BRICS is collective challenge to USA and the latter knows it

America knows the game of geoeconomics. From the end of WWII, she has run the world in terms of geopolitics, geoeconomics and geostrategy so effectively. But, then arrogance got in along with ignorance of feelings, interests and needs of the rest of the world. Some countries took the bold step of finding an alternative. Result: BRICS

The major weakness of BRICS is it is only a collective. Unlike in the case of collective west that is at the beck and call of America. BRICS would never become a source for single voice in global power struggle. The history of the BRICS is illustrates the dead slow sped of its formative years.  The word BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs staffer Jim O’Neil in 2001 for an imaginary grouping of four countries that together would outperform the west in geoeconomics. These countries are Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Bandied around in several capitals for more than five years BRICS was conceptualized as a kind of club in 2006. Later on, in Russia on June 16, 2009 it got a corporal body. South Africa joined the association in 2010 resulting in the name change to BRICS. For nearly 14 years nothing of note happened except for lofty declarations. During the 15^th BRICS Summit held in August 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, it was decided to enlarge BRICS by admitting six countries to the Group, namely Argentina from LatAm , Egypt and Ethiopia from Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from the Persian Gulf.

America shot the first tactical missile. Javier Milei, who was elected as President of Argentina in December 2023 is a right winger and America succeeded in talking him out of the BRICS. Accordingly he intimated his inability to join the group. Hence five countries Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were invited to become members with effect from 1 January 2024.

America does not want to lose the home front. Next target would be Brazil. Jair Bolsonaro who served as the 38th president of Brazil from 2019 to 2022 is their man. As a military officer he is happier with the Americans than with the motley group of BRICS. Moreover in the last knife-edge presidential election it was a razor thin result with Lula De Silva beating Jair Bolsonaro 50.8 to 49.2 percentage of votes cast. Brazil would continue to be on thin ice and that is of consequential to BRICS group in future progress.

America is waiting in the wing with tactical arrows directed ay Egypt and Ethiopia who are locked in the water battle. Consequent to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), on the Blue Nile River there exists a bone of contention between these two countries for the last 12 years. America can play out either of them or even both in going for a major war that would devastate them and the BRICS.

The bon-homie between Iran and Saudi Arabia negotiated by China is the wild card. Both of them represent rival branches of Islam known as Shia versus Sunni. Historical enmity apart both these countries are focussed on geoeconomics power struggle for influence in Middle-East and elsewhere. Capitalizing on these factors America can deliver a major punch on BRICS unity.

Finally in Asia, America can massage the wound between China and India in their territorial disputes in Arunachal Pradesh as well as in Kashmir. Even a minor skirmish is enough for the USA to blow up the entire region in military conflict resulting in large scale devastation. China can be a sour grape but India is a low-hanging fruit for the wily America.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist