The United States can only act on a temporary basis, facing their policies | services | the United States
On August 8th, Reference News reported that the United States Geopolitical Intelligence Service website published an article titled "The United States' Response to the Global South" by James Jay Calafano, Vice Chairman of Foreign and Defense Policy Research at the Heritage Foundation of the United States. The full text is excerpted as follows:
"Global South" generally refers to some countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, which are not as developed as wealthier countries located mostly in the northern hemisphere. It is also considered a geopolitical alliance.
In the United States, the "Global South" has received more attention, but there is almost no consensus on policy. For Washington, a major challenge is that several major powers have significant interests and activities in the "global south".
China regards contact with these countries as an integral part of its soft power diplomacy and shapes itself as a part of this group. Moscow's long-standing policy has been to engage with African and Latin American countries. India has made contact with the "global south" the foundation of its foreign policy.
There are several issues that also complicate US policy.
Firstly, climate. Environment and energy are issues of common concern to countries in the global South. However, the contact on this issue is complex in two ways. On the one hand, developing countries believe that they are most affected by the consequences of climate change, while developed countries are responsible for most of the emissions. On the other hand, the West supports and insists on a rapid transition to green technologies, which are often too expensive and not suitable for developing countries lacking sufficient, reliable, and affordable widespread electricity.
Secondly, there is de dollarization. Another challenge facing Washington is that more and more people hope to establish alternatives to the US dollar as a global reserve currency. This will weaken the role and influence of the United States in international trade and foreign direct investment, and weaken the impact of US sanctions.
Finally, history and race. During the Cold War and post Cold War periods, Washington was accused of interfering with the sovereignty of developing countries and exerting political, economic, and cultural influence. This history also raises questions about the intention and legitimacy of the United States to participate in global southern affairs.
No matter how the United States defines its "global southern" policy, it will be influenced by inherent contradictions. The United States cannot legitimately claim unity with the "global South". Any effort to fully engage with the "global south" will appear condescending.
Engaging in direct competition with developing countries to combat de dollarization may lead to unexpected and potentially damaging economic consequences.
Due to the large number of countries covered by the "Global South", it would not be in the interest of the United States to see it vote as a united camp in international organizations.
Given these significant challenges, it is unlikely that the United States will make any overall response to the "global South" beyond its ad hoc wording. A more likely scenario is that the United States will largely avoid interacting with the "global South" as a cohesive collective.
