Khartoum and the Polycrisis

The situation in the Horn of Africa and southern Sahel is a horrific prelude to the coming collapse. And of course there are plenty of other "conflict zones" that can be pointed to in the Caribbean and Middle East and Eastern Europe, but Africa is where the USA and allies have been focused in their failed "war on terror" and illustrates the complete incoherance of Western foreign policy. One might have thought following the debacle of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya there would be some new thinking around "development goals". But no, Capital can only do what Capital does. Which is exploit and extract and accumulate. One might have thought there would be a re-examination of neo-imperialist modes of supporting corrupt autocrats and arming local militias. But no. Imperialists can only think on one level. The fancier the weapon, the more profit there is. One might even think there might be some questioning about starting a new Cold War at a time when climate breakdown will require not just an incredible amount of resources but cooperation between world powers. But no. Liberal capitalist "democracy" only has one playbook, a very worn and tattered and thoroughly discredited playbook, but it requires conflict and competition. The Great Game. In which we are all losers.