‘The United States Is Abdicating’

The global order established after World War II is fracturing as American hegemony wanes and China emerges as a peer power. This transition shifts the world from a unipolar structure to a more complex, multipolar landscape where middle powers like Canada, Brazil, and South Africa increasingly assert their own interests. Rather than adhering to the traditional Washington consensus, these nations are leveraging critical resources and diversifying alliances to navigate the competition between the U.S. and China. This shift is compounded by a global rise in right-wing populism and the erosion of international legal norms. Political scientist Rahmane Idrissa and China analyst Kaiser Kuo argue that while the U.S. has abdicated its role as a provider of global public goods, the path forward requires middle powers to champion international law and domestic governance to prevent a return to the destructive, war-prone power dynamics of the past.