Global Disorder: The World in Fragments

By Mehraj U Din Bhat

A World Out of Joint

If the early years of the 21st century carried whispers of a new age of cooperation, those echoes have now been drowned out by the noise of conflict. The international system today is less about rules and more about ruptures, consensus, and coercion. From the battlefields of Ukraine to the burning streets of Nepal, from the restless waters of the South China Sea to the deserts of Africa, the story is one of turbulence and fragmentation. This is what many call a global disorder—a world where institutions falter, alliances wobble, and crises multiply faster than they can be managed.

Europe’s War and Its Fragile Architecture

Europe, which once prided itself on being a zone of peace after the Cold War, has again been thrust into a large-scale conflict. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shattered the assumption that borders in Europe were inviolable. The war has not only devastated Ukraine but has also exposed the fragility of Europe’s security architecture. NATO has found a new purpose; however, questions persist regarding the duration of Western unity.

Energy shocks, soaring food prices, and waves of refugees have tested the cohesion of the European Union. Within, political cracks deepen: Hungary often sides with Moscow, Germany remains hesitant, and the Baltic states and Poland sound alarms for more robust deterrence. The war has hardened the continent, but it has also revealed that the “European project” rests heavily on American power. A continent that aspired to strategic autonomy now finds itself dependent once again.

West Asia: Old Fires, New Sparks

If Europe’s disorder is recent, West Asia’s is tragically perennial. The ongoing Palestinian issue remains a catalyst for cycles of violence that shape regional politics. Israel’s shadow conflict with Iran—through cyberattacks, assassinations, and proxy battles in Syria and Lebanon—keeps the region on high alert.

Since 2001, the Middle East has been the graveyard of stability: Iraq was torn apart, Syria descended into civil war, and Yemen became the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. The Arab Spring promised democracy, but in most places, it delivered stronger authoritarianism. In 2020, the Abraham Accords opened channels of normalization between Israel and Arab states, yet the Palestinian issue continues to stir anger among Arabs.

Meanwhile, the United States—once the region’s hegemon—has pulled back, weary from the costly wars. Into that vacuum stepped Russia, Iran, and increasingly China, each with their own designs. Disorder here is not the absence of power but the clash of too many powers, each pulling in a different direction.

                                           South Asia’s Multiple Fault Lines

Closer to home, South Asia reflects the same story of fragile states and unsettled politics as the Middle East. Pakistan drifts between weak civilian rule and military dominance, compounded by economic collapse and violent extremism. Bangladesh faces political unrest as elections loom, with opposition parties alleging an authoritarian drift. Sri Lanka is still reeling from its financial meltdown, surviving on IMF support but being haunted by memories of mass protests. ‘Regime changes’ or ‘Regime Degradation’ is a common place now in the region, external powers pushing for their interests.

Meanwhile, Myanmar is in the throes of a civil war after the 2021 coup. Ethnic militias, pro-democracy forces, and the military junta are waging war across the country, turning Myanmar into a chessboard for great powers. China hedges its bets by courting all sides to protect its projects, India worries about cross-border insurgencies, and the United States supports the exiled government.

India, aspiring for global power status, is sandwiched between its role as a regional stabilizer and its rivalry with China. South Asia, rather than being a zone of cooperation, remains the most under-integrated region in the world, a reminder that geography alone does not create unity.

The Indo-Pacific: An Emerging Epicenter

If one must choose the cockpit of future conflict, the Indo-Pacific is a strong candidate. The United States and China are locked in a rivalry that stretches from trade wars to technology bans, from the Taiwan Strait to the South China Sea. The Quad (India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia) and AUCUS (Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.) are attempts to balance Beijing’s assertiveness, but ASEAN countries remain ambivalent—economically tied to China but reliant on U.S. security.

For China, the Indo-Pacific is about breaking out of what it sees as American encirclement. For the U.S., it is about preventing China from rewriting the rules of the international order. The tension here is not episodic; it is structural and thus enduring. Disorder in the Indo-Pacific is a contest over which century it will be.

Africa: The Forgotten but Critical Continent

If disorder has a forgotten theatre, it is in Africa. In recent years, the continent has seen a spate of military coups: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger—all replacing elected governments with juntas. Sudan has collapsed into civil war, and Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict has left thousands dead. Climate shocks, such as desertification in the Sahel and floods in East Africa, compound human suffering across the globe.

External actors circle like vultures. Russia’s Wagner Group supports regimes in exchange for resource concessions. China builds infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative to secure its influence. The U.S. maintains counterterrorism operations but with diminishing returns. Worried about migration, Europe focuses more on containment than development. Disorder in Africa does not remain in Africa—it travels in the form of refugees, instability, and radicalization.

Global Challenges Without Borders

Overlaying these regional crises are global problems that defy national borders. The climate crisis intensifies disasters: Pakistan’s floods displaced millions, Europe burned under wildfires, and African famines worsened. Cyberwarfare is now routine: Russian attacks on Ukraine’s grid, Chinese and American cyber-espionage, and ransomware crippling hospitals and banks.

Crime also adapts to disorder. Drug trafficking, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and human smuggling routes flourish in these lawless zones. Democracy itself is in retreat—polarization weakens the United States, strongmen dominate Turkey and Hungary, India faces debates over its democratic credentials, and Brazil wrestles with populism.

Global institutions that were meant to manage these crises often stand paralyzed. The United Nations Security Council is hostage to vetoes. The WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism lies dormant. Even the World Health Organization, which was vital during the pandemic, was caught in the geopolitical crossfire. The result was a vacuum of authority.

A Leadership Vacuum

Disorder is not just about conflict; it is also about the absence of credible leadership in the region. Although powerful, the U.S. is inward-looking, and its politics is consumed by partisan battles. China is rising but is mistrusted and seen as more coercive than cooperative. Europe is divided and hesitant to act. Russia plays the role of a spoiler, revisionist,but isolated. Middle powers—India, Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa—aspire to influence but lack a collective direction.

In this fragmented landscape, no single actor has the legitimacy or capacity to implement solutions. The world resembles an orchestra without a conductor: plenty of noise and little harmony.

Conclusion: Living With Disorder

The 20th century saw two world wars and a Cold War, each followed by a rebuilding of order. The tragedy of the present is that disorder grows without a clear pathway to renewal or resolution. The Ukraine war drags on, West Asia festers, South Asia wobbles, Africa bleeds, the Indo-Pacific tightens, and the planet warms.

However, disorder is not destiny. It is a call to rethink cooperation, rediscover diplomacy, and repair institutions. Waiting for a catastrophe to force change is a dangerous historical habit. As the global landscape fractures, the responsibility of leaders is stark: to prevent the slide into chaos from becoming permanent.

If there is one truth about disorder, it is this: it spreads faster than stability.