Around 2,800 billionaires with combined assets of currently around 15 trillion US dollars now have an unmistakable dominant position. Their interests in profit and power dominate the world. The fact that another 8.2 billion people still need to be provided with adequate work, housing, clothing, education, culture, healthcare and food is increasingly being overlooked. Planet Earth has become too small to deliver the desired returns for the now unimaginably gigantic assets of the ultra-rich.
Barbarism and, in doubt, doom
In the capitalist NATO world of the US-led G7 states from Asia, Europe and North America, price increases and job cuts are no longer enough to secure the profits of the ultra-rich owners of capital. In order to realize and expand their shares of profits, markets and raw materials, “value systems” and “democracy” are increasingly being thrown overboard. Instead, authoritarian rule, aggression and repression are gaining ground. Armament and war, even nuclear war, are becoming the methods of securing power. The capitalist alliance of self-proclaimed “leading nations” is disintegrating and intra-capitalist competition is breaking out between them. Even the worst is not being avoided; the danger of nuclear war is higher than ever before.
Humanity and the planet are being plundered and driven to ruin in order to secure profits. The populations and the environment not only have to pay for the necessary profits, but also for the comprehensive conversion of the nations into fortresses of weapons. With unprecedented exploitation of human and natural resources, reduction of wages and pensions, plundering of social and cultural systems as well as public health and education services.
Brutalization, stupidity, conformity, nationalism, fascism and repression go hand in hand with this. As do the appropriation, restructuring, weakening and destruction of planetary solidarity systems such as the UN, WHO etc. and the termination of bilateral and multilateral security treaty systems.
With maximum profit and exploitation, capitalism is increasingly driving the world towards barbarism and possible destruction through ecological and/or nuclear catastrophes.
Opposition is forming
In addition to the seven “leading nations” of the G7 and the 32 countries of NATO, there are a further 164 countries in the world. Formerly colonially oppressed, whether capitalist or non-capitalist, many of them are breaking away from the domination of the G7 and NATO in a growing wave. Parts of the world. Formerly abused as factories and garbage dumps, they are raising their voices and relying on their own strength and independence. These include large capitalist nations such as India, Iran, Russia and Brazil. But also – alongside smaller countries with a progressive, anti-capitalist or even socialist orientation – a large nation ruled by a communist party such as China with a population of more than 1.4 billion people.
Many of these countries are organizing themselves into new confederations. In particular, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BRICS alliance (the acronym stands for the founding states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the New Silk Road Initiative (BRI/Belt and Road Initiative) should be mentioned. These alliances represent up to 70 percent of the world’s population and up to 60 percent of global trade, each in different compositions. The ten BRICS countries alone account for around 45% of the world’s population and around 36% of global economic output.
Of crucial importance, however, is the fact that, in contrast to the NATO and G7 states, these alliances of states have declared their commitment to national sovereignty, peace, social security, environmental protection and international cooperation. China’s clarification in June 2024 that the Earth is the home of humanity, which must be preserved in peace and cooperation, is outstanding.
Democracy, solidarity and friendship among nations instead of profit dictates
ethecon supports the struggles of the world’s populations against exploitation and oppression, the worldwide social and trade union struggles of people to secure their social livelihoods as well as the struggle for peace, disarmament, the preservation of natural resources and the establishment of an international system of trusting relations between states.
ethecon – Foundation Ethics & Economics‘ considers it essential to “observe ethical, ecological, social and human rights principles in the organisation and implementation of economic projects and to strengthen democratic and self-determined structures in the economic process” (Declaration of Principles 2004). In order to be able to live, produce and trade together in a peaceful, socially just and ecologically sensible way, it is necessary to restructure the social order. Away from egoism, personal advantage and the dictates of profit, towards democracy, solidarity and friendship among nations. We have no other alternative.
Berlin, 23 March 2025
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