Tue Dec 16 18:38:00 UTC 2025: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Shifts Towards “Cruel” Global Order, Claims Indian Analyst
New Delhi, December 17, 2025 – A leading Indian analyst has warned of a “restoration of a colonial-imperial mindset” in U.S. foreign policy, following the unveiling of the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and proposed restructuring of the G-20. Writing in The Hindu, Anil Raman, Research Fellow at the Takshashila Institution, argues that these moves, coupled with the Heritage Foundation’s “Restoring America’s Promise: 2025-26” blueprint, signal a fundamental shift in American statecraft towards institutionalized exclusion and the acceptance of unequal burdens.
Raman identifies three “revolutions” occurring within American policy: a transformation of political morality marked by the erosion of norms, a foreign policy based on selective dominance and conditional alliances, and an economic strategy that favors a tiered global economy.
He argues that the NSS prioritizes internal cultural cohesion and ideological alignment as national security requirements, potentially leading to the suppression of dissenting voices. In foreign policy, the traditional emphasis on alliances has been replaced by transactional contracts, and the Western Hemisphere is prioritized over Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, the restructuring of the G-20 would consolidate decision-making power within a smaller group of wealthy nations, leaving emerging economies marginalized.
Raman uses the term “cruelty” to describe a system where harm is anticipated, normalized, and strategically deployed, both domestically and internationally. He argues that the consequences of this shift will be felt most acutely by countries with limited negotiation power, facing more conditional debt restructuring, politically selective supply chains, and access to global capital tied to geopolitical alignment. Ultimately, Raman claims, the shift not only harms nations abroad but also has domestic consequences.
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