BRICS BUILT WITH MUD
The effectiveness of BRICS as a strategic alliance is increasingly questionable when examined through the lens of collective security. An alliance that cannot credibly deter external aggression or protect its member states during moments of crisis offers limited practical value beyond economic coordination and political symbolism. In such conditions, membership does not translate into security guarantees.
Similarly, reliance on major powers such as China and Russia as strategic partners has proven insufficient for smaller or vulnerable states. While diplomatic alignment and economic cooperation may exist, these relationships do not necessarily extend to direct protection when national sovereignty is threatened. Strategic partnerships remain constrained by national interest rather than mutual defense obligations.
The United Nations, originally designed to uphold international peace and collective security, has struggled to function effectively in a multipolar world characterized by veto politics and power asymmetry. Its institutional limitations often prevent decisive action, allowing conflicts to persist despite formal resolutions and international condemnation. As a result, the UN increasingly serves as a mere forum for discourse rather than an enforcement mechanism.
Within this evolving global order, deterrence has become the primary currency of security. Military capability, particularly nuclear capability, now functions as the most credible guarantee against foreign intervention. This reality helps explain Iran’s persistent pursuit of nuclear technology, as well as the strong opposition from the United States and Israel, who recognize that a nuclear-capable Iran would fundamentally alter regional power balances and limit external coercion.
Historical precedent reinforces this pattern. The case of Manuel Noriega, Panama’s de facto leader from 1983 to 1989, who was arrested by invading American troops in January 1990, amid allegations he had turned the Central American nation into a drug-trafficking hub. This episode underscores the transactional nature of international alliances and the vulnerability of states lacking credible deterrent power.
Collectively, these developments point toward a new world order in which legal frameworks, diplomatic alignments, and multilateral institutions are secondary to hard power. Security is increasingly self-generated, and states without robust deterrence capabilities face heightened exposure to external intervention, regardless of their formal alliances or international standing.
