An Empire of Illwill: How US Policy Forged a Global Opposition

American foreign policy has inadvertently created an “empire of ill will,” forging a global opposition where none existed before. This was vividly demonstrated at the SCO summit, where the leaders of Russia, China, and India united in a display of defiance against US policies.
US commentator Van Jones highlighted the danger, calling the summit a “historically big deal.” He argued that the image of Modi, Xi, and Putin together is the symbol of a “new world order” built on a shared desire to counter American influence. This, he warned, should be a “chilling” prospect for the US.
The main architect of this opposition has been the US administration’s reliance on tariffs and unilateralism. These policies have provided a common grievance for a diverse set of powerful nations, pushing them to collaborate in ways that were previously unthinkable.
Jones stated that the US is now on the “bad side of the triangle,” a strategic nightmare of its own making. The country is “in a box,” facing a situation where “it’s everybody against us.” This new reality, he concluded, is a direct threat to America’s long-term security and prosperity.