The collapse of the global order will not begin with a war in Asia but with the realization that rules no longer bind the strong and alliances no longer oblige the powerful.  At Davos, European and Canadian leaders did not merely criticize US policy; they questioned the durability of the postwar system itself.

The World Order Is Breaking

When Western leaders usually gather in Davos, they use the ritual to reaffirm neoliberal faith in cooperation, markets, and multilateral institutions. This year, the mood and the intent were different. Instead of confidence in the rules-based order, speeches from European and Canadian leaders conveyed unease about its durability. What stood out was not simply concern about the US policy choices but the recognition that the post–Second World War order is collapsing from within. As it stands, the US has also withdrawn from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The post-1945 international system rested on a bargain. The US provided security guarantees and promised to uphold open markets, while its allies accepted American leadership and institutional constraints. This arrangement was never altruistic, but it produced predictability. Even when power was uneven, it was mediated through rules, alliances, and shared procedures. Although these rules were made in the West, the fact that even this bargain is now under strain shows the magnitude of the collapse. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the global governance system faces a “rupture” rather than a smooth transition, and argued that middle powers must play a more active role in stabilizing international politics. French officials echoed similar........

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