We can’t compete with China. We must champion those that can.

Liberation day. I think aptly named. Liberation from American hegemony, rapidly collapsing as Trump overplays his hand. However, this isn’t the comfy liberal freedom we know and love. Rather, liberation day marks the dawn of global anarchy, and who knows what that means. I have spent all week obsessively reading about the US-China trade war, drawn to the drama like a moth to a flame. It marks a moment where the power of the US has faltered, and a new world order becomes undeniable: much of the West’s power is illusory, while China’s power is real. The question is: what do we do as our global dominance declines? The US clings to its grip on power, even as its consumption accelerates its fall. Europe, meanwhile, seems more accepting of decline but blind to the epochal revolution underway. I argue that internationalist empathy for the Global South aligns with the rational self-interest of the West. As the West's relevance fades, it is strategically vital that we foster industrial growth in the Global South—not to preserve the liberal world order, but to prevent a Chinese-dominated one. Western hegemony is finished. The West can no longer dictate the rules of trade. As China rises, the West risks handing over global leadership through the West's own short-sightedness. If the West is not proactive, this will happen anyway. Imagine a world where China's GDP per capita matches the EU’s. China's economic might would outweigh the entire G7 combined. Those who don't wan't an authoritarian government to become a hegemon must prepare for this world by empowering new players now. To preserve free speech and democracy, we need strong counterweights to China. While the West's economic might has diminished, the West still controls most global investment capital. They must use it to help countries like India and those across Africa and South America rise as superpowers. This will hopefully result in a multipolar world where, whilst the West is close to irrelevant, countries that broadly share the its values are collectively more powerful than China. India’s growth outpacing China’s is a positive sign. As a democracy of 1.4 billion people, it has the potential to surpass the USA and EU combined in power. The West must champion this...