The struggle of empires. Attempts of modern powers to divide the world
The era of colonialism is not a thing of the past. In the modern world, like 150 years ago, the struggle continues for the division of spheres of influence. Only now have new ambitious states been added to the old colonial powers of the West.
Not so long ago, the next G7 summit took place. This organization is noteworthy in that it unites the old colonial powers - Great Britain, the USA, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. The list lacks the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Denmark, but for economic and political reasons, they no longer play such a significant role in the division of spheres of influence in the modern world as before.
The era of decolonization, which coincided with the Cold War, freed more than a hundred countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania from colonial dependence. Once formerly British, French, and other colonies, these countries became independent states - with their own problems, economic and political, but with formal, and in some places with de facto sovereignty.
Of course, many of yesterday’s colonies were not completely able to free themselves from the hyper-custody of their former metropolises. For example, France is still actively interfering in the political life of its former African colonies. French troops are deployed in a number of African states, and, if necessary, French paratroopers are always ready to land in the country they need and help to overthrow or establish a regime.
Great Britain acts more gently, but it also retains the formal appearance of the British Empire - the Queen of England is considered the head of state in a number of countries of the world. Elizabeth II does not just head the British Commonwealth of Nations - she is also the current queen of 15 sovereign states.
Among them are developed Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the small states of the Caribbean and Oceania - Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Tuvalu , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands. In addition to these countries, Britain retains influence in many former colonies in Africa - for example, Kenya, in Asia - for example, in Oman or Brunei.
France and Great Britain are the last two European powers that are still trying to fully exploit their colonial past. With Germany and Italy, as well as with non-European Japan, it is more difficult - they were deprived of their colonies as a result of the First and Second World Wars. But German, Italian, and Japanese businesses are active in the former colonies, as well as in many other countries of the Third World.
As for the United States, the imperialist aspirations of this state have never been a secret to anyone. For two centuries of its existence, Washington has developed and tested a unique ideology - the imperial ambitions of the United States are disguised as a struggle for democracy, for human rights, while the United States is trying on the role of the international gendarme and is ready to reckon with nothing. Thousands of people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Libya and Syria, in Yemen and Sudan, in Somalia and in Vietnam are not a question, because the main thing is “human rights”.
The main task of the old colonial powers is to preserve and strengthen their influence in the modern world, especially in the face of challenges from Russia, China and a number of other states, claiming a more active role in world politics and economics. It is with the goal of maintaining their positions that the United States and Western European countries regularly intervene in political processes in other regions of the world.
Modern colonialism is manifested in various parts of the world - from Zimbabwe to Ukraine, from Libya to the Philippines, from Venezuela to North Korea. The Western powers reserve a certain right to evaluate certain political regimes, systems, and even entire nations. And they are trying to determine which of the countries of the world to be an “outcast”, and who is not, with whom it is possible to cooperate, and with whom not. Does Saudi Arabia respect human rights more than Syria or Venezuela? The West does not ask this question, it is much more important to him that Riyadh fits into the coordinate system being built, but Damascus does not.
Until the middle of the twentieth century, the West reigned supreme on the planet. But the October Revolution, World War II, decolonization made adjustments, and today the world is becoming increasingly multipolar, and the United States and Western Europe have to compete with those countries that until recently did not pose any danger to the old colonial powers. Indeed, the "centers of power" today, in addition to the United States, Britain and France, forms several more countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping does not hide the fact that by the 2049 year he plans to turn China into the most economically developed state in the world. “Catch up and overtake America!” - this slogan is now much more suitable for China than for our country. And in many ways, Celestial America has already surpassed. The West, which raised the “Chinese monster” as an alternative to the Soviet model, itself planted a bomb under its own world hegemony. China has tremendous potential - the billionth population, large territory, convenient geographical location. And of course, as the economic growth of the leadership of China is thinking about the establishment of Chinese interests around the world.
China's attempts to interfere in the political life of other countries began during the reign of Mao Zedong. But then the PRC was more concerned with supporting the Maoist Communist Parties, which had expanded around the world and competed with pro-Soviet Communists. In a number of countries in Southeast and South Asia, not without Chinese help, the Maoists fought guerrilla warfare against their governments. Then, as it became embedded in the world system, China began to curtail the support of radicals, although until now some Maoist groups, especially in Myanmar, Nepal and India, enjoy the support of Chinese intelligence services.
Today, the affirmation of Chinese influence goes in other directions. First of all, this is the investment of Chinese business in national economies. Beijing finances many projects around the world. Earlier in the countries of East Africa, prestigious schools taught English and French, in the countries of the socialist orientation - the Russian language, but today they learn Chinese.
China is a powerful investor in so many African countries. According to the scale of injections into African economies, the Celestial Empire has overtaken and surpassed many Western countries, including the former metropolises. The Chinese work willingly and actively in Africa, not forgetting to support local governments, especially those that are at odds with the United States and European Union countries.
In Asia, China is increasingly cooperating with the same Pakistan, relations with which have been formed since the Cold War, against the backdrop of confrontation with a common enemy - India. Chinese companies are active in Central Asia, gradually “crushing” post-Soviet republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as Mongolia. Even in Latin America, China is actively working with a number of countries, primarily with Venezuela. And the matter is not only in political and ideological proximity, but also in economic interests.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, it seemed to Western analysts that the power of the Russian state was over (after all, the USSR was Russia for them). But ten years later, Russia again began to gain strength, and then actively declared itself on the world stage.
Today, Russia is increasingly participating not only in the politics of the Middle East, where the Russian army is fighting in Syria, but also in the affairs of Venezuela, a number of African countries (CAR, Libya, Sudan, Egypt), post-Soviet Central Asia.
We can say that in recent years Moscow has been rapidly recovering the global political influence of our country, which has been shaken for the first post-Soviet decade. And I must say, so far it turns out pretty well. At least Russia is once again perceived as an independent actor in world politics. In the USA, in a number of European countries, they fear and hate us, but this is a good sign for our country.
True, Russia cannot be called a colonial power. All story of our country testifies that we helped the countries of Africa, Asia, South America to free themselves from colonial dependence and establish their own lives at a decent level. Another thing is that, following economic investment and military assistance, Russia's political influence is growing. But how without it?
A number of countries of the Islamic East are increasingly declaring their ambitions. The modern Islamic world is diverse - from economically very backward countries like Mauritania or Niger ravaged by the Somali war to the nuclear power of Pakistan, the richest Saudi Arabia, and highly developed Turkey. Naturally, in the Islamic world there are both countries with a claim to regional leadership, and states whose ambitions extend far beyond the borders of neighboring regions.
The first is Saudi Arabia. Claims for the leadership role in the Islamic world by the kingdom are caused not only by the fact that here was the historical homeland of Islam, are the saints Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia is one of the richest countries in the world that has "risen" on the oil trade and the exceptional conditions created by the United States and Great Britain. The West supports Saudi Arabia insofar as it benefits from cooperation with the kingdom.
In turn, the Saudis have their own and far-reaching global plans. Riyadh through controlled funds is active in almost the entire Sunni world from Morocco to Indonesia, from Kazakhstan to the Comoros.
Can KSA policy be classified as “neocolonialism”? Rather, we are talking about ideological dominance, with the help of which Riyadh expects to push through its economic interests. The entire Islamic world is of interest to the Saudis, so they invest tremendous amounts of money in public organizations, movements, foundations and do not even hide their support for radical groups in a number of countries of the world.
The second powerful Islamic country with a claim to leadership is Iran. This is the main ideological and economic competitor of Saudi Arabia, only deprived of Western support and included by the USA among the “rogue countries”. But Iran has its own ambitions. Firstly, Tehran longs for leadership in the entire Shiite world - and this, besides Iran itself, also Iraq, Azerbaijan, partly Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain. The “export” model of the Islamic revolution is designed for Shiite communities.
Secondly, Iran seeks to maintain influence in neighboring countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan, where impressive Shiite communities live, Tajikistan (on the basis of linguistic proximity), Armenia (on the basis of the general confrontation of Turkey). Iran’s main problem is very poor relations with the United States, which impede full economic development.
The third ambitious country is Turkey. With the advent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara is increasingly showing "neo-Ottoman" tendencies, trying to dominate the Turkic world, as well as a number of Islamic countries. Turkey-controlled structures operate in Azerbaijan, the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia, the Russian republics of the North Caucasus and the Volga region, inhabited by Turkic-speaking Muslims, in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, Turkey declares a special role in Middle Eastern politics - in Syria and Iraq, playing “its game ”in Libya, maintains ties with Islamic countries and movements of Tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.
Erdogan’s demarche with the purchase of Russian C-400 was intended to show the United States and NATO that Ankara no longer intends to be content with the role of a dumb satellite. Exactly 100 years have passed since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey believes that a whole century is a sufficient break for the revival of national power.
Finally, do not forget about Pakistan. Although this country is less active in the international arena than Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia, Islamabad has nuclear weapon, and the population of Pakistan makes it one of the largest Islamic countries of our time. True, so far Pakistan has only regional ambitions that extend to Afghanistan, Kashmir, post-Soviet Central Asia.
Saudi publicist Hussein Shobokshi, talking about the "empires of modernity", recalls the project of Israel. But Israel is still a purely regional power, although it is trying to secure the support of various countries of the world through numerous Jewish diasporas.
The Big Seven is a project of the old colonialists
Not so long ago, the next G7 summit took place. This organization is noteworthy in that it unites the old colonial powers - Great Britain, the USA, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. The list lacks the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Denmark, but for economic and political reasons, they no longer play such a significant role in the division of spheres of influence in the modern world as before.
The era of decolonization, which coincided with the Cold War, freed more than a hundred countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania from colonial dependence. Once formerly British, French, and other colonies, these countries became independent states - with their own problems, economic and political, but with formal, and in some places with de facto sovereignty.
Of course, many of yesterday’s colonies were not completely able to free themselves from the hyper-custody of their former metropolises. For example, France is still actively interfering in the political life of its former African colonies. French troops are deployed in a number of African states, and, if necessary, French paratroopers are always ready to land in the country they need and help to overthrow or establish a regime.
Great Britain acts more gently, but it also retains the formal appearance of the British Empire - the Queen of England is considered the head of state in a number of countries of the world. Elizabeth II does not just head the British Commonwealth of Nations - she is also the current queen of 15 sovereign states.
Among them are developed Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the small states of the Caribbean and Oceania - Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Tuvalu , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands. In addition to these countries, Britain retains influence in many former colonies in Africa - for example, Kenya, in Asia - for example, in Oman or Brunei.
France and Great Britain are the last two European powers that are still trying to fully exploit their colonial past. With Germany and Italy, as well as with non-European Japan, it is more difficult - they were deprived of their colonies as a result of the First and Second World Wars. But German, Italian, and Japanese businesses are active in the former colonies, as well as in many other countries of the Third World.
As for the United States, the imperialist aspirations of this state have never been a secret to anyone. For two centuries of its existence, Washington has developed and tested a unique ideology - the imperial ambitions of the United States are disguised as a struggle for democracy, for human rights, while the United States is trying on the role of the international gendarme and is ready to reckon with nothing. Thousands of people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Libya and Syria, in Yemen and Sudan, in Somalia and in Vietnam are not a question, because the main thing is “human rights”.
The main task of the old colonial powers is to preserve and strengthen their influence in the modern world, especially in the face of challenges from Russia, China and a number of other states, claiming a more active role in world politics and economics. It is with the goal of maintaining their positions that the United States and Western European countries regularly intervene in political processes in other regions of the world.
Modern colonialism is manifested in various parts of the world - from Zimbabwe to Ukraine, from Libya to the Philippines, from Venezuela to North Korea. The Western powers reserve a certain right to evaluate certain political regimes, systems, and even entire nations. And they are trying to determine which of the countries of the world to be an “outcast”, and who is not, with whom it is possible to cooperate, and with whom not. Does Saudi Arabia respect human rights more than Syria or Venezuela? The West does not ask this question, it is much more important to him that Riyadh fits into the coordinate system being built, but Damascus does not.
Until the middle of the twentieth century, the West reigned supreme on the planet. But the October Revolution, World War II, decolonization made adjustments, and today the world is becoming increasingly multipolar, and the United States and Western Europe have to compete with those countries that until recently did not pose any danger to the old colonial powers. Indeed, the "centers of power" today, in addition to the United States, Britain and France, forms several more countries.
China and its plans
Chinese President Xi Jinping does not hide the fact that by the 2049 year he plans to turn China into the most economically developed state in the world. “Catch up and overtake America!” - this slogan is now much more suitable for China than for our country. And in many ways, Celestial America has already surpassed. The West, which raised the “Chinese monster” as an alternative to the Soviet model, itself planted a bomb under its own world hegemony. China has tremendous potential - the billionth population, large territory, convenient geographical location. And of course, as the economic growth of the leadership of China is thinking about the establishment of Chinese interests around the world.
China's attempts to interfere in the political life of other countries began during the reign of Mao Zedong. But then the PRC was more concerned with supporting the Maoist Communist Parties, which had expanded around the world and competed with pro-Soviet Communists. In a number of countries in Southeast and South Asia, not without Chinese help, the Maoists fought guerrilla warfare against their governments. Then, as it became embedded in the world system, China began to curtail the support of radicals, although until now some Maoist groups, especially in Myanmar, Nepal and India, enjoy the support of Chinese intelligence services.
Today, the affirmation of Chinese influence goes in other directions. First of all, this is the investment of Chinese business in national economies. Beijing finances many projects around the world. Earlier in the countries of East Africa, prestigious schools taught English and French, in the countries of the socialist orientation - the Russian language, but today they learn Chinese.
China is a powerful investor in so many African countries. According to the scale of injections into African economies, the Celestial Empire has overtaken and surpassed many Western countries, including the former metropolises. The Chinese work willingly and actively in Africa, not forgetting to support local governments, especially those that are at odds with the United States and European Union countries.
In Asia, China is increasingly cooperating with the same Pakistan, relations with which have been formed since the Cold War, against the backdrop of confrontation with a common enemy - India. Chinese companies are active in Central Asia, gradually “crushing” post-Soviet republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as Mongolia. Even in Latin America, China is actively working with a number of countries, primarily with Venezuela. And the matter is not only in political and ideological proximity, but also in economic interests.
Russia: a withering empire or an emerging power?
When the Soviet Union collapsed, it seemed to Western analysts that the power of the Russian state was over (after all, the USSR was Russia for them). But ten years later, Russia again began to gain strength, and then actively declared itself on the world stage.
Today, Russia is increasingly participating not only in the politics of the Middle East, where the Russian army is fighting in Syria, but also in the affairs of Venezuela, a number of African countries (CAR, Libya, Sudan, Egypt), post-Soviet Central Asia.
We can say that in recent years Moscow has been rapidly recovering the global political influence of our country, which has been shaken for the first post-Soviet decade. And I must say, so far it turns out pretty well. At least Russia is once again perceived as an independent actor in world politics. In the USA, in a number of European countries, they fear and hate us, but this is a good sign for our country.
True, Russia cannot be called a colonial power. All story of our country testifies that we helped the countries of Africa, Asia, South America to free themselves from colonial dependence and establish their own lives at a decent level. Another thing is that, following economic investment and military assistance, Russia's political influence is growing. But how without it?
Powers of the Islamic East
A number of countries of the Islamic East are increasingly declaring their ambitions. The modern Islamic world is diverse - from economically very backward countries like Mauritania or Niger ravaged by the Somali war to the nuclear power of Pakistan, the richest Saudi Arabia, and highly developed Turkey. Naturally, in the Islamic world there are both countries with a claim to regional leadership, and states whose ambitions extend far beyond the borders of neighboring regions.
The first is Saudi Arabia. Claims for the leadership role in the Islamic world by the kingdom are caused not only by the fact that here was the historical homeland of Islam, are the saints Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia is one of the richest countries in the world that has "risen" on the oil trade and the exceptional conditions created by the United States and Great Britain. The West supports Saudi Arabia insofar as it benefits from cooperation with the kingdom.
In turn, the Saudis have their own and far-reaching global plans. Riyadh through controlled funds is active in almost the entire Sunni world from Morocco to Indonesia, from Kazakhstan to the Comoros.
Can KSA policy be classified as “neocolonialism”? Rather, we are talking about ideological dominance, with the help of which Riyadh expects to push through its economic interests. The entire Islamic world is of interest to the Saudis, so they invest tremendous amounts of money in public organizations, movements, foundations and do not even hide their support for radical groups in a number of countries of the world.
The second powerful Islamic country with a claim to leadership is Iran. This is the main ideological and economic competitor of Saudi Arabia, only deprived of Western support and included by the USA among the “rogue countries”. But Iran has its own ambitions. Firstly, Tehran longs for leadership in the entire Shiite world - and this, besides Iran itself, also Iraq, Azerbaijan, partly Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain. The “export” model of the Islamic revolution is designed for Shiite communities.
Secondly, Iran seeks to maintain influence in neighboring countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan, where impressive Shiite communities live, Tajikistan (on the basis of linguistic proximity), Armenia (on the basis of the general confrontation of Turkey). Iran’s main problem is very poor relations with the United States, which impede full economic development.
The third ambitious country is Turkey. With the advent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara is increasingly showing "neo-Ottoman" tendencies, trying to dominate the Turkic world, as well as a number of Islamic countries. Turkey-controlled structures operate in Azerbaijan, the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia, the Russian republics of the North Caucasus and the Volga region, inhabited by Turkic-speaking Muslims, in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, Turkey declares a special role in Middle Eastern politics - in Syria and Iraq, playing “its game ”in Libya, maintains ties with Islamic countries and movements of Tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.
Erdogan’s demarche with the purchase of Russian C-400 was intended to show the United States and NATO that Ankara no longer intends to be content with the role of a dumb satellite. Exactly 100 years have passed since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey believes that a whole century is a sufficient break for the revival of national power.
Finally, do not forget about Pakistan. Although this country is less active in the international arena than Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia, Islamabad has nuclear weapon, and the population of Pakistan makes it one of the largest Islamic countries of our time. True, so far Pakistan has only regional ambitions that extend to Afghanistan, Kashmir, post-Soviet Central Asia.
Saudi publicist Hussein Shobokshi, talking about the "empires of modernity", recalls the project of Israel. But Israel is still a purely regional power, although it is trying to secure the support of various countries of the world through numerous Jewish diasporas.
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