In an era where global challenges increasingly demand collective action, internationalism, which was once a guiding principle of diplomacy, cooperation, and mutual respect, is facing significant backlash. The post World War II ideal that nations could and should work together toward common goals is being undermined by a surge of nationalism, protectionism, and geopolitical fragmentation. From trade wars and border walls to weakened multilateral institutions and ideological polarization, the current attack on internationalism threatens to reshape the world order in profound and lasting ways.

What Is Internationalism?

Internationalism is the belief in cooperation and solidarity across national boundaries. It’s a framework that has guided everything from the United Nations and the European Union to climate accords like the Paris Agreement and trade pacts just as NAFTA (now USMCA). It’s rooted in the idea that countries are interconnected, and that problems like war, poverty, pandemics, and climate change cannot be solved in isolation. Since the mid 20th century, internationalism has helped maintain relative peace between major powers, facilitated global development, and lifted millions out of poverty. It enables collaborative efforts to eradicate diseases, stabilize economies, and prevent nuclear war. However, this model is now under siege.

The Rising Tide of Nationalism and Populism

Across the globe, political movements are increasingly rejecting international cooperation in favor of nationalist rhetoric and isolation policies. In the United States, “America First" politics under the Trump administration led to withdrawals from international agreements and organization. Similar trends are evident in India, Brazil, Hungary, and elsewhere, where leaders invoke sovereignty and national pride as justification for pulling back from internal obligations. These movements often paint intersectionality as a threat to identity, autonomy, and economic self sufficiency. Multilateral institutions are portrayed as unaccountable elites imposing rules on sovereign nations. Refugees and migrants are scapegoated, and international trade is blamed for job losses and inequality, despite data suggesting automation and domestic policy play larger roles.

What Is Driving the Backlash?

Several intertwined factors explain this retreat from internationalism:

Economic Inequality: Globalization has created vast wealth, but also worsened inequality within nations. Many citizens feel left behind by a system that seems to benefit elites and multinational corporations.
Cultural Anxiety: Rapid demographic shifts, immigration, and the perceived erosion of national identity have fueled fears, often amplified by populist narratives.
Disinformation and Polarization: Digital platforms have made it easier to spread misinformation and stoke division, creating echo chambers that berate global cooperation.
Failures of Global Institutions: Critics argue that institutions like the UN, WHO, and WTO are slow, bureaucratic, and sometimes ineffective. Their perceived inability to manage crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic or climate change, has led to rude awakenings.

Tensions in Global Labor

One of the central tensions in the global retreat from internationalism lies in labor and economic opportunity. In recent decades, countries like the United States promoted open trade and global outsourcing, with the belief that high tech and knowledge based industries, such as programming and software development, would become new engines of domestic growth. However, many of those same jobs are now being outsourced, often to countries with lower labor costs. This shift has created disillusionment among workers who were promised a future of opportunity through innovation, only to find that even the most promising industries are not immune to global competition. As programming jobs and other skilled work move overseas, communities are left questioning the benefits of globalization. It is important to consider how international cooperation can coexist with domestic job security. The goal shouldn’t be to close off trade entirely, but to avoid farming out all employment opportunities in the same way of efficiency or profit. A more balanced model would maintain open markets while also investing in local industries, protecting vulnerable sectors, and creating pathways for meaningful employment within each country. Without this balance, the backlash against globalization will only intensify, further eroding trust in international systems and fueling nationalist rhetoric.

Consequences of Abandoning Internationalism

The retreat from global cooperation doesn’t just reshape foreign policy, it threatens the very fabric of modern civilization.

Weakened Global Governance: As countries turn inward, institutions that manage peace, health, and environmental standards are starved of support and legitimacy. This makes it harder to respond to pandemics, refugee crises, or nuclear threats.
Escalation of Conflict: Without robust diplomatic channels and collective security frameworks, the risk of war increases. We’re already seeing heightened tensions in Eastern Europe, the South China Sea, and the Middle East.
Climate Inaction: Climate change is inherently a global problem. Without coordinated efforts, emissions will continue to rise, and the window to avert catastrophe will close.
Economic Instability: Protectionism and trade wars can disrupt global supply chains, raise prices, and slow economic growth, with disproportionate impacts on developing nations.
Loss of Shared Values: Internationalism has helped promote human rights, democratic norms, and the rule of law. As these values are undermined, authoritarianism and extremism can fill the void.

Reimagining Internationalism

The solution is not to abandon internationalism, but to reform and modernize it. Future cooperation must be more inclusive, transparent, and responsive to the real grievances that fuel nationalist sentiment. Key steps include:

Rebalancing Globalization: Ensuring fairer trade, addressing tax avoidance, and protecting labor rights.
Empowering Local Voices: Making global institutions more democratic and representative of diverse perspectives.
Strengthening Civic Education: Promoting global literacy and critical thinking to counter disinformation.
Building Resilient Multilateralism: Creating flexible alliances that can act swiftly and decisively in crises.

The attack on internationalism presents a stark choice. Either retreat into fractured nationalism or advance toward a renewed global solidarity. The former promises short term satisfaction and long term peril, while the latter requires effort, compromise, and imagination, while holding the promise of a more stable, just, and sustainable world. In a century defined by shared challenges, from climate collapse to AI governance, the question is not whether we can afford internationalism. It’s whether we can survive without it.

The Global Retreat: How the Attack on Internationalism Is Reshaping Our Future