Is World Order in the Middle of a Tectonic Shift?

The world order set by the US and the Western European nations is now withering

- SHASHI SHEKHAR

People in the US, startled by the rise of Zohran Mamdani as a Democrat candidate for New York's mayorship, are now witness to an even bigger and spicier political potboiler: Elon Musk's announcement last weekend of the formation of "America Party," a new political outfit.

Till the other day Musk was considered a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump. He was made the head of the now infamous Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He ruthlessly chucked out many from their jobs, citing the need to pare government expenses. His axe also fell on a host of schemes and departments that were considered foundations of the US democracy. Musk wanted the government to be run like a corporate entity. But then, he had run-ins with Vice President J. D. Vance and other influential people, which ended in his unceremonious removal from DOGE.

Since then, Trump and Musk have been publicly threatening each other. Musk alleged Trump was named in the Epstein sex case files in a post on X, the short-messaging platform he owns. Later, he deleted the post, but not before an enraged Trump got back at his former ally by threatening to deport him.