Time for Europe to Press the Reset Button

Mao Zedong’s words in 1967, spoken during his inspections across various regions of China, were not merely an observation but an affirmation of his belief in the transformative power of upheaval. At the height of the Cultural Revolution, the widespread mobilisation of the masses had plunged the country into profound chaos—a condition he considered advantageous.

A few weeks ago, I experienced a striking sense of déjà vu. The disruptive activities of Elon Musk’s “DOGE Team” of young executives, systematically dismantling entire government agencies in the United States in a bid to eradicate the so-called ‘Deep State’—a project both he and his political allies vehemently despise—evoked in me a distant yet undeniable parallel with Mao’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

My immediate response was to consult an AI assistant, which, while cautioning me against drawing simplistic comparisons, nonetheless acknowledged certain striking similarities. Nor am I alone in this perception. Several recent publications have drawn parallels between Musk’s actions within the U.S. government and historical upheavals such as Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Analysts like Orville Schell [1] and John Feffer [2] have pointed to the broader implications of this new breed of techno-authoritarian disruption.

Yet this is no imitation of China’s radical purges. Rather, it follows a distinctly Western blueprint—one that eerily resembles George Orwell’s dystopian vision in “1984” [3] beginning with the reconfiguration of language itself. The emergence of contemporary ‘newspeak’ [4] and the manipulation of political discourse signal a deeper transformation—one that warrants revisiting Orwell’s prophetic warnings with renewed urgency.

Europeans might be tempted to dismiss this spectacle across the Atlantic as another American idiosyncrasy. But complacency would be a grave mistake. This is not an isolated event; it is part of a broader geopolitical shift. The goal is nothing less than a comprehensive global reset—an agenda championed by Donald Trump himself.

This assertion is not mere speculation. A number of recent publications lend credence to the argument. Writing in Eurasia Review, Alastair Crooke contends in his article [5], Europe Faces a MAGA ‘Vibe-Shift’ as Trump Moves to His Primordial Objective: The Global Reset, that Trump’s eagerness to expedite a resolution to the Ukraine conflict—ostensibly to normalise relations with Russia—is in fact a prelude to a far-reaching reconfiguration of the global order. Crooke paints a bleak picture of the future for Europe and its leaders, who, in his view, remain oblivious to the gravity of the moment.

Similarly, Hal Brands [6], in his Foreign Affairs article [7] The Renegade Order, presents a clear and coherent articulation of the U.S. worldview—one that appears, at first glance, to be a rational and logical framework. Yet upon closer examination, it becomes evident that reality has been significantly contorted to fit a particular narrative.

What emerges is a continuity of the 19^th-century doctrine encapsulated by the term Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined by journalist John O’Sullivan. The notion that Trump is merely extending this expansionist tradition is not questioned—it is, in fact, lauded. The only apprehension among his supporters is the possibility that he might fail to realise his objectives.

But where does Europe fit into this grand design? The answer is unambiguous: we are expected to serve this mission. Should Europe choose not to align with this American vision, the repercussions may be severe. As Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at The Financial Times, starkly warns [8], “Europe will either rise to the occasion or disintegrate. Europeans will need to create far stronger co-operation embedded in a robust framework of liberal and democratic norms. If they do not, they will be picked to pieces by the world’s great powers.”

Wolf, however, falls into the trap of wishful thinking, arguing that Europe must ‘save’ Ukraine from what he perceives as a U.S.-Russian conspiracy—as if Europe were equipped for such an daunting undertaking.

In reality, the United States is neither pro-Russia nor pro-Ukraine; its strategic objectives lie elsewhere. Washington’s actions are designed to weaken both Russia and Europe, thereby cementing its dominance over Eurasia. This is a classic example of offshore balancing, a strategy similarly employed against China in the Indo-Pacific. Chinese academic Han Heyuan highlights [9] this point, drawing upon the work of British geopolitical strategist Halford Mackinder. In his 1904 paper The Geographical Pivot of History [10], Mackinder argued that preventing the rise of a single dominant power on the Eurasian continent has always been the fundamental objective of Anglo-Saxon maritime powers. The United States has simply inherited this mantle from the British Empire.

Heyuan also underscores an uncomfortable reality: in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, there is but one clear winner—the United States. The economic ramifications alone illustrate this dynamic. The war has precipitated a restructuring of global supply chains, with the U.S. emerging as the primary beneficiary of Europe’s energy crisis. In 2022, European imports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) surged by 154%, at prices three times higher than those of Russian pipeline gas. Meanwhile, the U.S. military-industrial complex has reaped enormous profits, with defence contractors such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin seeing their stock prices soar by over 200%.

Concluding this chorus of critical voices, Timothy Hopper, an international relations scholar at American University, writes [11], “The world is experiencing a resurgence of great power rivalry and neo-colonialism, but with one crucial difference: Europe is no longer a dominant force or a colonial power—it is now a target. Historically, Europe played a central role in shaping global policies and resource distribution. However, it is now caught in the crossfire of ruthless geopolitical competition from the U.S., China, and other rising powers. As America pursues aggressive bargaining, sanctions, and military threats to strengthen its position, Europe finds itself no longer leading the game but struggling to navigate its growing vulnerabilities in an increasingly brutal global contest.”

And struggling our leaders certainly are. Unlike Mao in 1967 or maybe Trump today, they do not see the disorder under the heavens as an advantageous situation. Rather, they appear bewildered, suddenly confronted with a reality they neither anticipated nor prepared for—one that has shattered their long-standing assumptions about global governance.

For decades, Europe has enjoyed the illusion of autonomy, largely thanks to the careful orchestration of U.S. foreign policy. That illusion is now being dismantled, and our politicians appear woefully unprepared. Shall they remain reliant on guidance from the White House, guidance that is no longer forthcoming? Instead, Washington is preoccupied with internal convulsions, as in some kind of “Great Oligarchical Cultural Revolution” radical elements within the administration systematically dismantle institutional continuity.

Figures such as Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer seem out of touch with the seismic shift occurring in Washington, where darker traditionalist values are regaining prominence. Unfortunately, this new reality is irreconcilable with the career trajectories of Europe’s existing political class. If change is to come, it will not originate from the top. Instead, it must emerge from below.

I like to draw from an insight Newton-John, a writer from down under, recently gained after taking on the respectable challenge of reading 100 history books: “I could suddenly see that the island of peace and prosperity I inhabited in my privileged life was just that,” he writes, “an island surrounded on all sides by an abyss of violence, turmoil and cruelty…”. This small and fragile island must not be washed over again by the raging tides of the stormy sea that surrounds it.

As for the lack of saviours in our higher echelons, we Europeans must no longer wait for a miracle to occur. The time has come to reclaim our agency. Noble declarations such as “We, the people!” and “The people are sovereign” must be more than mere rhetoric. They must become a call to action for every individual—one that resonates not just across our continent, but across the entire planet.

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