined as a full member in 2025, according to the World Economic Forum and the BRICS membership record. The passage is corrected, its figures now cite a source, and the video references now link to the video named or are cited as plain text.
By Dexter Dow
The global order that dominated the post–Cold War era is cracking, and it’s happening faster than most Americans realize. The United States still talks like it’s 1995 — unchallenged, indispensable, and eternally in charge — while the rest of the world is reorganizing itself around a colder, harder reality: a multipolar planet where U.S. power is no longer absolute.
This isn’t anti-American rhetoric. It’s geopolitical physics.
In the years leading up to 2026, countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America hedged against Washington. They’re not “turning communist” or “embracing authoritarianism.” They’re doing what rational actors do when an empire becomes unpredictable: diversifying their options.
BRICS Is No Longer a Sideshow
The expansion of BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — is the clearest signal. At its 2023 summit, the bloc invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in 2024; Argentina declined after a change in government; Saudi Arabia did not publicly confirm that it had accepted; and Indonesia joined as a full member in 2025. (World Economic Forum; Member states of BRICS) BRICS countries are home to over 40% of the world’s population and account for an estimated 37.3% of global GDP measured by purchasing power parity. (World Economic Forum)
More importantly, BRICS countries are openly discussing alternatives to the U.S. dollar for trade settlement. This doesn’t mean the dollar collapses tomorrow. It means the privilege of being the world’s default currency is eroding — slowly, then suddenly.
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has been blunt about this shift. His breakdown of historical debt cycles and imperial decline has become required viewing for anyone serious about global power dynamics.
Video: Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, Ray Dalio (YouTube).
Sanctions Are Backfiring
Washington’s favorite tool — economic sanctions — is losing its bite. Sanctions once worked because the U.S. controlled access to markets, banking, and insurance. But when sanctions become routine rather than exceptional, they motivate alternatives.
Russia’s economy didn’t collapse after being cut off from SWIFT. Iran didn’t fold. Even U.S. allies are now quietly questioning whether tying their entire financial system to American foreign policy whims is wise.
A growing number of countries are settling energy trades in yuan, rupees, or local currencies. That would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Now it’s Tuesday.
Economist Jeffrey Sachs has repeatedly warned that weaponizing the dollar undermines long-term U.S. interests.
The Military Still Dominates — But at a Cost
Yes, the U.S. military remains unmatched in raw force. But military dominance without political legitimacy is a short-term advantage. Endless proxy conflicts, ballooning defense budgets, and arms shipments with no clear endgame are draining domestic cohesion.
The Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s a budget line item. Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman don’t profit from peace treaties. They profit from managed instability.
Meanwhile, domestic infrastructure rots, housing collapses, healthcare bankrupts families, and political trust evaporates. Empires don’t usually fall because they lose wars abroad. They fall because they hollow themselves out at home.
Historian Adam Tooze has detailed how global economic stress, war financing, and debt interact to destabilize great powers.
Europe Is Caught in the Middle
Europe is discovering — uncomfortably — that alignment with Washington comes with costs. Energy dependence, industrial decline, and exposure to U.S.-driven sanctions regimes have weakened European economies, particularly Germany.
Publicly, European leaders speak of unity. Privately, they’re recalculating. Strategic autonomy is no longer a French obsession; it’s a continental necessity.
What This Means for Ordinary People
This isn’t abstract diplomacy. A fragmented world means higher prices, unstable supply chains, currency volatility, and more frequent regional conflicts. It also means the United States can no longer dictate terms without consequences.
The real danger isn’t that America is “losing.” It’s that its leadership class refuses to adapt. Pretending we still live in a unipolar moment encourages reckless decisions — especially military ones.
The future belongs to countries that invest in resilience, diplomacy, industrial capacity, and social cohesion. Empires that rely on force, debt, and denial don’t age gracefully.
The world is changing whether Washington approves or not. The only open question is whether the United States chooses realism — or clings to mythology while the map redraws itself.
Sources & Further Viewing
- Ray Dalio, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order (YouTube)
- World Economic Forum, “BRICS: Here’s what to know about the international bloc”
- Jeffrey Sachs on sanctions and multipolarity (YouTube lectures & interviews)
- Adam Tooze, Crashed and public talks on global economic power
- IMF and World Bank data on BRICS GDP and trade flows
Corrections: Granite State Report corrects verified errors promptly and appends a dated note identifying what changed and when. The corrections policy and the corrections register are public, and correction notes are never removed.
