BRICS more resembles the original United States – a confederation of independent, sovereign states – than the more modern version of the United States, in which all states are under the thumb of Washington.
Where is Kazan located? And who cares?
We didn't know and it didn't worry us. But, for those curious, Kazan is located in Tatarstan, a republic of Russia, and it is not an independent country. It is located about 800 km east of Moscow, between the Volga and the Kama. As for its inhabitants, they are Turkic speakers descended from the Golden Horde… and they eat their meat raw.
That's all we know about Tatarstan. But the meeting just held in its capital, Kazan, perhaps deserves more attention.
The Western press largely ignored last week's BRICS meeting. Delegates from thirty-nine different countries, representing most of the world's population, held a historic meeting that the Western media did not see fit to mention.
Everything we learned about the BRICS summit was told to us by “alternative” sources. And then, yesterday, one of our dear readers from Montreal sent us links to the French press' coverage of the subject. One interview in particular, that of Pascal Mas, helped us understand what the BRICS are doing.
You will remember that not so long ago, apart from the United States and its Western allies, the rest of the world was “developing” or part of the third world… Whatever you call it. we gave them, they didn't have much importance.
But today, sunlight seems to have reached the “global South.”
“BRICS is not really an alternative to the UN or NATO, explained Mr. Mas. It is not a hierarchical group and is not dominated by a single country, or a single leader. There is no bureaucracy… not even a headquarters or general secretary. The Western press considered it to be a show by Mr. Putin. But it does not control BRICS. Members are all equal. »
According to Mr. Mas, the BRICS resemble the original United States more – a confederation of independent and sovereign states – than the more modern version of the United States, in which all states are under the control of Washington .
“It is also not an organization that issues orders or resolves conflicts. Rather, members come together to discuss and resolve their differences… publicly. Countries that have not spoken to each other – Turkey and Iran, for example, are historical enemies – are coming together and talking openly. It's not like the G7, where important issues are resolved behind closed doors.«
Perhaps one of the most important events in the BRICS phenomenon occurred before the meeting began.
China and India have been fighting over their common border for more than fifty years. There is no agreed border and, from time to time, border guards shoot at each other. But a week ago, ahead of the BRICS summit, the world's two most populous countries struck a deal. CNN reports :
“India and China have reached an agreement on military disengagement along their disputed border, New Delhi said; It's a step toward reducing friction between the nuclear-armed neighbors ahead of an expected meeting between the countries' leaders on the sidelines of a summit in Russia. Beijing then confirmed on Tuesday that the two sides had “reached a solution” following “close communication on relevant issues of the China-India border through diplomatic and military channels.” »
All empires must die. Is this how the United States will disappear, squeezed and exhausted between India's seemingly limitless labor force and China's unparalleled manufacturing industry?
It's probably not worth worrying about. Not yet.
But one part of the spectrum that America's elites most want to dominate is money. Much of America's prosperity comes from its ability to transfer its monetary inflation to the rest of the world. The United States “prints”, but a large part of the printed money ends up abroad, in banks or in mattresses.
Since 1999, total accumulated trade deficits amount to approximately $13 trillion, equivalent to one-third of the national debt. If foreigners had not wanted to hold dollars, inflation would have hit the country sooner and harder… driving up interest rates and causing a financial crisis. And if the dollar lost its reserve status today, it would be a hard blow for the economy, the markets and American power.
The Financial Times explain :
“What is at stake here is not just the erosion of the dominant role of the dollar, but also a gradual change in the way the global system works…an increasing number of little pipes are being built to bypass this core [du dollar] ; and a growing number of countries are becoming increasingly interested and involved in it. What happened to gold is not only unusual in terms of traditional economic and financial influences… As it takes root, it risks fragmenting the global system and eroding the international influence of the dollar and the US financial system. »
Over the past two years, foreign-based dollars – trillions of them – have lost about 20% of their value. Their owners must look for alternatives.
