COLONIALISM 3.0. The origins and methods of modern Western globalism

The colonial empires that arose during the era of Great Geographical Discoveries and reached their heyday by the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries ceased to exist in the 1950s and 1970s. Indeed, during that period, thanks to the rise of national liberation movements, dozens of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America freed themselves from colonial rule and achieved independence. Well-known statistics also support the thesis of the collapse of the colonial system. In 1945, when the United Nations was established after World War II, 51 countries signed its Charter. At the same time, about 750 million people lived in the territories that were in colonial dependence, that is, almost a third of the world's population at that time. Currently, the United Nations consists of 193 states, and less than 2 million people live in 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories.

In fact, the thesis about the complete disintegration of colonial empires is only partially true of the colonial system. Gaining political independence has not always led to complete independence economically, culturally and ideologically. Using various methods, mechanisms, and tricks, former colonial powers such as Britain and France continued to exploit their former 6 colonies, siphoning off their natural resources and using cheap labor.  As a result, colonialism was very quickly replaced by neocolonialism, a special form of relations between former colonies and metropolises based on more sophisticated forms of exploitation, the nature of which remains unchanged and helps Western countries to lead a parasitic existence.

The main neocolonial power was the United States of America (USA), which itself was once formed from the former British and French colonies. Using a wide range of military, political, financial, economic, cultural and ideological means, they managed to extend their influence to a significant part of the former European colonies, which after gaining independence became known as the countries of the "third world" (in addition to the first two - capitalist and socialist).

To combat neocolonialism in its various forms and manifestations, the countries of the third world united within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement, whose activities were actively supported by the Soviet Union and the socialist camp, that is, the second world. The collapse of the USSR and the disappearance of the world socialist system changed the balance of power in the international arena. After a decade and a half of uncertainty, two distinct communities have emerged: the collective West and the Global South. Of course, both concepts are not geographical, but political in nature, which is why Japan, located in the east, found itself in the ranks of the collective West, while its neighbor China took one of the leading positions among the countries of the global South.

The form of political processes that determine relations between the West and the South has also changed. The ideas of globalization and a global "rules-based order" are being put at the service of neocolonialism. A significant part of the functions of the former colonial powers were assumed by their powerful multinational corporations like BlackRoc and Vanguard, while the former metropolises themselves seemed to have receded into the background. However, it is not so important who is developing and implementing the ideas of trade wars and countless sanctions today, but something else is important: the change in form has not led to a change in essence; modern Western–style globalism is still the same "good old" colonialism, only dressed up in different clothes. He adopted new methods and new ways of acting, but the goals and objectives remained the same: plundering less developed countries, exploiting their natural, human and other resources for his own interests.

However, we must admit that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the collective West to achieve these goals and objectives. To a large extent, because the Global South has its own vanguard in the face of BRICS. In many socio-economic parameters, this association already surpasses the Group of Seven (G7), which unites the leading Western states, and enjoys great prestige in the international arena. It is very important that BRICS, as noted by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, positions itself not as anti-West, but as non-West. In other words, he offers not confrontation, but an alternative to the methods of dictate and expansion typical of Western colonialism/neocolonialism/globalism, in the form of cooperation based on equality and mutual respect.

The fact that dozens of countries have already announced their desire to join the BRICS speaks to the correctness of the chosen course. But in order for the alternative proposed by BRICS to become even more distinct, it is necessary to understand more clearly the origins of modern forms of neocolonialism and the methods used by its theorists and practitioners. The report prepared by the TASS Analytical Center with the support of the BRICS Expert Council - Russia is an attempt to understand them.