Good article, food for thought.
Right now the West is so paranoid their media isn't even referring to a BRICS forum, but a 'Russian conference'.
They don't want to admit that Russia isn't isolated and that half the planets population is currently represented at the BRICS+ forum.

The West is trying to undermine ASEAN by creating blocks.
First we had the quad, which was basically about pulling India into western influence.
(Overthrowing the government of Bangladesh probably hasn't helped that cause.
I hear China and India will announce that they have put an end to their border disputes.)

Now we have the other one South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand co-operating with and attending NATO meetings.

I don't see the West aligning with the ideals of the SCO, which is committed to "oppose intervention in other countries' internal affairs on the reason of 'humanitarianism' and 'protecting human rights;' and support the efforts of one another in safeguarding the five countries' national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and social stability.".

Gawd!

Excellent article, Ordan! Thank you for articulating so succinctly the views of growing numbers of Australians ... and others. Hopefully you can find a wide audience for this. I'm sure 'Pearls and Irritations' would welcome it ... they frequently publish former diplomats, defence insiders, academics, politicians and other critics of AUKUS and the US alliance ... and there are lots of them!

As you've pointed out, the world is indeed shifting from a decaying and imploding US unipolar model of domination to a much fairer and more inclusive multipolar model of coordination and cooperation, as evidenced in the ever-strengthening global cooperatives you've mentioned, BRICs, SCO and BRI. These groups represent a majority of the world's population and give hope that we might be able to move beyond the imperialistic and militaristic exploitation of a controlling Western minority ... if the globe survives the threat of catastrophic climate change and nuclear annihilation long enough for it to happen ... and right at the moment unfortunately that's a very big 'if'!

" the same old foreign policy strategies determined by depraved domestic and foreign actors like the US, UK, the EU, NATO and Israel and the Zionist lobby."

"depraved"? "Zionist"?

Oh good, so we are going to get a completely unbiased appraisal here..</sarc>

Remember, this is from a guy who thinks the most pressing issue in the world today is what to call the God forsaken strip of land north of Hellas.

The current world economic order has given mankind the greatest improvement in wealth and well-being the species has ever known. Not only in the first world but also in places like China which only achieved its economic miracle because it was able to piigy-back and emulate the successes of the capitalist west.

Australia is utterly dependent on the success of the current world order which facilitates world trade, freedom of the seas and international economic co-operation. That some states think they can do better by standing outside that system is up to them. But we don't need to buy into their idiocy.

But you'll note that, while India and China purport to support this new alignment, they remain anxious to be part of the world global economy and would cry foul if/when Trump starts rejigging it to the benefit of the US working class - if he wins next month.

Hi mhaze

we're in complete agreement on this one

When, during the Whitlam era, education was replaced by indoctrination, the wheels started to fall off in Australia. They just blindly followed the Americans !