Just nine days into 2026, the world is already witnessing a dangerous shift from diplomacy to brute-force politics. From unilateral military moves to economic strong-arming, the post-WWII multilateral system is crumbling faster than a TikTok trend cycle 🕳️.
Analyst Ankit Prasad compares today’s power plays to "a schoolyard brawl gone global", with nations swinging metaphorical clubs instead of collaborating. Remember when trade wars dominated 2025? This year’s opening act features regime-change threats and sovereignty violations – all while international bodies respond with muted "concern" 🚨.
The problem? Our global rules were "designed by and for a 20th-century world order", Prasad argues. Imagine a football match where one player demands the trophy before kickoff – that’s today’s geopolitical arena ⚽💥.
Young changemakers are asking: Can we rebuild a system valuing dialogue over dominance? With climate crises and AI governance looming, 2026 might be our last chance to write new rules before the next crisis hits 📉➡️📈.
