As news comes in from Gaza, and the almost unspeakable things occurring there, we are forced to reconcile certain new realities about the world. Israeli forces are committing the unheard of crime of escalating their war against hospitals, and are forcing the evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, even though the building had ceased to serve as a functioning medical facility and is merely operating as a shelter. Over 1,000 medical workers have now been killed since October 2023—a complete violation of all international law. Beyond this, Israel has now admitted they are holding Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the formerly last operating hospital in northern Gaza—Kamal Adwan hospital—on the absurd basis of suspected terrorism, with multiple reports that he is being subjected to torture.
In addressing the Jan. 3 meeting of the International Peace Coalition, Dr. Nidal Jboor, co-founder of Doctors Against Genocide, said the following: “The 21st century world, led by the United States and the ‘morals’ of the West, have failed the children of the world.… [Our leaders] have exposed the complete moral bankruptcy of the West and of the United States, and they exposed their complete illegitimacy to lead this world.” Their actions in Gaza—taken in our names as Americans—"is treason to the United States itself,” Dr. Jboor added.
The world will not soon forget the events taking place today. Generations far into the future will remember those who unleashed a genocide in Gaza, as well as those who stood by in silence. As other history-shaking events have done before, nothing can be the same henceforth.
Yet, while the people of Gaza have tilted the world, their story merely indicates an even larger shift taking place today. Indeed, the U.S. and other leading Western nations have poured tens of billions of dollars into weapons and bombs for Israel, as part of a British-imperial strategy to control the so-called Middle East. This is the same U.S. and West which is now threatening a direct war against Iran in order to ensure “democracy” in the region, and to ostensibly keep the region safe from tyranny.
This is the same West which has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into fighting a proxy-war against Russia, desecrating the economies of Europe and threatening every human life on Earth with a global war between nuclear powers. All while the Biden Administration now demands Ukraine conscript every youth 18 years and older to fight and die, and major financial corporations like BlackRock buy up Ukraine’s farmland and resources like wholesalers.
This is the same West whose policies have curated endless poverty for the developing world, and prevented the type of full-set economic development that allows for a dignified and fulfilling life. Global debt distress is at its highest level ever, nearing $100 trillion, a weight which is inordinately borne by the world’s poorest. Over two-thirds of the world’s low-income countries now pay more in financial interest than they do for health care—and that largely to Western debt holders. And on top of this, the Western financial system is itself bankrupt, sitting on top of $2 quadrillion in fictitious assets which could blow at any moment.
2025 will likely be a year of a great unravelling, as the current “rules-based order” is no longer recognized as fit to lead the world. Perhaps some of the chaos and turmoil of the alleged terror attacks during this year’s first few days is reflective of that.
However, if we can stop this morally and otherwise bankrupt system from taking the world into civilization-ending war, an opportunity will emerge to establish entirely different principles than those which have led us to this crisis today. In fact, such a “big idea” approach may just be the only way to actually change the world. In other words, if you want to stop a genocide, then create a global new paradigm among nations.
The BRICS admitted nine new “partner” nations to their alliance this week, representing a growing portion of the world looking for a new system of cooperation and growth. If Western nations were to decide to collaborate with these countries instead of seeing them as a threat, how different would this be! Further, Pope Francis’ call for a Jubilee in 2025, and for debts to be forgiven globally, presents an opportunity to change the current financial architecture which still maintains its neocolonial chains over the world.
As the ancient Chinese principle says, the Mandate of Heaven has been lost. Restoring it today requires a new security and development architecture that takes the interests of every nation on the planet into account.
