The war that never ended

May 08, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Bharrat Jagdeo is naïve into believing that the Cold war has ended. His inability to recognise the ongoing imperialist agenda will be costly for Guyana.

The fall of the Soviet Union marked, what many believed to be, the apparent end of the Cold War era, characterised by the ideological and geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the USSR. However, beneath the veneer a new Cold War has been quietly brewing, orchestrated by Western powers aiming to uphold their dominance in a global landscape increasingly shaped by neoliberal ideology and liberal democracy.

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Cold War never truly ended for the Americans and Europeans; rather, it transformed into a new form with the same underlying objectives. While some, like Bharrat Jagdeo, may view the current international landscape through a simplistic lens, the reality is far more nuanced and complex.

The traditional Cold War was a clash of superpowers, with the USA and the USSR as the main contenders, along with their respective satellite states. However, the demise of the Soviet Union did not herald an era of peace and cooperation as many had hoped. Instead, it paved the way for a new Cold War, one characterised not by overt military confrontation but by subtler forms of coercion and influence.

In the new Cold War, Western imperialist states have pursued a strategy aimed at spreading their political and economic ideologies across the globe. This has involved suffocating left-wing states, deterring the emergence of alternative governance models, and actively subverting governments deemed hostile to Western interests. Countries like Cuba and Venezuela have felt the brunt of this coercion, facing economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation for their refusal to conform to Western norms. The sanctions on both countries belie the idea that the Cold War ended with the demise of the USSR. As far as the Americans are concerned, the Cold War will not end until capitalism dominates the entire world.

The expansion of the European Union and NATO into former communist bloc countries was a deliberate attempt to encircle Russia and limit its sphere of influence. The present conflict in Ukraine is a direct consequence of this encroachment, with Russia feeling threatened by the prospect of NATO membership for its neighbor. The annexation of Crimea and ongoing tensions in Eastern Ukraine are symptomatic of a broader geopolitical struggle for dominance in the region. Central to the new Cold War is the spread of neoliberalism and democracy as the dominant political and economic systems worldwide. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western powers embarked on a mission to export their brand of capitalism and governance to regions and countries that had deviated from capitalism and democracy. The Carter Center spearheaded this mission in Africa, Latin America and here in Guyana.

Latin America and Africa became battlegrounds for this ideological struggle, with Western powers supporting regime change and undermining left-wing governments perceived as a threat to their interests. In countries like Honduras, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru, violent protests and judicial legislative putsches have been used to oust democratically-elected leaders who dared to challenge the neoliberal consensus.

The new Cold War is characterised also by economic coercion, political subversion, and covert operations aimed at maintaining Western dominance in an increasingly multipolar world. From the Middle East to Latin America, the fingerprints of Western imperialism are evident, as countries are destabilized and regimes are toppled in the name of democracy and freedom.

Even in countries like Guyana, where the Cold War may seem like a relic of the past, the influence of Western powers looms large. The promotion of free market reforms and democratic institutions has been accompanied by a subtle but pervasive form of neo-colonialism led by foreign multinational corporations. For Jagdeo and his clan within the PPP who fail to grasp the nuances of contemporary geopolitics, the persistence of the Cold War may seem like an abstract concept. However, the reality is that the struggle for global hegemony is as fierce and relentless as ever, albeit in a different form. Guyana is being pitted now against Venezuela, China and Cuba. Bharrat Jagdeo may be naïve in his belief that the era of geopolitical rivalry is behind us, but the reality is far more complex and enduring than he realises. The new Cold War is alive and well, driven by a relentless pursuit of Western hegemony in an ever-changing world. And Guyana is being trained to become an imperialist sidekick.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• Americans, Bharrat Jagdeo, Cold War, Soviet Union, USSR

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