Alma

lawyer, bibliophile, ghibli stan, and auntie to e&e | gratitude, reason and the greater good ✨ | 🇲🇻

[Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand]

It's becoming clearer and clearer that we're looking at a seismic shift in the US's relationship with the world, between:

1) The US dismantling its foreign interference apparatuses (like USAID 👇)
2) Marco Rubio stating that we're now in a multipolar world with "multi-great powers in different parts of the planet" (https://t.co/dyHpStHPsO) and that "the postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us" (https://t.co/TPOksRgnwP)
3) The tariffs on supposed "allies" like Mexico, Canada or the EU

This is the US effectively saying "our attempt at running the world is over, to each his own, we're now just another great power, not the 'indispensable nation'."

It looks "dumb" (as the WSJ just wrote) if you are still mentally in the old paradigm but it's always a mistake to think that what the US (or any country) does is dumb.

Hegemony was going to end sooner or later, and now the U.S. is basically choosing to end it on its own terms. It is the post-American world order - brought to you by America itself.

Even the tariffs on allies, viewed under this angle, make sense, as it redefines the concept of "allies": they don't want - or maybe rather can't afford - vassals anymore, but rather relationships that evolve based on current interests.

You can either view it as decline - because it does unquestionably look like the end of the American empire - or as avoiding further decline: controlled withdrawal from imperial commitments in order to focus resources on core national interests rather than being forced into an even messier retreat at a later stage.

In any case it is the end of an era and, while the Trump administration looks like chaos to many observers, they're probably much more attuned to the changing realities of the world and their own country's predicament than their predecessors. Acknowledging the existence of a multipolar world and choosing to operate within it rather than trying to maintain an increasingly costly global hegemony couldn't be delayed much further. It looks messy but it is probably better than maintaining the fiction of American primacy until it eventually collapses under its own weight.

This is not to say that the U.S. won't continue to wreak havoc on the world, and in fact we might be seeing it become even more aggressive than before. Because when it previously was (badly, and very hypocritically) trying to maintain some semblance of self-proclaimed "rules-based order", it now doesn't even have to pretend it is under any constraint, not even the constraint of playing nice with allies. It's the end of the U.S. empire, but definitely not the end of the U.S. as a major disruptive force in world affairs.

All in all this transformation may mark one of the most significant shifts in international relations since the fall of the Soviet Union. And those most unprepared for it, as is already painfully obvious, are America's vassals caught completely flat-footed by the realization that the patron they've relied on for decades is now treating them as just another set of countries to negotiate with.

[Abier @abierkhatib]

.. & Zionists want you to believe that God is ok with their crimes.

Just listen
…

[Dr. Maya C. Popa @MayaCPopa]

A reminder that Mary Oliver also wrote this:

[Sana Saeed @SanaSaeed]

Lots of incoming analysis for the next several hours, but there’s really just one thing to know: none of this was inevitable nor did it start with Iran.

This is US-Israeli belligerence; this is Joe Biden’s foreign policy & Israel’s war expansionism as it conducts a genocide.

[AG Office Maldives @AGOmv]

AGO mourns the profound loss of Uz. Ismail Wisham, President of @MvBarCouncil and former Assistant Attorney General. He was a great source of inspiration as a leader, mentor and cherished friend. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

[Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan]

The idea that the way to fight rising bigotry against Jews in America is to pretend rising bigotry against Muslims isn’t happening is cruel, offensive, and dumb. Please don’t pit minorities against one another or do some sort of hierarchy of bigotries. Thanks.

[Lamis Deek لميس ديك @Lamis_Deek]

Ghassan Kanafani, "...starved for 20 years and forbidden from even using the word Palestinian.."

Interviewer, "but that's better than death"

Ghassan, "maybe for you but not for us"

[Abdulla Shahid @abdulla_shahid]

The Government of the Republic of Maldives once again strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli military aggression against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military demand that 1.2 million civilians in northern Gaza relocate to its south within 24 hours. Absent of any guarantees of safety or return this would amount to the war crime of forcible transfer. It must be reversed.

📃 Press Release | https://t.co/DqAYAyo0N0

[ICRC @ICRC]

International humanitarian law is clear: civilians must be protected.

Critical infrastructure must be protected.

Even wars have limits.

[Barry Malone @malonebarry]

Irish PM Varadkar on Gaza: "To me, it amounts to collective punishment. Cutting off power, cutting off fuel supplies and water supplies, that's not the way a respectable democratic state should conduct itself."

Puts him at odds with most Western leaders.https://t.co/S0GFb52mc7

[Abdallah Fayyad @abdallah_fayyad]

It's not self defense when you are the occupying force.

[𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙮 @moontides_]

Literally

[AG Office Maldives @AGOmv]

ސަރުކާރުގެ ފަރާތުން ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ މި އަހަރުގެ ދެވަނަ ދައުރަށް ހުށަހެޅުމަށް ޤަޞްދުކުރާ ބިލުތަކުގެ ލިސްޓު، ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ ގަވާއިދުގެ 82 ވަނަ މާއްދާގެ (ރ) ގައި ބަޔާންކޮށްފައިވާ ގޮތުގެމަތިން ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ ރައީސަށް ފޮނުވައިފިއެވެ.

[Alma @almahmedmv]

So excited! 🥲❤️

[STAR is all booked up @starshynebrite]

PREPARE TO BE SICK OF ME

[Alma @almahmedmv]

@starshynebrite Never! 🥲❤️✨

[BBC News (World) @BBCWorld]

What is the UN High Seas Treaty and why is it needed? https://t.co/zxhFgEcC3t

[Alma @almahmedmv]

🫶🏼🫶🏼

[Bandaara Club @BandaaraClubAGO]

📢📢Special shout out to our very own Bandaara Club members:
@FazraFayyaz, Saadhin, Sudhoona, @mohamed_zayaan @nahurashyd, Shahim, Aneefa, @almahmedmv & Ali

[ފނލ އދލ phenol33 @PhenolAdhly]

Unpopular opinion:
The old currency art was way better.

[Barred and Bearded @RileeDHarrison]

There needs to be a law school class where someone just yells outlandish, untrue, and mean insults at you and you practice how you will react to these insults because unfortunately at some point in your career that could and probably will happen.