If you’ve been living under the illusion that humanity has ever been guided by “rule-based systems,” I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you—cheap. The truth is, ever since the first caveman realised a bigger rock beats a polite debate, the world has always been ruled by force. Call it military muscle, economic clout, or spiritual faith armed with a sword. Pick your flavour of coercion.
The Myth of Rule-Based Systems
Ah yes, the much-beloved phrase: “rules-based order.” Sounds civilized, doesn’t it? Something that would make you imagine powdered wigs, quills scratching parchment, and people sipping tea while resolving disputes. Except—spoiler alert—those rules were always written by the strong, and conveniently broken by the same strong whenever the rules stopped working in their favor.
Think of it like the Monopoly board at a family gathering. Uncle Sam sets the rules, hogs the railroads, and when he’s losing, suddenly declares “Free Parking” comes with bonus cash. The smaller cousins grumble, but they can’t do much—except maybe flip the board, which is usually called “revolution.”
Modern Rule-Twisters: Biden vs. Trump
Fast forward to our so-called “modern era.” The United States, that shining city on a hill, has two major operating manuals for rules. Joe Biden prefers the art of legal origami—folding, bending, and twisting the rules until they vaguely resemble what he wants. Donald Trump, on the other hand, simply says, “Rules? Never heard of them,” tosses the book out of the window, and tweets about it.
Before we laugh too much at America, let’s be clear: Russia and China aren’t running Montessori schools either. Putin waves his saber while sipping vodka, Xi invokes five thousand years of Chinese civilisation, and both will happily bend, break, or bulldoze rules depending on what the day’s power play requires.
The “Mini-Me” Powers
Now, look at the so-called allies—tiny countries of Europe stitched together loosely, refined Japan, and sunburnt Australia. These nations aren’t world-shaping forces by themselves. They’re more like the backup dancers in a music video. Once upon a time, they mattered—Europe colonized half the planet, Japan ran wild in Asia—but after World War II, they became what they are now: franchises of the victors.
NATO? An American brainchild. The European Union? Mostly an exercise in pretending France and Germany like each other. Australia? The kid brother who tags along, shouting, “Yeah, me too!” And Japan? Well, Japan’s armed forces were deliberately declawed after 1945, but now it’s flexing again under America’s watchful eye.
India: The Forgotten Pawn
Ah, India. Let’s pause here for a slow clap. Colonised for centuries, looted until it went from being the “Golden Bird” to the “Begging Bowl.” And then, when the British finally left, they didn’t even leave quietly. They split the country in two, handed over a deliberately poisoned gift (hello, Partition), and said, “Congratulations, you’re free!”
Free, yes. But free like a man who’s been released from jail without his wallet, shoes, or food. India entered independence not with a bang, but with malnutrition, poverty, and an adversary next door conveniently created to keep it perpetually occupied. And just to rub salt into the wound, they stuffed India into the “Commonwealth.” Nothing “common” about it, unless you count the shared experience of being plundered.
Pyrrhic Freedom and Economic Chains
Let’s not forget the Cold War. The USSR and the USA each needed clients. Newly independent countries like India, Africa’s decolonized states, and Latin America became chess pieces. Aid wasn’t aid; it was a bribe. Loans weren’t loans; they were shackles. And the IMF and World Bank became the modern armies of economic dominance. No bayonets required, just interest rates sharp enough to cut your throat.
Phoenix Rising: India’s Rebirth
But history is funny. You can kick a people down, but every once in a while, they get up, dust themselves off, and invent something like IT outsourcing. Over the past few decades, India, South Korea, Singapore, and a few others clawed their way back into relevance. Through sheer hard work, innovation, and a dash of jugaad, they rose from the ashes the world expected them to stay buried under.
India in particular has been playing catch-up like a cricket team forced to bat without a bat for the first fifty overs. But now, the bat’s in hand, the stadium lights are on, and the crowd’s paying attention. Economically, India has clawed its way onto the “top table,” the club of nations that can no longer be ignored.
Learning the Old Lesson: Force Rules
But here’s the punchline. For all the talk of soft power, yoga diplomacy, Bollywood glitter, and IT exports, India knows the fundamental truth now: you don’t stay at the top table with PowerPoint presentations and cultural festivals. You stay there by having a military that makes others think twice before pushing you around.
That’s why India is pouring resources into building a blue-water navy, advanced missile systems, and next-gen fighter jets. Why? Because the world is ruled by force. Always has been. Always will be. Soft power is dessert. Hard power is the main course.
Conclusion: Same Game, Different Players
So where does that leave us? Right back where we started. The strong make the rules, the strong break the rules, and everyone else pretends the rules matter until they’re strong enough to do the same. The world has never been ruled by justice, morality, or benevolence. It’s been ruled by force—whether that force came from a legion’s march, a gunboat’s cannon, a bank’s ledger, or a nuclear deterrent.
India, after centuries of being on the receiving end, finally seems to have learned the lesson etched into the stone tablets of history:
To play the game, you need force. To win the game, you need overwhelming force. And to write the rules, you must be ‘the’ force.
So yes, the world has always been ruled by force. And anyone telling you otherwise is probably trying to sell you a “rules-based system” where they hold the rulebook and you hold… the short end of the stick.
On ‘X’ as @jsvasan