Mokhtar Stork
The West Bank's annexation, one of the many actions by Israel, is the ultimate proof that international law does not go beyond verbal condemnation. It is a language the West speaks when condemning Russia or Iran, but one it "forgets" when its own interests are involved. Many Asian countries also go along with this due to survival issues.
This sentiment or deep, simmering frustration felt across much of the globe today, clearly indicates we are at a dead end. Hypocrisy and double standards have reached a point for many, that the existing international system is irredeemable.
In due time, someone in power is going to “press the button”, out of desperation when placed in a corner. Iran might do so if has a “crude bomb”. China could do so over Taiwan? Russia could do so if cornered over Ukraine? Russia has already stated so.
PRESSING ALL “THE BUTTONS”
The “Button” has already been pressed economically and financially. Look at Cuba today. Look at Regional and Local Politics. For decades, the U.S. dollar was the "weapon of choice" for hegemony. In 2026, we saw BRICS move aggressively toward a non-dollar financial system. This is an attempt to strip the West of its ability to use sanctions as a tool of war.
The Strategic "Button" (Multi-alignment): Countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey are no longer acting as reliable Western proxies. They are "pressing the button" on their old alliances, choosing to trade and coordinate with whoever serves their immediate interests—be it China, Russia, or the West.
The Legal "Button": The ICJ/ICC rulings against Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza represent the "Global South" using the West's own legal tools against it.
THE NUCLEAR BUTTON
The danger of the “Nuclear Button” being pressed is extremely possible. The country that presses the button doesn't "end" hegemony, they end the world as we know it. I am sure they are aware of it, but in a “dead end” situation, it will be done. A nuclear strike anywhere in 2026 would likely trigger an immediate, automated response from global AI-integrated defense systems, leaving no room for "negotiation" or "rethinking" once the process starts.
A DISILLUSIONED WORLD
When people witness international law applied strictly to some but ignored for others as with the West Bank with Only Verbal condemnations, while Iran faces Maximum Pressure, it creates a psychological shift.
THE SAMSON OPTION
In military circles, it is referred to as “The Samson Option”, where a state resorts to nuclear weapons as a last resort if its very existence is threatened. If it has to go, so might as well bring everyone down along with it. News reports during Trump’s first presidency reveal it with China. However, it was averted by sensible individuals.
IRAN VIEWED AS A SYMBOL OF RESISTANCE
After the 12-Day War in June 2025 and the return of UN "snapback" sanctions, the leadership in Tehran feels increasingly backed into a corner. The way things are going is quite obvious the Iranian leadership will collapse.
The Double Standard on Sovereignty: Critics point out that the world is told to defend Ukrainian sovereignty at all costs, yet Palestinian sovereignty in the West Bank is being systematically erased in 2026 with no major sanctions against Israel.
Many view the Western-led order is designed to keep certain nations "in their place," despite decades of sanctions. We are currently facing a “credibility crisis”. Intelligence reports (can’t really be relied upon as was the case with Saddam Husein and his “Weapons of Mass Destruction), indicate Iran has increased uranium enrichment to 90% as a "survival measure." Pressing the “Button” with a “Dirty Bomb” could be a possibility.
THE MORAL TRAGEDY
When a system loses its Moral Authority, it has to rely entirely on force. If the West relies only on force to stop Iran while ignoring its own violations, it proves Iran's narrative that "only power matters." When the Moral System breaks down, as with corruption in a nation, everyone acquires the same notion that they too can act likewise if others are already so. This cycle encourages more countries to seek their own "buttons" because they no longer believe that they will be protected.
THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
The Global Leadership is amusing (If used the word a “joke”, I most probably will find my article blacked out). The recent visit by the Israeli President to Australis is proof. Nothing can change or will change over domination of the world through global politics. Everyone has already also been blackmailed through the Epstein's files. In a way, we are witnessing a state of moral bankruptcy. There is huge gap in the global leadership, concerning what they say and what they want to do.
IS IT THE END OF PUBLIC TRUST?
It depends to a great extent to what you are and how much are you will to put up with. We witnessed this in Bangladesh, Indonesia and recently in Australia. America is in total disarray. The country is become increasingly torn apart. In many countries, laws only apply to the weak, locally as well as at international level. It has become a tool to remain in power. The impunity of power reflects a growing trend in many countries.
There is a “breaking point” in every situation. People as a whole want to live in peace and will put up with many discomforts and lack of justice. Likewise, every nation, will be forced to “extreme measures” if threatened. Russia and the U.S. still hold roughly 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. By early 2026, China has moved far beyond its old "minimal deterrent." It is on track to reach 1,000 warheads soon, and it has built "silo fields" that make a pre-emptive strike by the West impossible. The West cannot keep them in check because the cost of being wrong is total.
Many “buttons” have already been pressed. China is a force to be reckoned with and America is worried about this. If the U.S. or EU were to sanction China the way they have sanctioned Iran, the Western middle class would vanish overnight. Global supply chains for everything from medicine to EV batteries are still "hostage" to Chinese manufacturing.
THE DEAD-END CONCLUSION
As it stands, Israel is protected by repeated veto resolutions by the U.S. at the U.N. Behind the scenes a Hegemon veto dictates how the world is to be run. The Hegemon is protected by its wealth and secrets. Russia and China in turn are protected by the "Button." The only ones left out in the cold are those who have neither the "button" nor the "secrets" to protect themselves. It’s a world where the tiger’s stripes aren't just a pattern; they’re the bars of a cage for everyone else.
You cannot bend a rod except by heating it. What we are witnessing today is which heating rod is going to make it. All the participants opposing American dominance are no long willing to sing along. This is the "Physics of Power". The Middle East & the West Bank is heating up considerably. If the Global Moral Conscience continues in this fashion, nations will feel insecure, and many loyal ones will decide to distance themselves.
Artificial Intelligence does not need to take over. We are already destroying ourselves in stages. We are watching a system that has run out of road. Whether the end is a "flash" from a button or a long, cold winter of systemic decay, the "game" is moving towards a conclusion.
If you ask me my opinion. My answer will be: “As an individual, well, might as well end it all now, but as a person “believing” in Allah, I believe, He knows what’s He doing, and we are moving towards His conclusion." [Mokhtar Stork 11 Feb 2026]
