New world alliance demands attention

America’s attempt to divide the world over a new Cold War is failing. It is being stymied by the growth of a new reordering of a more neutral coalition known as BRICS — named for Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa.

NATO is dominated by those opposed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the BRICS alliance has taken no position on that war. Indeed, when Russia showed up at a recent BRICS meeting in Africa this week, it was warmly received.

This even though most BRICS members have agreed to have Russian President Vladimir Putin arrested for war crimes under the International Criminal Court should he show up on their turf.

It seems there is a difference between BRICS as a group of nations and BRICS as a collection of leaders. BRICS as a group hopes to expand to include nations like Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This even though the U.S. and NATO are actively courting those like the aforementioned who would join BRICS should they be given the chance.

For Canada, all of this presents a problem. Its most logical allies are NATO countries like the U.S. But its allies of the future are BRICS countries like India. You wouldn’t know this, looking at Canada’s approach to BRICS.

Canada takes a casual approach to what should be a key relationship. We spend a lot of time worrying about Ukraine. But we have little to say about Africa.

And it’s no wonder that Russia is doing well with BRICS nations and among the 20 or so who would join them. Many of those resent the neocolonial approach of the U.S. and its allies.

Indonesia, for example, resents European and U.S. objections to its ban on exports of raw nickel, a move that brought the nickel-rich nation big profits in processed exports. And Indonesia sees a bright future for itself in a world where nickel is needed for electric vehicles.

Some African countries, for example, resent the dominance of the U.S. dollar. They end up bearing the brunt of adventures like the war in Ukraine when food supplies are disrupted by shelling along the Black Sea coast. BRICS nations hope to reduce that insecurity by using a currency other than the U.S. dollar.

In spite of its failures, the U.S. continues to use Cold War tactics. For example, confronting North Korea and threatening to deploy nuclear weapons in South Korea.

The U.S. approach to Japan is as old as the hills: support nuclear weapons and oppose China. China has remained unimpressed. There’s no suggestion this will change. Yet, the U.S. has just crafted a new agreement with Japan and South Korea based on the same old premise.

NATO is out of date in its approach and the very idea of NATO itself is out of date today. The future is in alliances like BRICS. Unlike the old style Cold War divisions, at least the idea of BRICS offers some countries the option of being a real player rather than just an obedient sidekick.