# How to Fix Our Global Malaise

> Local community revival can rebuild global order.
- Title: How to Fix Our Global Malaise · Foreign Policy | Shortify
- Summary: Local community revival can rebuild global order. Fixing broken local communities strengthens international cooperation and reduces populist nationalist…
- Keywords: gordon brown, united states, global order, civic life, populist nationalism, international cooperation, multilateralism, atlantic charter, Fix, Global, Malaise, Foreign Policy
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/05/global-malaise-international-order-economics-civic-life-hope-citizenship-community
- Author: Gordon Brown
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: gordon brown, united states, global order, civic life, populist nationalism, international cooperation, multilateralism, atlantic charter
## U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a landmark June speech at the Economic Club of New York commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
## New Economic Statecraft
Bessent proposed a 'disciplined use of America’s economic power in service of our sovereignty' by weaponizing U.S. assets, including the dollar and U.S. control of the international payments system.
## Rejection of Washington Consensus
Bessent's speech rejected long-established U.S. commitments to free trade, free movement of capital, and an open world economy, signaling the end of the Washington Consensus.
## Global Order Shift
The U.S.-led liberal international order, established by George H.W. Bush in 1990, is now declared dead after lasting little longer than today’s average marriage.
## Local Community Crisis
Over 67 percent of adults report having three or fewer friends, and 13 percent have no friends at all, indicating a breakdown in local community life.
## Civic Infrastructure Failure
The failure of civic infrastructure, clubs, associations, and public squares, creates a vacuum exploited by populist nationalists through social media.
## Polling Evidence
Polling in 30 countries across the globe found 45 percent of adults no longer belong to any local organization, and 67 percent report having three or fewer friends.
## Economic Discontent
People feel economic stagnation and disappointment have taken hold alongside a domestic rupture, with 66 percent saying their nations have lost touch with foundational values.
## Global Ruptures
Three major ruptures are occurring: geopolitical, economic, and political, each driven by shifting economic power from West to East.
## Geopolitical Rupture
The world is moving from a U.S.-dominated unipolar order to a multipolar one with multiple centers of decision-making power but no single hegemon.
## Economic Rupture
The world is moving from an open trading system to a neo-mercantilist world of tariffs, sanctions, and export and import bans, creating economic warfare.
## Political Rupture
We are moving from a rules-based international order to a power-based one, with the rule of law, human rights, and democratic accountability under threat.
## Domestic Compact Collapse
A collapse of the domestic compact is the fourth rupture, with 40 percent of people reporting no one to turn to in moments of crisis.
## Civic Action Impact
Bringing people together across social divides reduces populist nationalist voting by 15-20 percentage points when backed by economic policies addressing financial insecurity.
## Atlantic Charter Legacy
In 1941, the U.S. and Britain signed the Atlantic Charter, which enunciated basic domestic commitments including social security and the right to work for decent remuneration.
## New Charter of Interdependence
A New Charter of Interdependence must be co-written by the global south, with seven founding principles including human dignity, sovereign equality, and collective responsibility for shared risks.
## Key takeaway

Fixing broken local communities strengthens international cooperation and reduces populist nationalist support.