Over the past week headlines noted:

What we see in the above news is a pattern of ineffective, incompetent, and irrational leadership by what is known as the West. Fanatics and fringe groups dictate policy. A large part of the world is rejecting this leadership. It is re-aligning itself away from the U.S.-led, European, Western-Civilization-dominated world economic, political, financial, and security-based system.  

A new world order, led by China, is being established in response to repeated failures of U.S. foreign, economic, financial, and political policies - or lack thereof - particularly accelerated since the Saudis joined China in the SCO, BRICS, and to moderate their relations with Iran.

A combination of incompetence, negligence, ignorance, and arrogance is unbeatable; it can destroy anything - and it has. 

At this point, it is difficult to predict which countries will align themselves which way; some will firmly align themselves with China, others will stay aligned with the U.S., and some will keep one foot on each side. Which ones will do what remains to be seen. At this point it seems more than 80% of the world’s population, more than 70% of its GDP, and more than 75% of its oil production since the changes 2 weeks ago are moving away from the U.S. and seeking a different system.

Some conclusions are clear from these re-alignments and some trends are confirmed.

The Davos crowd has been shouting to itself for several years; it is irrelevant. The UN is irrelevant. The European Union will probably break up; Macron calling for the EU to establish sovereignty as a result of his crawling to Beijing makes that clear. Anything which requires unanimity to legislate or take action cannot function decisively. The Euro has outlived whatever usefulness it might ever have had. NATO has re-discovered a purpose and will probably strengthen - somewhat. It may find it has too many weak participants and cannot overcome their lethargy.

Democracy is destroying itself and liberalism worldwide.

The U.S. must take some decisive actions to assert leadership. Various commentators and organizations have presented plans to confront China.

But these recommendations all presume the U.S. has functioning, effective government, security, and defense organizations. It does not.

First, the U.S. needs to recognize it has a problem. Second, it needs to recognize the problem is its own societal rot. Then get up, shake itself off, stop feeling sorry for itself, and re-build its strength.

Otherwise, the U.S. can continue to sink.