When Noam Chomsky described the "three-sided world" in 1992, he laid bare the mechanics of post-World War II global capitalism: the United States, Western Europe, and Japan formed a trilateral axis that dominated the world economy. The job of this trifecta? To coordinate global exploitation, keeping the industrialised core wealthy and the Global South in its place as a cheap supplier of labor and resources. The U.S., of course, played the lead role, with Europe and Japan acting as dutiful sidekicks. The arrangement wasn’t just a partnership—it was a hierarchy, and everyone knew who was in charge.
By 2024, the system hasn’t collapsed, but it’s in shambles. The rise of new powers, the growing economic independence of the Global South, and internal contradictions within the trilateral bloc have left the three-sided world clinging to its former glory. Yet the U.S., Europe, and Japan haven’t abandoned their imperial ambitions—they’re just increasingly desperate to hold onto them. Let’s take a look at the wreckage.
The United States: The Declining Puppet Master
The U.S. was always the alpha in this arrangement, dictating the terms while presenting itself as a benevolent global leader. That image started to crack after the Cold War and has been crumbling ever since. The 2008 financial crisis, brought on by Wall Street greed, exposed the rot at the core of American capitalism. The fallout wasn’t just economic; it shattered the illusion of U.S. competence, leaving allies scrambling to protect themselves from the mess.
And then there’s the military overreach. The Iraq War (2003) was supposed to secure U.S. control over Middle Eastern oil and demonstrate its unchallengeable power. Instead, it destabilised the region, drained resources, and emboldened rivals like Iran and China. More recently, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 revealed just how far the empire had fallen. These aren’t just tactical blunders—they’re symptoms of a system trying to sustain global dominance on a crumbling foundation.
Today, U.S. policies like the CHIPS Act (2022) and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) reveal Washington’s desperation to reassert control, particularly over technology and manufacturing. These moves, aimed at countering China, have alienated allies like Germany and South Korea, who see them as thinly veiled protectionism. The U.S. still commands the world’s largest military and a reserve currency in the dollar, but its grip is slipping—and everyone knows it.
Europe: A Disunited Junior Partner
Europe’s role in the trilateral system was to act as the U.S.’s loyal partner in exploitation. But the European Union’s internal contradictions have always threatened to derail this arrangement. The eurozone debt crisis (2010–2012) revealed the fault lines within the EU, as richer nations like Germany imposed brutal austerity measures on poorer ones like Greece, turning the promise of European unity into a cruel joke.
Brexit only made things worse. The U.K.’s exit from the EU in 2020 weakened the bloc economically and politically, leaving it even more reliant on the U.S. for security and leadership. And then there’s the war in Ukraine. While Europe has rallied behind NATO to oppose Russian aggression, the conflict has exposed its energy dependence on Russia and its inability to act independently of U.S. strategic goals.
At the same time, Europe is grappling with the rise of far-right populism. Leaders like Viktor Orban in Hungary and Marine Le Pen in France represent a backlash against neoliberal policies, but their xenophobic nationalism offers no real alternative. Europe’s disunity and internal crises make it a weak link in the trilateral chain—and an increasingly unreliable ally for Washington.
Japan: The Stagnant Player
Once the economic powerhouse of East Asia, Japan’s role in the trilateral system has been reduced to that of a middleman. After its asset bubble burst in the 1990s, Japan entered a prolonged period of stagnation, and it hasn’t truly recovered. Its aging population, mounting debt, and reliance on exports to sustain its economy have left it vulnerable to external shocks.
Despite these challenges, Japan has remained a key player in U.S. strategies to counter China. Through trade deals like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and security alliances like the Quad, Japan has aligned itself closely with Washington. But this alignment comes at a cost: Japan’s economic dependence on China—its largest trading partner—creates tensions that Tokyo can’t easily resolve. Japan’s loyalty to the trilateral system is less about conviction and more about survival.
The Rise of New Powers: Cracking the Trilateral Shell
The trilateral system’s biggest challenge is the rise of China, whose state-led capitalist model has reshaped global trade and finance. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has poured billions into infrastructure projects across the Global South, offering countries an alternative to Western-dominated financial institutions like the IMF. Meanwhile, China’s leadership in renewable energy and advanced technologies has left the trilateral bloc scrambling to catch up.
But China isn’t acting alone. The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have emerged as a counterweight to trilateral dominance, challenging Western control over global institutions. Recent moves, like the establishment of the New Development Bank, signal a growing desire for economic independence from the U.S.-led order.
The Next 25 Years: A World in Flux
The trilateral system is far from dead, but its future looks bleak. Over the next 25 years, it’s likely to face even greater challenges:
The Rise of Regionalism - Trade blocs like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will continue to undermine trilateral dominance, as nations seek to decouple from Western-led supply chains.
Climate Crisis and Resource Wars - The scramble for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt will intensify, pitting the trilateral bloc against emerging powers like China and regional players in Africa and Latin America. The climate crisis will exacerbate these tensions, leading to more conflict and instability.
Internal Decay - The internal contradictions of the trilateral powers—economic inequality, political polarisation, and demographic challenges—will further weaken their ability to project power globally. The U.S., in particular, risks descending into outright dysfunction as its political system becomes increasingly gridlocked.
Conclusion: Trilateralism on Borrowed Time
The "three-sided world" Chomsky described in 1992 is still recognisable, but it’s running on borrowed time. The U.S., Europe, and Japan remain powerful, but their dominance is being eroded by rising powers, regional alliances, and their own systemic failures. The question is not whether the trilateral system will collapse, but how much damage it will cause on its way down. The world it leaves behind will be more fragmented, more unstable, and—if we’re lucky—more open to alternatives that prioritise people over profits. One thing is clear: the days of uncontested trilateral dominance are over, and good riddance.
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