Russia and China vs The United States — Revenge of the Nerds Part Deux

I will apologize up front for using the campy 1984 movie, Revenge of the Nerds, as a prescient portrayal of the shifting power relationship that favors Russia and China and puts the United States at an unexpected disadvantage. But I think it is an apt metaphor. The original movie portrayed a group of very smart, technically gifted students who were shunned and tormented by the popular fraternities — populated with the handsome, smug golden boys and brain dead athletes. The Nerds’ effort to organize their own fraternity was opposed by the established fraternities, often with violence and sabotage, but in the end their brains and determination won out over the prvileged establishment, who believed their muscles and entitlement would preserve their domination.

I suppose the biggest difference with the original movie is that Russia and China have nuclear weapons. The Nerds had no nukes, only cleverness. So they are not just hinging their quest to breakaway from the control of the West on their technological smarts alone, they have the military muscle to push back if necessary. I believe the following clip offers a metaphor for the countries lining up to join BRICS, with Russia and China in the lead, and create a new international financial order independent of Washington’s control (and bullying).

Most people in the West are oblivious to the earth shaking changes taking place across the globe that represent a rejection of the U.S. controlled and dominated “International Order,” which was. created in the wake of World War II. The United States unwittingly started this avalanche by banning Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which has been the primary system for sending wire transfers between banks. Russia and China responded to this coercive move by stepping up their efforts with the other BRICS countries to create an alternative system that by-passes SWIFT and the almighty dollar.

The effort to break free of U.S. control is accelerating. Early on Brazil made an agreement with China to stop using the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency in their bilateral trade. Saudi Arabia has made similar agreements with other countries and India is paying rupees for Russia oil. The Middle East Spectator reports tonight that Iran and Indonesia agreed to stop using the US Dollar in their mutual trade relations. In other words, a lot of countries are lining up to buy Russian and Chinese pie.

One other ironic note relevant to the original movie. The Nerds’ success in creating their new fraternity was made possible by their alliance with a nationwide Black fraternity.

The African nations are making a point of rejecting pressure from their former European colonial masters and are embracing Russian and Chinese overtures to join them in forging a New World Order. And what is the U.S. response? More bullying and threats. I think we have reached a historical tipping point where the countries of Africa are going to be putting some distance between themselves and Washington and will expand their diplomatic and economic relations with both Russia and China. The era of Pax Americana is coming to an ignominious end I believe.