The Rule of Thugs

As our people stand on the ledge, we watch the abyss grow closer. The “thugs” shamelessly dance on the roofs, as if the madness that culminated in the colonial West’s recent genocide in Gaza and destructive war on Lebanon manifested clearly during Donald Trump’s inauguration, a harbinger of even worse things to come.

We stood amazed as the newly elected president danced his way into office, and as Mark Zuckerberg’s eyes carefully examined entertainment reporter and news anchor Lauren Sanchez, enticed by her beauty, and as Elon Musk, drunk on victory, performed a Nazi salute before millions worldwide, an act as grotesque as it was revealing. Behind them, a plethora of faces that embody the interests of our world’s “thugs” stood tall: CEOs of the most influential firms and their representatives in sectors such as technology, arms, energy, AI, banking, and finance.

They constitute a global alliance born out of globalized brutality, seeking to monopolize wealth and power across the entire world. Their leader—a populist teetering on the edge of fascism, a modern-day cowboy—has revoked policies enacted by previous administrations, disregarding the consequences of his actions. He announced his country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council, rescinding other international commitments in the process. Then, like a brazen colonial overlord, he openly demanded that Egypt and Jordan take in millions of displaced Palestinians after having already recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, approved Israel’s annexation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, cut funding to UNRWA, and—standing to Netanyahu’s right during his frenzied speech—announced his intention to turn Gaza into an American tourist project after leveling it to the ground and expelling its residents, claiming that it would “keep them from dying and suffering.”

He is disrupting the very foundations of a world order that emerged from the ruins of World War II, all while claiming that his country is committed to peace. He accused so-called “rogue states” of threatening global stability in his 2017 speech at the United Nations, yet today he declares his intentions to absorb Canada and Gaza, annex Greenland, reclaim control of the Panama Canal, and rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” spewing threats at everyone, enemies and allies alike.

This face of barbarism is the face of the new world order itself, ruled by populist, fascist, extremist politicians who safeguard the privileges of corporate overlords in the banking, energy, arms, technology, and media, while entire populations plunge deeper into poverty, where choosing their ruler becomes akin to picking between the lesser of two evils! “Democracies” that lack democracy! Banks fund; energy fuels; arms plunder; technology serves them all; and the media hagiographizes their narrative in a rapidly changing world, forcing the “thugs” into an all-out frenzy for wealth and influence, where some may even cannibalize each other in the struggle.
The White House has become a stage for blatant, public diplomatic bullying, targeting leaders such as the King of Jordan and Ukraine’s President Zelensky. These acts of pressure and coercion are part of a broader pattern of arrogance and disregard for nations’ sovereignty.

In this new world that is changing at an enormous rate, the concentration of power among a select few signals a shift in the power dynamics, especially in a world dominated by smart technology (AI). These powerful few now possess the ability to shape market trends, public opinion and policies, political campaigns, and social movements worldwide. Take, for instance, the impact that the development of clean energy industries in Africa has had on neo-colonial patterns. The rising demand for raw materials like cobalt, lithium, nickel, and copper is remaking these new colonial patterns, with profound economic, social, political, and environmental consequences. It is mainly Chinese, European, and American companies that dominate the mines of these minerals. Under the guise of “green justice,” Africans work in harsh conditions for meager wages, with little to no benefit from their land’s wealth. This is but one of many factors reshaping the world at a high speed. Another example is the melting of Arctic glaciers, which has triggered detrimental geopolitical and economic shifts, redrawing the global trade map, intensifying international competition over the region’s resources and trade routes, and prompting Trump to publicly call for the annexation of Canada and Greenland. And while colonialism’s brutality escalates in our region, our rulers are busy devising new ways to exercise tyranny, each engaging in their own brand of “thuggery.”

In summary, the bleakness of the current situation demands relentless resistance against the forces of “thuggery” –by any and all available means. The “thugs’” wants are not destined to happen, for people may oppose them. Oppressed nations, especially those in the Global South, have no choice but to unite in solidarity, forging a front against them.

Based on this reality, we at Aflamuna are working with our partners all over the world to launch cultural and cinematic solidarity initiatives, which will be announced in due time, aimed at collectively countering the “rule of thugs” wherever it may fester.

The American thinker Noam Chomsky once said:

“I don’t know what word in the English language – I can’t find one – that applies to people who are willing to sacrifice the literal existence of organized human life, not in the distant future, so they can put a few more dollars into highly overstuffed pockets. The word ‘evil’ doesn’t begin to approach it.”

Perhaps it’s time we added “thug” to the word evil.

Down with the rule of thugs!