The contemporary world is in a situation where signs of moral collapse, weakening of the international order, and normalization of structural violence are simultaneously visible. This article, with an analytical and strategic approach, examines the role of unhealthy political leadership especially during the presidency of Donald Trump in exacerbating global crises and shows how the combination of irresponsible leadership, privatization of war and peace, revival of proxy terrorism, and unlimited campaigns have brought the world closer to a pre-war and dangerous stage; a stage that can be considered the threshold of World War III.
Publish dateSaturday 31 January 2026 - 09:55
Story Code : 345059
1. The World on the Threshold of the Pre-War Stage
The contemporary world is standing at a stage that can be considered the intersection of accumulated historical, moral, and strategic crises. The signs of this situation are neither hidden nor undeniable: the unprecedented proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the weakening of international institutions, the normalization of war and sanctions, and the gradual collapse of moral standards in world politics. World War III has not yet officially begun, but the fact is that the world has entered a pre-war phase; a phase in which a miscalculation, an emotional decision, or irresponsible leadership could spark the collapse of human civilization.
2. The Nature of the Future War: A War of Mutual Annihilation
The fundamental difference between this potential war and previous world wars lies in its nature. If World Wars I and II ultimately ended with the victory of one bloc and the defeat of the other, World War III - if it occurs - will not be a war of victory. It will be a war of mutual annihilation. Nuclear, biological, and technological weapons have been developed in such a way that their widespread use will target not only the enemy, but the entire structure of human life. In such a scenario, no country would be immune; neither the United States, nor Russia, nor China, nor the Islamic world, nor any regional power. The notion of “great power security” is an illusion rooted in the experience of World War II, an experience that cannot be repeated.
3. Unhealthy political leadership as an accelerator of the crisis
Trump and the collapse of the rules-based order
In this fragile context, the issue of political leadership assumes decisive importance. History has shown that the decline of civilizations often begins with the decline of the ruling elite. One of the turning points in the acceleration of the collapse of the global order was the period when the United States came under the leadership of Donald Trump; a period in which the last remnants of the rules-based order - however unfair and selective - were openly undermined. Withdrawal from international agreements, disregard for international law, contempt for multilateral institutions, open threats of force, and unconditional support for occupation and massacre have led the United States from a hidden hegemony to a naked hegemony of aggression, sanctions, and plunder.
4. Trump as a civilizational “digger”
A fire that will engulf America first
The emergence of such a figure at the head of a great power has shown how a combination of incompetence, narcissism, lack of morality, and strategic ignorance can lead the world to disaster. A foreign policy based on crude bargaining and constant provocation of crises has not only undermined global security, but has also exposed the United States to the very storm it itself created. This fact must be stated with scientific clarity: if World War III occurs, it will not be a repeat of World War II, and the United States will not stand on the safe side this time. The power that ignited the fires of instability will itself burn at the center of its consequences.
5. The Deeper Root of the Crisis: The Separation of Power from Morality
However, focusing solely on one individual or one state blinds us to the deeper root of the crisis. The core problem is the structure of civilization that has separated power from morality and replaced human values with interests. In recent decades, the world has witnessed the normalization of crimes that once shocked the human conscience. The killing of civilians, the economic blockade of nations, the deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, and the infliction of mass suffering on women and children have become legitimate tools of politics. This trend is a sign of a widespread moral collapse.
6. The Recurring Pattern of Cruelty and Impunity
This is not unprecedented from a historical perspective. Empires have fallen when they institutionalized cruelty and ignored warnings. But what makes the situation even more dangerous today is the connection of this oppression with destructive technologies. From Burma to Bosnia, from Palestine to Afghanistan, from Iraq to Gaza, from Kashmir to East Turkestan, a single pattern has been repeated: impunity of power, silence of the international community and victimization of the innocent. This silence, from a moral and religious perspective, is not neutrality; it is indirect participation in oppression.
7. The Middle East; the Central Node of a Global Explosion
The world today stands on the threshold of one of the most dangerous turning points in its history; a situation in which a series of seemingly separate crises are converging at a focal point. The Middle East, due to the unprecedented concentration of geopolitical interests, identity gaps, energy resources and the direct and indirect presence of great powers, has become the central node of this convergence. What distinguishes this region from other crisis zones is not simply the intensity of the conflicts, but their simultaneous connection to the larger competitions between the United States, Russia, and China. In such circumstances, no conflict in the Middle East remains limited and local; every potential crisis has the potential to become a trans-regional chain reaction.
From a strategic perspective, the intensification of the United States’ military posture in the region, along with the increasing role of Russia and China, has transformed the Middle East into a laboratory for hybrid warfare.
8. The privatization of war, Trump’s “peace council” and the reproduction of proxy terrorism
At the same time as this military arrangement, signs of another dangerous structural transformation have also become apparent: the movement of the international system towards the privatization of war and peace. Plans such as the “peace council” for Gaza, which were proposed during and after the Trump presidency, resemble corporate crisis management models rather than being based on the logic of international law and the will of nations. In this model, peace is not the result of justice and eliminating the roots of conflict, but the product of contracts, investments, and the balance of interests of economic and political actors. War is reduced from a human catastrophe to an “economic opportunity,” and peace is reduced from a collective right to a tradable commodity. The consequence of such a view is the weakening of the concept of the nation-state and its replacement by supranational mechanisms lacking democratic accountability. Along with this trend, the controlled reproduction of proxy terrorism as a tool of destabilization forms the third side of this equation. The transfer of thousands of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq, in ambiguous conditions and without legal transparency, is not simply considered a security measure, but is a sign of a calculated relocation of the centers of insecurity. In this logic, ISIS and similar groups are not enemies to be completely destroyed, but rather tools for crisis management, justifying military presence, and exerting pressure on independent regional actors. The experience of the last two decades has shown that the activation of such networks, rather than creating stability, leads to long-term security erosion, the destruction of social capital, and the spread of insecurity on a transregional scale. The combination of the privatization of war and peace with the reproduction of terrorism paints a disturbing picture of a future in which instability, not the exception, but the rule of the global order.
9. Possible Future: Endless War and Buyable Peace
When three seemingly independent but in practice interconnected trends—massive military campaigns, the privatization of the peace process, and the controlled reproduction of proxy terrorism—are brought together, a different picture of war in the 21st century emerges, one that is fundamentally different from the classic patterns of 20th-century world wars. In this new framework, war is conceived not as an exceptional event limited in time, but as a stable and manageable situation. The main goal is no longer the seizure of territory or the decisive defeat of the enemy, but the gradual erosion of the economic, social and identity capacities of the target societies; an erosion that can continue for years or even decades, without war being officially declared.
The difference between World War III—if it occurs—and previous wars lies precisely in this. This war will be a war without final victory; a networked, multilayered war without clear geographical boundaries, the main arena of which is not only the land, sea and air, but also the minds, the economy, the media and the social cohesion of nations. In such an order, peace also loses its essence and, from a stable situation based on justice, becomes a tradable commodity; a conditional, temporary peace, dependent on political and economic contracts.
The result of this process is a world in which instability becomes the norm and societies, even without direct presence on the battlefield, are exposed to the consequences of war, the end of which is not predictable
10. Strategic Conclusion
The world today is on the brink of World War III, but this war has not yet officially begun. The fact is that major wars in modern history begin not with an official declaration, but with the accumulation of crises, the gradual erosion of peace institutions and the weakening of moral standards. Current trends show that we are living in an era of pre-war; an era in which every immature political decision, every uncontrolled incident and every miscalculation can activate a chain of reactions and quickly push the world order towards collapse.
What emerges from this strategic analysis is that the future war, if it occurs, is not an event but a process; A process in which military campaigns, the privatization of peace, and the reproduction of proxy terrorism work together to create an endless war and a bought peace. In such a situation, the distinction between peace and war becomes blurred, and societies, even without directly facing the battlefield, are exposed to the long-term and destructive consequences of this war. This feature distinguishes the future war from past wars and indicates that “victory” in this war will lose its traditional meaning.
Finally, this is a strategic warning: the future is not yet certain, but if current trends continue without understanding, analysis, and containment, the world will move towards a war that will lead not one side, but all, to collapse. To prevent such a scenario, it is essential that the international community, instead of relying on the logic of force and dominance, return to the logic of morality, law, and mutual cooperation; and instead of privatizing peace and war, create transparent and humane mechanisms for resolving crises. On this path, awareness, internal unity, and strategic wisdom of nations will be the most important tools for survival.
The contemporary world is standing at a stage that can be considered the intersection of accumulated historical, moral, and strategic crises. The signs of this situation are neither hidden nor undeniable: the unprecedented proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the weakening of international institutions, the normalization of war and sanctions, and the gradual collapse of moral standards in world politics. World War III has not yet officially begun, but the fact is that the world has entered a pre-war phase; a phase in which a miscalculation, an emotional decision, or irresponsible leadership could spark the collapse of human civilization.
2. The Nature of the Future War: A War of Mutual Annihilation
The fundamental difference between this potential war and previous world wars lies in its nature. If World Wars I and II ultimately ended with the victory of one bloc and the defeat of the other, World War III - if it occurs - will not be a war of victory. It will be a war of mutual annihilation. Nuclear, biological, and technological weapons have been developed in such a way that their widespread use will target not only the enemy, but the entire structure of human life. In such a scenario, no country would be immune; neither the United States, nor Russia, nor China, nor the Islamic world, nor any regional power. The notion of “great power security” is an illusion rooted in the experience of World War II, an experience that cannot be repeated.
3. Unhealthy political leadership as an accelerator of the crisis
Trump and the collapse of the rules-based order
In this fragile context, the issue of political leadership assumes decisive importance. History has shown that the decline of civilizations often begins with the decline of the ruling elite. One of the turning points in the acceleration of the collapse of the global order was the period when the United States came under the leadership of Donald Trump; a period in which the last remnants of the rules-based order - however unfair and selective - were openly undermined. Withdrawal from international agreements, disregard for international law, contempt for multilateral institutions, open threats of force, and unconditional support for occupation and massacre have led the United States from a hidden hegemony to a naked hegemony of aggression, sanctions, and plunder.
4. Trump as a civilizational “digger”
A fire that will engulf America first
The emergence of such a figure at the head of a great power has shown how a combination of incompetence, narcissism, lack of morality, and strategic ignorance can lead the world to disaster. A foreign policy based on crude bargaining and constant provocation of crises has not only undermined global security, but has also exposed the United States to the very storm it itself created. This fact must be stated with scientific clarity: if World War III occurs, it will not be a repeat of World War II, and the United States will not stand on the safe side this time. The power that ignited the fires of instability will itself burn at the center of its consequences.
5. The Deeper Root of the Crisis: The Separation of Power from Morality
However, focusing solely on one individual or one state blinds us to the deeper root of the crisis. The core problem is the structure of civilization that has separated power from morality and replaced human values with interests. In recent decades, the world has witnessed the normalization of crimes that once shocked the human conscience. The killing of civilians, the economic blockade of nations, the deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, and the infliction of mass suffering on women and children have become legitimate tools of politics. This trend is a sign of a widespread moral collapse.
6. The Recurring Pattern of Cruelty and Impunity
This is not unprecedented from a historical perspective. Empires have fallen when they institutionalized cruelty and ignored warnings. But what makes the situation even more dangerous today is the connection of this oppression with destructive technologies. From Burma to Bosnia, from Palestine to Afghanistan, from Iraq to Gaza, from Kashmir to East Turkestan, a single pattern has been repeated: impunity of power, silence of the international community and victimization of the innocent. This silence, from a moral and religious perspective, is not neutrality; it is indirect participation in oppression.
7. The Middle East; the Central Node of a Global Explosion
The world today stands on the threshold of one of the most dangerous turning points in its history; a situation in which a series of seemingly separate crises are converging at a focal point. The Middle East, due to the unprecedented concentration of geopolitical interests, identity gaps, energy resources and the direct and indirect presence of great powers, has become the central node of this convergence. What distinguishes this region from other crisis zones is not simply the intensity of the conflicts, but their simultaneous connection to the larger competitions between the United States, Russia, and China. In such circumstances, no conflict in the Middle East remains limited and local; every potential crisis has the potential to become a trans-regional chain reaction.
From a strategic perspective, the intensification of the United States’ military posture in the region, along with the increasing role of Russia and China, has transformed the Middle East into a laboratory for hybrid warfare.
8. The privatization of war, Trump’s “peace council” and the reproduction of proxy terrorism
At the same time as this military arrangement, signs of another dangerous structural transformation have also become apparent: the movement of the international system towards the privatization of war and peace. Plans such as the “peace council” for Gaza, which were proposed during and after the Trump presidency, resemble corporate crisis management models rather than being based on the logic of international law and the will of nations. In this model, peace is not the result of justice and eliminating the roots of conflict, but the product of contracts, investments, and the balance of interests of economic and political actors. War is reduced from a human catastrophe to an “economic opportunity,” and peace is reduced from a collective right to a tradable commodity. The consequence of such a view is the weakening of the concept of the nation-state and its replacement by supranational mechanisms lacking democratic accountability. Along with this trend, the controlled reproduction of proxy terrorism as a tool of destabilization forms the third side of this equation. The transfer of thousands of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq, in ambiguous conditions and without legal transparency, is not simply considered a security measure, but is a sign of a calculated relocation of the centers of insecurity. In this logic, ISIS and similar groups are not enemies to be completely destroyed, but rather tools for crisis management, justifying military presence, and exerting pressure on independent regional actors. The experience of the last two decades has shown that the activation of such networks, rather than creating stability, leads to long-term security erosion, the destruction of social capital, and the spread of insecurity on a transregional scale. The combination of the privatization of war and peace with the reproduction of terrorism paints a disturbing picture of a future in which instability, not the exception, but the rule of the global order.
9. Possible Future: Endless War and Buyable Peace
When three seemingly independent but in practice interconnected trends—massive military campaigns, the privatization of the peace process, and the controlled reproduction of proxy terrorism—are brought together, a different picture of war in the 21st century emerges, one that is fundamentally different from the classic patterns of 20th-century world wars. In this new framework, war is conceived not as an exceptional event limited in time, but as a stable and manageable situation. The main goal is no longer the seizure of territory or the decisive defeat of the enemy, but the gradual erosion of the economic, social and identity capacities of the target societies; an erosion that can continue for years or even decades, without war being officially declared.
The difference between World War III—if it occurs—and previous wars lies precisely in this. This war will be a war without final victory; a networked, multilayered war without clear geographical boundaries, the main arena of which is not only the land, sea and air, but also the minds, the economy, the media and the social cohesion of nations. In such an order, peace also loses its essence and, from a stable situation based on justice, becomes a tradable commodity; a conditional, temporary peace, dependent on political and economic contracts.
The result of this process is a world in which instability becomes the norm and societies, even without direct presence on the battlefield, are exposed to the consequences of war, the end of which is not predictable
10. Strategic Conclusion
The world today is on the brink of World War III, but this war has not yet officially begun. The fact is that major wars in modern history begin not with an official declaration, but with the accumulation of crises, the gradual erosion of peace institutions and the weakening of moral standards. Current trends show that we are living in an era of pre-war; an era in which every immature political decision, every uncontrolled incident and every miscalculation can activate a chain of reactions and quickly push the world order towards collapse.
What emerges from this strategic analysis is that the future war, if it occurs, is not an event but a process; A process in which military campaigns, the privatization of peace, and the reproduction of proxy terrorism work together to create an endless war and a bought peace. In such a situation, the distinction between peace and war becomes blurred, and societies, even without directly facing the battlefield, are exposed to the long-term and destructive consequences of this war. This feature distinguishes the future war from past wars and indicates that “victory” in this war will lose its traditional meaning.
Finally, this is a strategic warning: the future is not yet certain, but if current trends continue without understanding, analysis, and containment, the world will move towards a war that will lead not one side, but all, to collapse. To prevent such a scenario, it is essential that the international community, instead of relying on the logic of force and dominance, return to the logic of morality, law, and mutual cooperation; and instead of privatizing peace and war, create transparent and humane mechanisms for resolving crises. On this path, awareness, internal unity, and strategic wisdom of nations will be the most important tools for survival.
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