Let’s get one thing straight: the world order as we know it isn’t some random accident. It’s the result of decades of power struggles, promises, and hard-fought victories. If you don’t understand the basics of geopolitics, you’re going to be blindsided by the shifts happening right now. So, let’s break it down.
The Post-WWII World Order: A Delicate Balance
After World War II, the global order was shaped by a handful of key players: China, Russia , an the USA and to a greater extent, and the UK and France to a lesser extent. Even Europe’s underdog position was part of the arrangement. This balance of power has kept the world relatively stable—but it’s fragile.
Any major disruption to this order could upend everything. Don’t take it for granted. When Trump says the U.S. wants Canada and Greenland, he’s not joking. According to the UN Charter, victorious states like the U.S. have significant leeway to act as they please.
Promises Made, Promises Broken
Here’s the thing about geopolitics: promises matter—until they don’t. The U.S. promised Russia it wouldn’t expand NATO eastward. But guess what? NATO is now at Russia’s doorstep, and Russia isn’t having it. Crimea was Russia’s reaction to this betrayal.
The same logic applies to Taiwan. The U.S. promised China it wouldn’t support Taiwan’s independence. If the U.S. pushes for it, China will retaliate—on its own terms.
Why China is a Force to Be Reckoned With
Let’s talk about China. Today, China can stand up to the U.S., secure cheap natural gas from Russia, lead initiatives like BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), manufacture goods for the world, and maintain peace with its neighbors. How? Because China made it happen. No one handed it to them.
In the 1950s, China proved in Korea that no country—not even the U.S., fresh off its WWII victory—could defeat it in a conventional war. And if you’re thinking about nuclear war, think again. Even when China didn’t have nukes, the U.S. couldn’t win. Why? Because China made it clear that if the U.S. nuked us, the surviving Chinese population would move into the USSR. Is it a surprise?
Nuclear Weapons: A Blessing in Disguise?
Here’s a harsh truth: nuclear weapons are what keep major powers from going to war with each other. If a nuclear war breaks out between China and the U.S., the first countries to disappear might be Japan, Russia, or France. But in reality, every nuclear-armed nation would be a target, and everyone loses.
Russia’s Rejection and the New World Order
Russia, with its double-headed eagle emblem, desperately wanted to rejoin Europe and the West. But it was ruthlessly rejected. Now, Russia is forging its own path, and China is doing the same.
If you don’t like today’s world order, fine. But building a new one would require another world war—and you’d have to defeat China, Russia, the U.S., the UK, and France simultaneously. Good luck with that.
Underdogs Like Europe: Caught in the Crossfire
Let’s not forget about Europe. Underdogs in this power struggle, European countries have no way to stay harmless while China, Russia, and the U.S. duke it out. Think you can just sit back with popcorn and a drink, relaxing and enjoying the “movie”? Think again.
While these three major powers avoid direct conflict, they’re more than happy to engage in proxy wars. Ukraine is a prime example. The U.S. betrayed its promise not to expand NATO to Russia’s borders, which led to Russia’s preemptive war in Ukraine. But how was it packaged? As an unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine—and you bought it!
China’s Peace in East and Southeast Asia: A Testament to Strength
China has maintained perfect peace in East and Southeast Asia. It’s not that the U.S. hasn’t tried to disrupt it—it just failed. The U.S. has been trying to use India, Vietnam, and the Philippines as cannon fodder to stir up conflict around China, hoping to derail China’s economic and industrial boom and lure capital to the U.S.
Over the decades, China has implemented a strict rule of Do Not Fire First. This rule is so strictly enforced that even China’s neighbors believe it: “It’s okay, the Chinese won’t shoot. Let’s just bring sticks, stones, knives, and axes.” But what happens if a neighbor fires first? They’ve learned the hard way—decades ago—that China’s retaliation is ruthless and overwhelming.
Think about it: China, one of the world’s most militarily powerful nations, allows its neighbors to engage with cold weapons. What good fortune! Even terrorists don’t hesitate to use bombs, yet China’s neighbors know better than to escalate.
Taiwan: The Real Target Isn’t the Island
Taiwan has never been the problem itself. China’s fiery rhetoric has never been directed at the islanders. The real targets are the United States and its sidekicks, Japan and South Korea. In the event of a reunification war, China’s goal would be to drive the U.S. back to North America and bomb Japan and South Korea back to the primitive era.
China isn’t begging for peace in East Asia—it’s securing it by ensuring that its enemies know they will lose. As long as the U.S. doesn’t fire first, there will be peace. U.S. troops are everywhere for profit and plunder, not for bombs falling on their heads. They’re smart enough to understand that—at least, we hope they are.
China’s Comeback: Earned, Not Given
China is what it is today purely because of its own work and effort. Over the past few centuries, even during the worst times of its history after the Industrial Revolution, China remained one of the top ten countries in the world. It fought bravely and victoriously against Japan during WWII. It co-created the United Nations. It then established the People’s Republic of China, which went on to militarily defeat a United Nations force composed of armies from 16 countries.
Though China had to wait until 1971 to return to the United Nations, it held veto power through its military and national strength even outside the UN system. This means China has always been a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, with or without formal membership.
China’s Korean War, or the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, was the world’s first and only complete military victory against white countries since the Industrial Revolution. Japan’s victory against Tsarist Russia? Only a partial one. By the end of WWII, the Soviet Red Army crushed Imperial Japanese troops like a knife cutting through butter. And let’s not forget, Japan is still militarily occupied by the United States.
The Korean War was actually two wars: China’s war ended in a complete victory, while Korea’s war remains unresolved. After the victory in Korea in the 1950s, China went on to militarily defeat the USSR in the 1960s. Over the past centuries, China has defeated all global powers militarily to become what it is today.
China’s status wasn’t given—it was earned.
The World Order Isn’t Perfect, But It’s What We’ve Got
The current world order isn’t perfect, but it’s kept major powers from tearing each other apart—mostly. Nuclear weapons, for all their horrors, have ironically acted as a deterrent. Promises between nations are fragile, and power dynamics are constantly shifting.
So, before you start dreaming of a new world order, remember: the one we have now is the result of decades of blood, sweat, and strategic maneuvering. It’s not perfect, but it’s what keeps the world from descending into chaos. And if you think you can change it without catastrophic consequences, think again.