World-renowned US economist Jeffrey Sachs sees the BRICS summit in Kazan as another step towards the end of US hegemony. In an analysis published on the
Common Dreams portal, he points out that the summit brought together in Russia more than 30 countries "representing more than half the world's population, which reject US bullying and refuse to bow to US demands for hegemony".
Jeffrey Sachs recalled that the summit's final declaration underlined “the emergence of new centres of power, policy decision-making and economic growth, which can pave the way for a more equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order.” They stressed that "the current architecture of international relations needs to be adapted to reflect today's realities better", while reaffirming "their commitment to upholding multilateralism and international law, including the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter as its indispensable cornerstone".
According to the economist, all this shows that the time for Washington's policy hawks is over.
Jeffrey Sachs explains that the US neoconservative belief in US exceptionalism is deeply rooted, only strengthened after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and has been pursued through foreign policy tools such as wars and regime change operations. He recalls that after the 11 September 2011 terrorist attacks, "neocons plotted to overthrow seven governments in the Islamic world, starting with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran". "According to former NATO Commander-in-Chief Wesley Clark, the neocons expected the US to win these wars within five years. But now, more than 20 years later, the neocon-inspired wars continue, while the US has not achieved its hegemonic goals at all," he explains.
The summit in Kazan, he says, sends a clear message that despite Western sanctions and diplomatic pressure, Russia has not been isolated and that a "counter-hegemonic counterweight" has emerged in response to the US threat. "Simply put, the majority of the world does not want or accept U.S. hegemony, and is prepared to face it down rather than submit to its dictates. Nor does the U.S. anymore possess the economic, financial, or military power to enforce its will, if it ever did" he explains.
