Why Countries Should Stay Neutral and Be Careful of Being Too Friendly with the U.S. — Lessons from The Sachs Doctrine
At the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 in India, world-famous economist Jeffrey Sachs gave some important advice to countries like India and others:
Don’t try to become a very close friend of the United States. It’s risky. Stay neutral.
Sachs explained this using a famous quote from Henry Kissinger:
“Being an enemy of America is dangerous, but being a friend can be fatal.”
He said that many countries the U.S. has called “friends” have ended up facing huge problems because of that so-called friendship. The U.S. often uses other countries for its own benefit — and once the purpose is served, it moves on.
The Sachs Doctrine — A New Way to Grow
Instead of following orders from any one powerful country, Sachs said the world should follow the global plan for sustainable development that all 193 countries of the UN agreed to in 2015.
This plan includes:
- Fighting poverty
- Protecting the environment
- Working together peacefully
Sadly, Sachs pointed out, the U.S. has started to go against these global goals. Recently, the U.S. government even voted against a UN resolution asking countries to work together peacefully and support sustainable development — just because they didn’t want to agree with China.
Why India Should Stay Strong and Independent
Sachs praised India for how it handled pressure during the Ukraine war — staying neutral and making decisions for itself.
He warned:
“The U.S. wants to use India to fight China. Don’t fall for it. India is too big and powerful to be used by anyone.”
He advised India to focus on its own goals, stay friendly with all countries (including China), and work towards becoming a world leader that promotes peace, not conflict.
In fact, Sachs believes India can help solve many global problems because of its peaceful culture and its success with events like the G20 Summit, which promoted the idea that “the world is one family.”
Why the U.S. Is Becoming More Unstable
Sachs also talked about how things have changed inside America.
- Today, U.S. decisions are often made by just one person (the President) through emergency orders, without even discussing it in Congress.
- Sachs called this “one-man rule”, something very dangerous for a country that is supposed to be a democracy.
- He also warned that America’s reaction to losing its position as the biggest economy (to China, and later India) is making it act more aggressively.
In Sachs’s view, the U.S. is acting like an empire — trying to control and divide other countries rather than respecting them.
The Bigger Picture: How to Avoid Wars
Sachs believes many wars, like the one in Ukraine, could have been avoided if the U.S. had not tried to push its military closer to Russia’s borders.
He explained that real peace comes from talking, negotiating, and making fair political agreements — not through fighting.
His key advice:
- Ukraine should have stayed neutral (not joined NATO).
- Taiwan should also avoid depending too much on U.S. military promises.
- Countries should not get caught in big power games.
Final Message
Jeffrey Sachs’s final message was simple but powerful:
- Countries must stay independent.
- Don’t blindly follow powerful nations like the U.S.
- Focus on peaceful growth and work together.
- India can become a true leader of peace in the world.
“We don’t need more wars. We need political solutions. We need countries like India to show the way.”
Jeffrey Sachs is an Economics professor, a bestselling author, an innovative educator, UN advisor, and a global leader in sustainable development.
By Author, Admin, Niroshana De Silva. You can reach him at prminds@gmail.com
For full insights, watch the talk show featuring Jeffrey Sachs at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 below: Original source – CNN-News18
