Why does the planet need BRICS?

By Vitaly Trofimov

In 2024, Russia will hold the presidency of BRICS, an international organization that has emerged from the quadrilateral format of economic cooperation. Over the past 18 years, it has become an alternative to the G7 and a prototype of the future world order.

During an international conference in Mumbai on February 8, 2024, a new goal for BRICS was announced. If the alliance was previously held together by a common policy of non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit, the title of the conference suggests a more ambitious goal: 'BRICS: towards a global center of power.'

On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank presented the priorities of the Russian presidency in the international organization. Following our joint efforts, both departments will produce a joint report outlining initiatives and practical steps aimed at improving the international monetary and financial system. This includes the dismantling of the outdated 'center of power' - the dollar-centric economy and the financial oligarchy that supports it. In essence, BRICS is no longer the group of 'friends in misfortune' that the Western media portrayed it as in 2006. Now, a geopolitical association is leveraging the failures of Western policy to strengthen its capabilities.

The article “The War of Civilizations” by Professor Samuel P. Huntington, director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University, describes a new phase of history that emerged after the dismantling of the bipolar system. This phase is characterized by the disintegration of the world into separate civilizations. For almost the entire 20th century, world politics were dominated by the West, which consisted of capitalist and socialist blocs. The West both Westernized and modernized the rest of the world. However, in the 21st century, each civilization is seeking its own path of development, and the winner of the Cold War is attempting to maintain its gains in political leadership from the last century. The author defined this situation as 'The West against the rest' - meaning the West against everyone else.
Political analyst Zbigniew Brzezinski provided practical recommendations to supplement the theoretical conclusions of his colleague, friend, and co-author. In The Great Chessboard: American Supremacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives, he outlined how the West must act to maintain its global leadership by, for example, pitting the second-largest regional power against regional leaders. The author proposed a strategy to divert the attention of regional power centres from their global ambitions and competition with the US towards resolving issues within their own regions. The plan involved pitting China against Japan, despite their long-standing enmity, and confronting India with Pakistan, which has engaged in three and a half wars. Argentina was pitted against Brazil, Israel against Egypt, Iran against Iraq, Indonesia against the Philippines, Kazakhstan against Uzbekistan, and, of course, Ukraine against Russia.

In this geopolitical sense, BRICS is a logical response not only to Huntington’s concept but also to Brzezinski’s methods. Firstly, it is an organization that unites everyone against the West - the rest against the West. The organization's primary goals include de-Westernization of the world, which may involve denazification, de-dollarization, decolonization, demilitarization, de-branding, and decorporatization. Additionally, the organization is an alliance of regional leaders, as suggested by Brzezinski, aimed at weakening their respective regions. The leaders of Russia, Brazil, India, China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia are among the members of this alliance. Several countries have expressed interest in joining or have announced their intention to join BRICS, including Turkey, Syria, Argentina, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Cambodia. These countries are considered second or third leaders in their respective regions and may be seeking to challenge the dominance of the first leaders, which is currently maintained by the United States.
If you subscribe to the idea put forth by German political scientist Karl Haushoffer that geopolitics determines the fate of nations, then BRICS never stood a chance of remaining a mere 'club of friends in misfortune.' If a blueprint for a new world order were to emerge in the future, it would likely take this form.

What is the essence of BRICS?
Although not a part of the collective West, Russia is still largely a Western country. We appreciate and embrace the legacy of European culture. Western philosophy resonates with us and we acknowledge the significance of the individual in shaping history. We also recognise the impact of chance on destinies and believe that it is possible to avoid catastrophic events. Therefore, we set goals and seek opportunities to accomplish them. In contrast, an Eastern political scientist would focus on the Tao - the internal force that propels all existence. Tao can transform a grain into a lotus flower, a warrior into a ferocious tiger, and small economic negotiations into large geopolitical alliances. The same Tao will guide the development of BRICS under the Russian presidency and subsequent chairmen.

However, not all regional leaders have expressed intentions to join BRICS or applied for membership. For instance, Indonesia rejected an offer to join BRICS due to uncertain benefits. This is a significant challenge for BRICS collective diplomacy. While Colombia, under significant political influence from the United States, has shown no interest in joining, Venezuela, the second leader of northern South America, has applied. In the West African region, there is no clear leader, and Nigeria, which has applied, apparently expects to become one with the help of BRICS resources. The decolonization of the region could be achieved through the assistance of Russian military instructors and the infusion of Chinese capital. The situation is similar in the Central African region, where Sudan, South Sudan, and both Congo republics are interested in joining, but the situation remains unstable.
Additionally, there are three regions with both a leader and a sub-leader, but due to the overwhelming influence of the United States, joining BRICS is not a viable option. Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy have been vying for leadership positions in the region since the early Middle Ages, resulting in two world wars. Joining BRICS will not solve their problems. At the moment, it is impossible due to the obvious attraction to Huntington West, which is against everyone else. As Josep Borrell said, it's like a garden that is against the jungle.

On the other hand, the United States is a regional power, with Mexico being number two. Mexico is interested in participating in BRICS. In the 21st century, it is possible for the United States to join the BRICS organization after its economic, geopolitical, and geostrategic ambitions collapse.

Australia and its sub-leader New Zealand are the most realistic candidates for joining BRICS. Both countries are currently part of the Pacific Security Pact organization, which also includes the United States. Due to its significant geopolitical position in controlling the Asia-Pacific region, the United States will not withdraw its presence here. Alternate airfields will be used by the American military if asked to leave Okinawa, and Taiwan becomes part of China.

As a geopolitical union of civilizations, BRICS could make efforts this year to involve Australia and New Zealand more actively in negotiations on the global security system, cultural cooperation, and in the future, the global dollar-free economy. If BRICS follows this path and successfully includes Australia in the bloc, it could pave the way for achieving other goals in Europe and North America. BRICS will transform from a group dissatisfied with the West into a global organization of the new century - the Organization of United Civilizations.

This article originally appeared at vz.ru and was translated and edited by Rhod Mackenzie