A New World Order in 2024

Why the US Needs Allies

According to a report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the recent expansion of the BRICS group of nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to include six new members (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates) will have a significant impact on the future of the international balance of powers.

According to Wikipedia, the BRICS group of nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) has a combined nominal GDP of US $28 trillion and a total GDP (PPP) of around US$57 trillion as of 2018. In 2021, China had the largest nominal GDP of the group at $16.86 trillion.

In contrast to the BRICS group, The US GDP was $25.462 trillion in 2022 (US Bureau of Economic Analysis).

The expansion of the BRICS group signifies a growing alignment of geopolitical and economic agendas within the bloc. The new members will add their voices to advocating for a more equitable global governance system, reforming the UN Security Council, and increasing influence for the Global South.

However, the consensus-based approach of the BRICS group has hampered its effectiveness in the past, and the geopolitical factors driving its expansion, as well as the sometimes-conflicting strategic goals of its individual members, could further complicate its consensus-based approach.

In addition, the expansion of the BRICS group will enable the Russian government to further push for a multipolar world order, which is a key talking point under Putin’s rule.

As can be seen by the economic power represented in GDP, The powerful economy of the US is less than that of the existing BRICS group before the 2024 expansion. In times of war, economic power is a crucial factor in the survival of nations.

References

See usip.org, cfr.org

Notes

GDP: Nominal GDP is the total value of goods and services produced by a country in a given year, measured in current market prices and not adjusted for inflation. It is also known as the current dollar GDP. In contrast, real GDP is a measure of economic output that accounts for the effects of inflation on the prices of goods and services produced

Some information was aggregated with the help of Bing Chat.