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The Sun of Rome has set (apologies to the Bard)

By Mariam Jooma Carikci

While social media is still replaying memes of Volodymyr Zelensky getting a tongue-lashing from Donald Trump and JD Vance, the Oros man’s administration has already moved on to its next viral stunt—this time targeting South Africa’s Ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool. The seasoned diplomat has now been declared persona non grata, a move that has been gleefully celebrated on social media by what can only be called the anti-democratic guard.

Social media platforms certainly bring out the worst in people, and the bigoted cheerleading of Trump is on full display. On X, some even call him Trumplestiltskin, yet he is still worshipped as a messianic figure. If nothing else, it feels like the world is spiraling toward its end.

But perhaps this isn’t just political theater—perhaps we are witnessing capitalism at its zenith, where politicians no longer even pretend to care about the electorate, instead treating them as customers who are not always right. Has the U.S. simply become a nation of Karens and Elons, where the oligarchs have fired all the managers and seized control?

The Sun Sets on the Empire

For those who track economic currents, it’s clear that Trump-Netanyahu-style politicking is nothing more than a desperate attempt to hold back the tide—the last push against the setting of the imperial sun. As Shakespeare wrote:

“The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone.”

Call it what you will—economic hegemony, unipolarity, the “free market”—the reality is that Western dominance is in steep decline. And it’s about time.

Last week, when Trump played car salesman on the White House lawn, The Atlantic described the moment as “an air of desperation (and) a tacit admission that the protests are working.” In this new political spectacle, Elon Musk plays Trump’s billionaire mascot, upholding the illusion of U.S. economic invincibility. But in truth, Trump’s billionaire boys’ club and their off-the-cuff foreign policy are nothing but lipstick on a pig. The locus of power has shifted, and the Global South now stands before an unprecedented opportunity.

The ‘Markets’ Will Punish South Africa—Or Will They?

Neoliberal economists and their political counterparts warn that South Africa will be “punished” for its defiance. But what if this moment signals something greater—not just for South Africa, but for the continent? Could the anti-neo-colonial groundswell finally translate into real, people-driven governments?

We often hear Trump rant about immigrants “taking over” America. The image conjured is of desperate Mexicans crossing the border at great peril. But what’s left out of the conversation is the silent economic takeover of the U.S. by Gulf capital.

Take Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (QIA)—which, as of November 2024, controls $526 billion in assets. QIA owns major real estate in New York and Washington, holds stakes in tech giants, and dominates key U.S. logistics operations. It has bailed out European banks, owns a stake in UBS (formerly Credit Suisse), and even holds a 44% share in Brookfield Property Partners—the very company that bailed out Jared Kushner’s financially doomed Fifth Avenue skyscraper in 2018.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—has quietly embedded itself in Western economies in ways far more significant than the political theatrics suggest.

So, while Trump postures as Israel’s great defender, what’s the real reason he initiated direct talks with Hamas without even informing the Israelis? Simple: the U.S. and Israel are being “acquired” by the GCC.

A New Era of Soft Power

This is the age of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the Middle East into the U.S. and Europe—a new model of soft power. Unlike Biden, whose unwavering support for Israel is ideological, Trump sees reality: the Israeli economy has collapsed and has become a major liability for the U.S. In his mind, the GCC’s reconstruction efforts offer a way to stabilize the region while outsourcing humanitarian responsibilities.

Qatar and Türkiye have backed Hamas both financially and logistically, while the Axis of Resistance has provided a critical diversion. Meanwhile, Iran’s realpolitik has led to a strategic cessation of hostilities on the Lebanese border. Within Iran, the battle between ideologues and pragmatists is already underway, as some see collaborating with the GCC as the country’s future.

And herein lies the real power shift: cooperation.

Collective Sovereignty: A New Political Reality

The GCC may not be able to play hardball individually, but as a collective economic bloc, it represents something financial analysts believe is the future of global politics: collective sovereignty.

The Global South is not just resisting the West—it’s rewriting the rules.

For decades, Western powers sought to divide and conquer, dismantling any attempts at regional unity, whether in the Middle East or Africa. The destruction of the 600-year-old Ottoman Caliphate was a major colonial victory, but history is beginning to bite back.

This regionalization trend extends beyond the Gulf. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—a confederation of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali—is an example of how former colonial subjects are breaking free.

In September 2023, these three nations forced the withdrawal of French troops from their territories. Now, they share a common currency (the Sirah), a unified passport, and open trade policies—a direct rejection of the French-imposed CFA franc, which had shackled African economies to France’s monetary policy since 1945.

The End of Neocolonialism?

The CFA franc was designed to cripple African economic sovereignty, forcing nations to deposit their reserves in French banks and preventing them from setting their own interest rates. The introduction of the Sirah signals that these nations are no longer content to be vassal states.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s young military leader, has banned the export of key raw materials, investing instead in domestic agriculture and refinery infrastructure to process Africa’s essential minerals—the same minerals that power the global tech and agricultural industries.

Türkiye, Qatar, China, and Russia are all actively investing in this new power base, while post-WWII Western institutions crumble under their own contradictions.

And it is no coincidence that all of this is happening at the height of the Palestinian struggle.

Gaza: The Global South’s Breaking Point

Gaza has become the straw that broke the Global South’s back.

Trump, Netanyahu, and their enablers know this. Their panicked, reactionary politics are the flailing of an empire in decline. But as Hafez reminds us:

“Awaken, O companions, for the long night has passed.”

The world is shifting. The only question left is: will we seize the moment?

Mariam Jooma Çarıkçı is a researcher with the Media Review Network and the author of ‘Kurdistan: Achievable reality or political mirage?’ (2013).

 

 

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