A new world disorder: Why America’s retreat threatens us all
How America is dismantling the global rules-based order it once championed — and what you can do about it
Something once unthinkable is happening. The United States, long the steward of a global order built on cooperation, democracy, and open markets, is now shaking the foundations of the system it built and has held together for generations.
A wholesale retreat from the principles that underpinned decades of relative peace and prosperity is underway. As chaos replaces consensus, and as democratic allies grow wary, the world finds itself at a dangerous crossroads.
America was the architect of the post-war world order
After the ashes of World War II settled, the U.S. stepped into a role no country had ever filled: the architect of a liberal, rules-based international order. With unrivalled power and prosperity, the U.S. poured resources into building institutions that bound the free world together through diplomacy, trade, and shared values.
The creation of the United Nations, the Bretton Woods financial system, and NATO marked the foundation of this new world order. Democracy, free markets, human rights, and multilateralism were the pillars. The Marshall Plan rebuilt Europe, the U.S. navy protected global shipping routes, and American military presence served as both deterrent and reassurance across the globe.
This system wasn’t perfect — no system is. But the world benefited from decades of relative peace among major powers, millions were lifted out of poverty, and globalisation brought humanity together more than ever before. I’m using the past tense because the global rules-based order is now on death row, and with poetic irony its executioner is the same country that gave birth to it.
The Trump doctrine: chaos as strategy
Donald Trump didn’t invent American exceptionalism, but he has weaponised it to disastrous effect. In his mind, the global order isn’t a testament to American leadership — it’s a burden, a scam, a “bad deal.” And so, piece by piece, he began dismantling the system the U.S. had spent several decades building.
When a global pandemic arrived, instead of rallying the world, Trump retreated. He pulled funding from the World Health Organisation at the height of COVID-19, accusing it of being too friendly to China. It was a petulant act that left a vacuum in international cooperation and weakened the institutions designed to handle global health crises.
The extortion of Ukraine and berating of its leader Zelensky in front of the world media is unforgivable. The message has been received loud and clear: American support is no longer grounded in democratic principles, but dependent on personal loyalty and the means of weaker countries to buy protection from the strong.
The price of U.S. isolationism
NATO partners have understandably lost confidence in the U.S., now viewed by many at best as neutral and at worst as a hostile actor that cannot be trusted to come to fellow NATO members’ defence in accordance with Article 5. Realism is back in vogue and a global arms race now appears to be underway. Nuclear proliferation will follow.
As the U.S. has progressively withdrawn from the international stage it has built up walls, literally along its southern border, but also economically, in the form of the tariffs introduced in Trump’s first term that have now been turbocharged in his second.
Trump 2.0’s trade war has extended beyond rivals like China to include allies like Canada and the European Union, and indeed the entire world. Protectionism is in. Free trade, once the backbone of American diplomacy, is out. And a global recession, or worse, is on the horizon.
A new world disorder
America, once the centre of global stability, has deliberately engineered a new world disorder.
Liberal democracies around the world face rising authoritarian pressures. Trust in democratic institutions is declining. Social media magnifies division. Meanwhile, the climate crisis, pandemics, and technological disruption demand global cooperation that no longer seems possible.
I’m afraid, dear reader, all this means it’s time for you to do something. Yes, you. And before the voice in your head lies to you and says you’re just one person who can’t make a difference let me remind you of the immortal words of Margaret Mead, who said to never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, because it’s the only thing that ever has.
What you can do when the world feels out of control
It’s tempting, in the face of global disarray, to withdraw. But the only way to reclaim stability is to be personally and politically engaged:
- Rethink your spending and travel. Where we put our money matters. Consider diverting your tourism and investment dollars away from the U.S. until it recommits to democratic norms. Instead, travel to and invest in European and other liberal democratic markets, which increasingly bear the burden of upholding the values America once did.
- Get politically active at home. This is not just an American problem. The rot of illiberalism is spreading. Join political parties or movements that defend democratic values. Vote, volunteer, organise. Democracy is not self-sustaining — it requires active participation.
- Support independent media and thought. Strong democracies depend on informed citizens. Fund or subscribe to trustworthy journalism. Advocate for critical thinking and civic education in schools.
- Engage internationally. Join or donate to global initiatives or NGOs. The liberal order was built on networks of cooperation — individuals can still foster those bonds from the ground up.
The world is what we make it
A new world disorder is not inevitable — it is a choice; one made daily by leaders and citizens alike. The global rules-based order is faltering, but the principles behind it — cooperation, democracy, shared prosperity — are and always will be worth fighting for.
If the U.S. won’t lead, others must step up. And if our institutions fail us, we must rebuild them or build new ones. The question is no longer what America will do, it’s what we will all do now in response.
The cracks in the world order are well and truly showing. It’s up to all of us to do what we can to mend them before it breaks.
Jonathan Meddings is an author and advocate from Melbourne, Australia.
