American economist and foreign policy expert Jeffrey Sachs has asserted that the United States remains trapped in a 1950s ideology, mistakenly believing itself to be the world's undisputed leader. Speaking at the 'Aristotle-Confucius Symposium' 2026 in Varanasi, Sachs criticized both the US and Europe for attempting to maintain an outdated form of global hegemony, which he links directly to current international conflicts, particularly in West Asia.
The Persistence of Hegemony
According to Sachs, the prevailing mindset in Washington and European capitals is one where the West still reigns supreme. He did not mince words, suggesting that the US has a president whose worldview is stuck in an era where America was the unquestioned 'boss.'
"The United States is stuck in an ideology of 1950. And it is fitting we have a president who is stuck somewhere around age three in his development, and his world is a world in which the US is the boss," Sachs stated.
Europe, too, shares this anachronistic perspective. Sachs specifically highlighted Britain's "phantom empire syndrome," where despite losing its colonial power, it continues to operate with an imperial mindset. This collective adherence to past dominance, he argues, is a primary driver of ongoing hostilities.
"This is why we have the wars that we have, because the idea is that the United States is still trying to maintain its supposed hegemony – whether it is in Europe vis-à-vis Russia, an ancient enmity that goes back to the British Empire in the 19th century... We are at war because the United States thinks that it runs that country, which is quite odd," Sachs elaborated. He cited the situation in Iran, where he claims the US believes it dictates the country's leadership, disregarding its rich, ancient civilization.
A Shifting Global Landscape
Looking ahead, Sachs presented a stark vision of global power shifts by 2100. He predicted that three-quarters of the world's population would reside in Asia and Africa. Africa alone is projected to account for approximately 30 percent of the global population and a similar share of the world economy.
Asia is expected to hold slightly less than half of the world's population, with significant demographic changes within the continent. Sachs forecasted that India would likely possess twice the population of China by the end of the century and emerge as the single largest economy in the world. These deep demographic and economic trends, he stressed, underscore the urgent need for Western nations to adapt to a multipolar world rather than clinging to a unipolar past.