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Countries in the [global] south don’t want to be told who to support, how to behave and how to conduct their sovereign affairs. Other integration frameworks th

Countries in the [global] south don’t want to be told who to support, how to behave and how to conduct their sovereign affairs. Other integration frameworks that exist globally have been blinded by the hegemonic vision put forward by the US government. I don't think the above quoted reasoning applies only to countries that want to join the BRICS group but even US "allies" could feel the same way. For example, it's pretty clear the US seems to have control over NATO.[1] A number of recent events show that the US does not respect its allies in Europe and has hegemonic control over them. Another example is the privacy destruction and espionage slipped into Child Safety Bills that 'coincidentally' are proposed at the same time in the US, EU, and UK.[2][3][4] [1]: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/joe-biden-blocked-ben-wallace-s-bid-to-head-nato-partly-because-he-served-in-northern-ireland/ar-AA1djl4Z https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/joe-biden-blocked-ben-... [2]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/08/eu-lawyers-plan-to-scan-private-messages-child-abuse-may-be-unlawful-chat-controls-regulation https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/08/eu-lawyers-pla... [3]: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1409/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/140... [4]: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/08/whatsapp-could-disappear-uk-over-privacy-concerns-ministers-told https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/08/whatsapp-...

KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
> For example, it's pretty clear the US seems to have control over NATO. The whole point of NATO is for weaker countries to hand over the reins of their military in exchange for being under the US nuclear umbrella. The only two NATO countries that don't need the alliance as much are UK and France because they have their own WMDs together with delivery vehicles. Which is why France is always considered to be rebellious within NATO (and also because of cultural reasons, since the US-UK special Wasp relationship is a natural rival to the traditional French continental hegemony). The second order effect of NATO is to keep nuclear non proliferation down within nuclear latent European countries like Germany. Most of the richer countries in the EU (and even some of the poorer ex Soviet states) are more than capable of developing functional nuclear weapons or delivery vehicles. Without NATO, the US-EU relationship would look a lot more different.
reducesuffering 3y ago
The US, by and large, wants to spend less military on Europe. Most NATO countries are not ponying up the required 2% GDP, so it's costing the US. Meanwhile, when the US pulls some troops from Germany, there is uproar there, because we moved them to Poland, who actually spends on defense and has enormously favorable opinion of US involvement. You know, because their lives depend on it, from you know who...
ImJamal 3y ago
I think it is a bit more than just militarily being told who told support or spying/privacy. The west will frequently threaten to cut off aid to Africa if they don't accept certain social policies. I'm not sure if any aid has actually been cut off yet, but there is a constant pushing for it.
- onetimeusename 3y ago
  yes I agree but the US does that to European countries and other allies also. Even militarily that overlaps strongly with energy policy. Although the verdict is still out on who blew up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US did say it was opposed to it despite it being sovereign European energy provider's decision to partner with Russia.[1] The US said they would not allow the pipeline to happen. That's pretty clear foreign meddling in Germany's affairs. Again, that includes the possibility you think the pipeline is a bad idea. On social policies, the US has pressured allies to align with its own views with Hungary[2] who is a NATO member, Poland[3], and Japan[4] recently. [1]: https://www.facebook.com/statedept/videos/under-secretary-nuland-comments-on-nord-stream-2/1089360115236518/ https://www.facebook.com/statedept/videos/under-secretary-nu... [2]: https://www.newsweek.com/biden-administration-weaponizes-diplomacy-against-conservative-hungary-opinion-1817369 https://www.newsweek.com/biden-administration-weaponizes-dip... [3]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-ambassador-marches-in-warsaw-pride-parade-as-conservative-government-pushes-anti-lgbtq-stance https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-ambassador-marches-in... [4]: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/asia/rahm-emanuel-japan-gay-rights.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/asia/rahm-emanuel-j...

KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago

> For example, it's pretty clear the US seems to have control over NATO. The whole point of NATO is for weaker countries to hand over the reins of their military in exchange for being under the US nuclear umbrella. The only two NATO countries that don't need the alliance as much are UK and France because they have their own WMDs together with delivery vehicles. Which is why France is always considered to be rebellious within NATO (and also because of cultural reasons, since the US-UK special Wasp relationship is a natural rival to the traditional French continental hegemony). The second order effect of NATO is to keep nuclear non proliferation down within nuclear latent European countries like Germany. Most of the richer countries in the EU (and even some of the poorer ex Soviet states) are more than capable of developing functional nuclear weapons or delivery vehicles. Without NATO, the US-EU relationship would look a lot more different.

reducesuffering 3y ago

The US, by and large, wants to spend less military on Europe. Most NATO countries are not ponying up the required 2% GDP, so it's costing the US. Meanwhile, when the US pulls some troops from Germany, there is uproar there, because we moved them to Poland, who actually spends on defense and has enormously favorable opinion of US involvement. You know, because their lives depend on it, from you know who...

ImJamal 3y ago

I think it is a bit more than just militarily being told who told support or spying/privacy. The west will frequently threaten to cut off aid to Africa if they don't accept certain social policies. I'm not sure if any aid has actually been cut off yet, but there is a constant pushing for it.

onetimeusename 3y ago
yes I agree but the US does that to European countries and other allies also. Even militarily that overlaps strongly with energy policy. Although the verdict is still out on who blew up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US did say it was opposed to it despite it being sovereign European energy provider's decision to partner with Russia.[1] The US said they would not allow the pipeline to happen. That's pretty clear foreign meddling in Germany's affairs. Again, that includes the possibility you think the pipeline is a bad idea. On social policies, the US has pressured allies to align with its own views with Hungary[2] who is a NATO member, Poland[3], and Japan[4] recently. [1]: https://www.facebook.com/statedept/videos/under-secretary-nuland-comments-on-nord-stream-2/1089360115236518/ https://www.facebook.com/statedept/videos/under-secretary-nu... [2]: https://www.newsweek.com/biden-administration-weaponizes-diplomacy-against-conservative-hungary-opinion-1817369 https://www.newsweek.com/biden-administration-weaponizes-dip... [3]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-ambassador-marches-in-warsaw-pride-parade-as-conservative-government-pushes-anti-lgbtq-stance https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-ambassador-marches-in... [4]: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/asia/rahm-emanuel-japan-gay-rights.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/asia/rahm-emanuel-j...