Call it democracy in full swing in contemporary republics, but in my recent encounters with various domestic and international political and economic groups of interest, I find myself agreeing with their consensus: the restoration of liberal democracy in the latter part of the 20th century has been increasingly replaced by a rapid resurgence of right-wing rule, authoritarianism, and even fascism in many parts of the world—Asia included, and now under Trump in the United States.
Economic crises, exacerbated by climate emergencies, have become the principal factors compelling political regimes worldwide to abandon the democratic path to recovery.
The world’s largest economies—US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, and Australia—are grappling with worsening inflation and stagnation, and may already be sliding quickly towards a depression reminiscent of the pre-World War I and II eras. In response, they are ramping up trade tariffs and other protectionist measures to shield their economies from further decline. At the same time, these countries have grown more aggressive in pushing their imperialist agendas: expanding trade and markets, leveraging debt with developing nations, and engaging in proxy wars of aggression.
China, the second-largest economy in the world, is also experiencing economic implosion, driving the nation to adopt more aggressive foreign policies, particularly in Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Trump II has declared plans to hike tariffs on China and other North American countries while fanning extreme nationalism, with all the dangerous consequences that entails. Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil have already begun to push back.
The shrinking economies of many developing nations—such as the Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand—have been further battered by the neoliberal policies of economic liberalization, deregulation, and privatization. These policies are increasingly seen as burdens to the advanced capitalist countries, like the US, China, Russia, Germany, UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia. As a result, these countries are strengthening protectionist policies while imposing stringent economic measures on the developing world to maintain market access.
This pressure has driven many Asian countries toward monopolizing power and resorting to authoritarian tactics in order to implement the neoliberal agendas of monopoly capitalist powers.
The Philippines is showing signs of a similar shift, as the Marcos II regime grows more corrupt, authoritarian, and increasingly becomes an aggressive proxy in the US's pivot-to-Asia strategy. Meanwhile, other major political factions are resorting to squabbling tactics and even violence to seize power from the ruling regime.
Marcos and his new set of cronies have already labeled opposition to the GAA 2025 as part of a growing destabilization campaign, threatening harsher rule in response. Some well-placed civilian officials and senior military and police officers have noted that the political situation is becoming increasingly serious and alarming, and the upcoming election could be the perfect occasion for radical actions.
Yet, the more troubling aspect of this rising instability and the growing threat of authoritarian rule lies in the unchecked rise in the prices of basic commodities, the rising cost of public services, worsening unemployment, and the depressing conditions of workers across various industries. This is compounded by the continued and sweeping extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.
While many of us remain focused on our internal affairs, often mixing festive and fiery modes in the 2025 election campaign, the world around us presents greater challenges and poses a significant danger to humanity and world peace.