A World Without America?

By Dr Khairi Janbek

Away from the condom politics which seems to be just an obsession of a Washington administration suffering from erectile dysfunction, on thought it would be intriguing to imagine a world without America, which means deep cultural, economic as well as political implications. It’s a thought experiment which forces one to imagine how the world would look like without the specific influence, history and power dynamics that the USA has shaped.

On the geopolitical and global power level, other nations would have to step in into the void, vying for influence. Europe, China, Russia and India would probably play a central role on global politics, in addition, the Security Council of the UN will start looking very different, Europe would become the dominant force strengthening its collective military and political capabilities.

In terms of culture and society, American has played a central role in shaping global pop culture, Hollywood, music, fashion and hi-tech, indeed other nations would have come in, in Asia South Korea, Japan and India would take a central role in shaping global culture, with Europe asserting itself in the arts and literature.

In technology and innovation, the US has produced Silicon Valley and leading corporations in software, hardware and AI, however without, China and Europe would fill the hitech leadership role which probably would accelerate their breakthroughs.

As for the economy, without America, the world economy would be real different, the US dollar would not be the world reserve currency, with the Euro and the Yuan, being the global standard. Trade dynamics would be rearranged and institutions like the World Bank and the IMF would have other substitutes.

Regarding military and defense, American power is unmatched , without it global security dynamics would shift drastically, NATO might not exist, while regions powers like Russia, China and India, would become more aggressive in asserting their influence.

In terms of the environment and social movements, the US has been at the forefront of global debates on climate change, social Justice and human rights; taking note of course, with mixed results, but without it, certainly others would take the lead, for a start, Europe has been a leader in pushing for climate action , and in social action, countries like Brazil, South Africa, would fill in the gap with most probably leading to different outcomes. But , the USA has been a major donor for global and humanitarian aid, and their contribution would have to be substituted by other coalitions, which one assumes would be limited only to crisis.

Essentially, a world system without America, the international system would be less centered around one dominant great power, as power would be more diffuse with multiple centers of influence and more regional power struggles, but at the end of the day, the purpose for the use of condoms would be much clearer.

Dr Janbek is an opinion writer based in Paris

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Jordan’s Ex-deputy PM Responds to Trump’s Gaza Statements  

“The US aid to Jordan is not free, but linked to America benefiting from its military bases on the land of the Kingdom,” Jordan’s ex-Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Mamdouh Al-Abadi responded to the statement made by United States President Donald Trump’s about the possibility of transferring Gaza residents to Jordan according to the assawsana Arabic website.

“If the US wanted to pay only the rent for the land, it would have needed to pay a much larger amount than the amount of aid provided to Jordan,” he added in a press statement.

“The United States of America wants to use aid to pressure governments and countries to accept its dictates.” He stressed Jordan’s position, which King Abdullah II has repeatedly announced, is clear and explicit in rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian people.

Al-Abadi stressed the US president will not continue to pressure Jordan but back down from his demands and statements, as happened in the decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization. He expected that the decision to stop aid will not last for more than three months.

He stressed that Trump’s statements will not change the reality on the ground at all for the people of Gaza remain steadfast on their land and the Palestinian people will not submit to any dictates or pressures to displace, and the interviews on television screens with the people of Gaza are the greatest response to the occupation and to what Trump said.

Al Abadi stressed the scenes of people returning to their towns in north Gaza, Monday, are the greatest response to the Trump utterings and that of the occupation government regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people. He described the scenes of people returning as a historic event that expresses the legendary steadfastness of such great people and the victory over the enemy.

He added the message of the Gazan is reaching the whole world as clinging to their land and no Israeli army, American, or any other force in the world can expel them, as their slogan has become either ‘death or land,’ and do not accept any alternative to their homeland, neither to Jordan nor Egypt.

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‘Not Displacement But a Two-State Solution’

By Khaled Shaqran

Jordan’s posture on the Palestinian question has always been firm and clear: Jordan is not, and will never be, an alternative homeland for Palestinians.

This position is not merely a political statement but a historical commitment rooted in the principle of justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Jordan rejects any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause or deny the rights of Palestinians under whatsoever pretext.

In reality, Jordan, which has historically served as a safe haven for those fleeing wars and persecution, is already under immense pressure on its resources and infrastructure due to the accumulated influx of refugees from successive waves of migration. It cannot bear the burden of accommodating more refugees or the multifaceted challenges their presence would bring.

The Palestinian people cannot abandon their homeland, no matter the pressures or threats they face. For Palestinians, their land is not merely territory but identity, history, and shared destiny. They will continue to hold onto it until their legitimate rights are realized. Palestinians will not relinquish an inch of their land, neither through enticement nor intimidation, and will persist in their struggle to achieve their dream of freedom and justice.

No short-term solutions would resolve the issue and end the long-running conflict, as some believe.

While the United States, as a global power, can propose initiatives and exert political pressure, it can never erase an entire people and their just cause. Despite the systematic killing, repression, destruction, and unprecedented exclusionary practices supported by some influential international powers, the Palestinian people have never stopped and will never stop fighting for their legitimate rights, paramount of which is the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent state of their own.

It is also crucial for the international community to understand that the Palestinian issue is not merely a regional conflict that can be resolved through short-lived settlements. It is a human rights issue tied to the lives of an entire people and their ongoing struggle for freedom and independence. Therefore, any solution that does not rest on the foundation of comprehensive justice will fail and will not bring lasting peace. The only solution to this conflict is a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The two-state solution is the only viable formula that enjoys international consensus and reflects the will of the region’s peoples for coexistence in peace and security. Palestine, as both land and cause, is not negotiable or to be ever terminated, and Palestinian rights are historical and legitimate, beyond the power of any force to erase or deny.

It is historically inevitable all occupations eventually end, and it is time for the international community to recognize that this conflict cannot be resolved through displacement, killing, or destruction, but by achieving justice for the Palestinian people. Any solution that does not rely on the two-state framework will remain unattainable. The Palestinian cause will persist as a struggle for rights and freedom, and the region will not enjoy security, stability, or peace until the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Khaled Shaqran is a columnist in the Jordan Times

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Nobel: The Merchant of Death


By Saleem Ayoub Quna


One must really feel sad to discover that, he or she, has been used or manipulated for a long time by others who pretend otherwise! It will be much worse if one does not do something about it, afterwards.
This is I discovered when I accidentally learned more about the most prestigious international prize called the “Nobel Prize” in its five major categories: Physical science, chemistry, medical science, literature and peace.


This prize is well known worldwide for two main reasons. But we tend to focus on one and disregard the other. The first reason is the prize founder’s name, “Alfred Nobel”, became associated with the most important award man can aspire in modern times, in terms of money and prestige. It is the most prestigious and sought after award in the world!


The other less known reason, but nevertheless no less important, is that its holder’s name is the only one which is, exclusively, linked to the invention of “dynamite” in the late 19th century! That invention was a turning point not only in this man’s life or his country, but in the course of world history. Dynamite was first used to dig out tunnels, build dams, railways, open canals between oceans and so forth. Automatically, that helped, already advanced industrial nations in Europe, to develop and strengthen their economies and improve scientific achievements at home and abroad.


The invention of dynamite which is a kind of ammunition, gradually proved to be most profitable and rewarding enterprise for those involved in it. The appetite to use them became phenomenal to the extent that the number of humans killed, just after the historical invention, drastically surpassed all those who were killed, anteriorly, by other more conventional weapons or natural disasters. The whole issue later became an integral part of manufacturing military hardware which kept developing and expanding until the world reached the era of “weapons of mass destruction” that is causing all the pain and trouble facing people everywhere on this planet since then.


While this multi-faceted tragedy and drama is going on, many people around the world, especially among the cream of the cream strata of scientists, intellectuals, inventors and leaders, and they are in the thousands, working independently or for famed institutions, are counting the days and hours, to see their names, at least, nominated for one the five categories prize, without the slightest effort on their part to know the original story behind all of this big historical farce.


A second turning point in the life of Alfred Nobel took place in 1888. That year a brother of his with the name of Ludwig who was visiting the city of Cannes, south of France, passed away. Alfred had five brothers. A local French newspaper, taking Ludwig for Alfred, picked the news and ran a report on its front page with a dramatic title: “The merchant of death died”!

When Alfred read the paper he was upset. He started contemplating ways to redress this personal dilemma and re-polish his tarnished reputation. It was not until 1895, i.e. seven years after he was described as merchant of death, and just one year before he died, that he decided to include in his will a paragraph that detailed the criteria and conditions of specified financial rewards under a special fund called the “Nobel Prize”, to be granted to all candidates, regardless of their nationality, religion, color or ethnical background. In that year, Alfred’s business empire included 90 operating factories of dynamite and ammunition scattered around the world!

However, the first award distributing ceremony did not take place until 1901 in Stockholm on the 5th anniversary of his death.

Among the hundreds of nominees for the different categories of the award and since its inauguration in 1901, the Nobel Prize was declined by two candidates only: A Vietnamese politician and negotiator named LE DUC THO who was nominated along with no other than Henry Kissinger, to share the Nobel Peace Prize, saying that he did not deserve it because peace was not achieved in Vietnam yet at that time in the year 1973.


The second candidate who declined the prize for literature was the French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre, saying that he always declined official honors.


Conclusion: Trying to be nominated for the Nobel Prize especially for “Peace”, let alone accepting it is not so different from believing in fake prophets or opportunist politicians whose actions and deeds categorically contradict their preaching and teaching. I have no illusion that any of those who genuinely work for peace on this earth, but “circumstantially” get nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, will one day, refuse to be trapped in this silk web!

This opinion was especially written for Crossfire Arabia by Saleem Ayoub Quna who is a Jordanian author writing on local, regional and international affairs and has two books published. He has a BA in English Literature from Jordan University, a diploma from Paris and an MA from Johns Hopkins University in Washington. He also has working knowledge of French and German.

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Calls to Displace Palestinians is a New Battle For Jordan

By Samih Maaitah

As Jordan has only just recovered from the aggression on Gaza and has seen some relief along its northern borders, the issue of displacement has resurfaced once again. This time, it arises either from Gaza, exploiting the humanitarian and political catastrophe it faces, or from the occupied West Bank, where Netanyahu’s most right-wing government continues to escalate security and military tensions.

From the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, Jordan understood that the goal was to displace its people. Alongside its Egyptian brothers and other Arab and international parties, Jordan worked to confront this scheme. Jordan is fully aware that displacement is not just about relocating Gaza’s residents to another country; it is about dismantling the Palestinian cause and undermining its major pillars. Amman is cognizant that Israel seeks a Palestine without Palestinians and, through displacement, it seeks to destroy the prospects for a Palestinian state and the right of return.

Jordan, which has already received millions of Palestinians and millions of others due to the region’s endless crises and wars, has paid a heavy price in terms of its limited resources and political stability. Each wave of migration—most recently from Syria—has come at a significant cost. Jordan is aware that accepting any number of people from Gaza or elsewhere is no longer acceptable or tolerable, especially given the political implications for Jordan’s demographic composition, its national identity, and the Palestinian national identity.

Logic dictates that after all these wars and acts of aggression, the world should seek to resolve the Palestinian issue by granting Palestinians their rights on their national soil. It should not seek solutions to address Israel’s so-called security concerns by emptying Palestinian land of its people and displacing them to other countries.

Jordanians will not accept any solution at the expense of their national identity, homeland, and state. Those who truly seek peace must understand that the path to peace lies in granting Palestinians their rights on their land, not through displacement or the illusion of peace based on a scheme that can only be described as a liquidation of the Palestinian cause.

The writer is a columnist in the Jordan Times

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