Mainstream WeeklyDate: 04.11.2024
The declaration of the recently ended 16th summit of the BRICS (now extended BRICS) has several points for which the developing and least developed countries have been aspiring for many decades. Even though colonization through direct military control by the erstwhile colonial powers has largely ended, the grievances of these countries continue as the imperial powers have evolved new methods to exert their control. Only a few decades ago the possibilities of non-capitalist path of development appeared real. The situation has however changed. After the collapse of Soviet Union the imperialism has become powerful and dictating the world economically as well as militarily.
The world had become complacent as it was presumed that with the world becoming unipolar the arms race including the nuclear arms race will decrease and a lasting peace will be ensured. There was hope that economic development and prosperity which was the slogan of the new situation under the phrase of globalisation will be a boon for majority of population of the world. However this was not to be. We are watching ever increasing wars in different parts of the world with overt or covert involvement of the economically rich and militarily powerful countries. The new economic treaties, particularly the World Trade Organisation (WTO), even though a multilateral treaty, has led to the disadvantage of the developing world. The clause of the intellectual property rights has deprived the developing countries who could produce the items under the process patent are now in a fix under the product patent in this new regime. Blackmail by the vaccine producing countries of the west has proven this point. Small countries were forced to accept the conditions laid-down by these companies if they desired to purchase the vaccines.
Military Industrial Complex is making huge profits by supplying arms to the warring factions at the cost of lives of thousands of innocent children and women. War in Ukraine could have been avoided or at least settled through negotiations; but the involvement of the NATO backed by USA is not letting this to happen. Similarly, the disproportionate aggression on the hapless people of Gaza by the Zionist government of Israel, and its refusal to comply with any international opinion including the UNO, International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) shows that it is behaving like a rogue state. It is not hidden from anyone how the US and other western powers are supporting it. Israel