*This episode was taped and written in September of 2025.

Trump’s tariffs might have recently been ruled unconstitutional, but the damage is already done. In our last episode (part one), we talked about how the U.S. established Western dominance for decades, only for Trump and his policies to accelerate a decline in alliances, soft power, and overall allegiance. Now, we’re diving deeper into what other countries are doing in the East and Global South to take back some independence within their economies.

Though China doesn’t represent the entirety of this shift, it is gaining the upper hand in terms of infrastructure and developing stronger supply chains throughout southeast Asia. While the U.S. still owns a vast majority of the world’s wealth, China is starting to take advantage of new opportunities and establish dominance in the East.

It’s not just because of the tariffs, though those did play a role. Trump’s latest presidency has also already served to alienate our allies (e.g. the EU, Canada, and Ukraine), and damage our image on the international stage. And just as U.S.-backed global policy has led to mass exploitation and under-development in the Global South, the world is now seeing the same conditions rampantly accelerate in the U.S–rising crime and mass shootings, civilian murders, mental health and opioid crises, inaccessible health care, and the list goes on.

More and more countries are exploring BRICS and BRI as viable alternatives to the Western neocolonial economic system and U.S. sanctions. They’re also exploring how to move away from U.S. dollar dominance, even setting up their own systems to move away from SWIFT and the IMF, which would enable trade in local currencies and an end to borrowing against U.S. debt.

The U.S. and the West have assumed for decades that its liberal democratic model is universal, and you know what happens when you assume. Now, the Global South is increasingly inspired by China’s state-led development and BRICS’ non-interventionist ethos.

It’s undeniable that there are limits to Western Capitalism, and we’re increasingly pushing up against those limits. Unregulated growth will have an end point, whether it’s because the environment can’t sustain it or the workers cannot.

BRICS+ are strategically positioned to reshape global power dynamics on a variety of factors:

* Energy

* Trade

* Natural resources

* Monetary sovereignty

* Technology & development

While the West still holds legacy power, the East has momentum, and the South has opportunity.

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Sources

Because this episode was researched and recorded in September 2025, some of our sources slipped through the cracks between outlining and editing, and we’ve included some titles below from our notes without links.

* The China vs. US battle for influence in Southeast Asia

* China’s financial rise and America’s economic strain

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The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough and Karla Georges, two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF.

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