Richard Wolff, a prominent US-based Marxist economist, argues that the American empire is in decline, a process he attributes to the rise of a new global power bloc led by BRICS. In his view, this shift in economic and geopolitical power is the single most significant reality the world faces today. Wolff’s analysis posits that the traditional centers of Western power—primarily the United States and its G7 allies—are being surpassed by the expanded BRICS group, which now accounts for more than half of the world’s population and has a collective economic output that is already larger than the G7’s. He contends that this new reality is forcing nations and corporations worldwide to reconsider their strategies, often choosing to align with BRICS instead of the West.
The Rise of BRICS as a Counter-Hegemonic Force
Wolff’s central thesis rests on the economic momentum of the BRICS nations. He highlights that the original five members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—have been joined by other countries, such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, significantly expanding the bloc’s reach and influence. This expansion, he argues, has created a formidable counter-balance to the G7.
According to Wolff, the sheer scale of the BRICS population and its growing economic might are the key drivers of this power shift. He contrasts the BRICS’ more than 50% share of the global population with the US’s 4.5%, and emphasizes that the group’s collective economic output is already larger than that of the US and its G7 allies. This economic reality, he suggests, is what’s truly reshaping global dynamics. He illustrates this with a compelling example: “if you’re going to build a railroad in your country, you don’t just go to Washington or London or Paris. You may go to them, but you’re going to ask them what offer they can make and then you’re going to compare it to what you can get from Beijing, New Delhi, and Sao Paulo.” The outcome, he says, is that “in case after case, the choice is made to go with the BRICS, not the West.”
Wolff’s perspective is that the American empire is ending not because of military defeat in a conventional war, but because its economic model, centered on private capital and profit-driven motives, is no longer capable of competing with state-led models like China’s. He points to the war in Ukraine as a prime example of the West’s miscalculation and denial. When the US and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia with the expectation that its economy would collapse, Russia simply turned to its BRICS partners, particularly China and India, to sell its oil and gas. This strategic pivot not only averted a collapse but also resulted in Russia’s economy growing faster than that of the US during the conflict. This, Wolff argues, is a clear demonstration that the old rules of economic coercion no longer apply in a multipolar world.
The Evolution of US Power Projection
Historically, the United States has relied on military dominance to project its global power. This was evident in the post-World War II era, where a network of alliances like NATO, vast defense spending, and military interventions were used to maintain global order and secure US interests. The US Navy, in particular, has been instrumental in controlling the world’s oceans, ensuring the security of global trade routes. This military supremacy, often referred to as global hegemony, has been a cornerstone of American foreign policy.
However, in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in American strategy. While military spending remains at an all-time high, the focus of power projection has increasingly moved toward technological control. This is seen in the US’s efforts to dominate key sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. The idea is that controlling the technological infrastructure of the global economy gives the US a new form of leverage. By restricting access to critical technologies and data, the US can exert influence over other nations, even those it cannot physically dominate. This shift is a response to the changing nature of warfare and competition, where cyberattacks and economic espionage can be as disruptive as conventional military action. It’s a move from hard power to a more subtle, yet pervasive, form of influence.
The Battle for the Global Commons
Another critical element in the geopolitical landscape is the control of the Global Commons—the high seas, airspace, outer space, and cyberspace—which are not subject to the national jurisdiction of any single country. The US has long been the primary custodian of these commons, thanks to its unparalleled naval and air forces. The US Navy, for instance, guarantees freedom of navigation on the open oceans, a principle that underpins global trade. The US also holds a dominant position in outer space through its satellite network, which provides crucial services for communication, navigation, and intelligence gathering.
In his analysis, Richard Wolff acknowledges that the US and its allies have traditionally been the dominant players. He says, “the dominant player in the world of the last 70 years, the United States, isn’t the dominant player anymore.” This statement implicitly includes the control of the global commons. While BRICS nations are expanding their influence and building parallel institutions like the New Development Bank, they do not yet possess the military and technological capacity to challenge the US’s control of these critical domains.
However, this is a point of contestation. While the US and its allies maintain a firm grip on the physical commons (oceans, airspace), the rising power of BRICS, particularly China, is challenging the narrative of uncontested US dominance. China’s growing navy and its development of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities are directly aimed at undermining US naval superiority in key regions like the South China Sea. Furthermore, in cyberspace, the notion of a single controller is obsolete. BRICS nations are investing heavily in their own digital infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities, creating a more fragmented and multipolar digital world. The US’s once-exclusive control is being chipped away, not by a single rival, but by a collective of rising powers with competing interests.
Conclusion: Is it the End of Western Domination?
Richard Wolff’s prediction of the “end of the American empire” and by extension, the end of Western domination, is a powerful and provocative one. He sees a world that is fundamentally being reshaped by economic forces and a rising East, a reality that the West is in a state of denial about. He argues that the West’s attempts to maintain its unipolar dominance through traditional means, such as economic sanctions and military posturing, are failing because the economic basis of that power has eroded. The West’s denial of this new reality, he says, is leading to costly and misguided policies, as seen in the Ukraine conflict.
While Wolff’s focus is on the economic dimension of this power shift, a complete analysis must also consider the US’s evolving strategy from military to technological control and its continued, albeit contested, command of the global commons. The US still possesses significant military and technological advantages that no single BRICS member can match. However, the collective power and strategic alignment of the BRICS+ bloc are creating a new reality where the US is no longer the sole arbiter of global affairs. The BRICS nations, by working together, are able to circumvent Western-led systems and create alternative trade, financial, and political networks.
It’s not a sudden collapse of the American empire, but a gradual, inexorable shift toward a multipolar world. The “end” of the American empire is less about a single, decisive event and more about the slow erosion of its ability to dictate terms to the rest of the world. The US will likely remain a preeminent power for the foreseeable future, but its influence will be increasingly challenged and checked by a rising BRICS bloc. The era of unquestioned Western dominance is indeed giving way to a new, more complex and contested global order. This transition, as Wolff rightly points out, is the biggest reality we now have to face.
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