It's January 22 2026, and the World Economic Forum's annual schmoozefest in Davos is in full swing, but the vibe this year feels less like a triumphant gathering of the world's "best and brightest" and more like a cornered animal lashing out. A fresh piece from Modernity.news (Steve Watson's take) captures the mood perfectly: "Desperate WEF Davos Globalists Admit They're Becoming Irrelevant." The article highlights how top figures at the forum – usually dripping with smug confidence – are openly confessing to collapsing public trust, fading influence, and the need for urgent "dialogue," "cooperation," and renewed alliances. It's a rare moment of vulnerability from the crowd that once preached "you'll own nothing and be happy" without a hint of irony.
From a pro-freedom, populist perspective, this is music to the ears. Surging nationalism, Trump's America First resurgence, and mass rejection of globalist agendas – from net-zero fantasies to open borders – have put these elites on the back foot. Populism isn't just knocking; it's kicking the door down. Yet here's the cold reality: While they're rattled and admitting cracks in their armour, the Davos crowd remains far from irrelevant. They still represent the entrenched globalist establishment – the interlocking web of big finance, multinational corps, compliant governments, and unelected technocrats who pull levers behind the scenes: the New World Order, in short. Let's examine why the "irrelevance" narrative is premature, even as we celebrate the pushback.
The Desperation on Display: Admissions from the Mountaintop
Watson's piece nails the shift. Instead of the usual self-congratulatory back-patting, Davos 2026 has seen elites pleading for relevance. They're calling for "renewed alliances" amid "mass opposition" to their agenda. Why the panic? Because the ground is shifting fast:
Rising Populism and Nationalism: Trump's return dominates headlines, with his massive U.S. delegation (largest ever) and tough talk on tariffs, Greenland, and sovereignty. European leaders are scrambling – Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Carney, and others warn of "geopolitical shocks" and "great power rivalry," but their "spirit of dialogue" rings hollow against Trump's "America First" hammer.
Eroding Trust: Edelman Trust Barometer data (surfaced in multiple reports) shows trade fears at all-time highs, optimism tanking in developed nations, and a shift from "we" to "me" – insularity over globalism. People are retreating to the familiar, rejecting elite compromise.
Street vs. Suite Divide: Protests outside Davos highlight the "haves vs. have-nots" chasm. Inequality widens, yet billionaires reap trillions while the poor lag. Critics like Ingrid Robeyns in The Guardian argue elites dodge the root cause: neoliberal capitalism that benefits them.
Even insiders like Larry Fink (BlackRock boss and interim WEF co-chair) are working overtime to revive the forum after scandals and perceived irrelevance. Fink's calls secured Trump's attendance, but it's damage control, not dominance.
Why They're Not Irrelevant Yet: The Establishment's Iron Grip
Here's the rub – and why we can't pop the champagne just yet. Davos elites may be defensive, but they still wield massive power:
Institutional Control: They run the banks (BlackRock, Goldman Sachs), tech giants, and influence policy through WEF networks. Klaus Schwab may have stepped down, but the machine hums on with Børge Brende and André Hoffmann steering. Sessions on AI, geopolitics, and growth still shape agendas for G20 nations and beyond.
Trump's Presence as a Double-Edged Sword: His attendance – and the "Trump show" vibe – elevates Davos, even as he disrupts it. European leaders fret over tariffs and Greenland threats, but they're engaging, not boycotting. The forum adapts: less DEI and climate preaching, more on "contested norms" and selective alliances.
Long-Term Influence: Global Risks Report flags geoeconomic confrontation and armed conflict as top threats – exactly the "harsh reality" elites helped create through decades of globalisation. They pivot to "dialogue" now, but the system they built endures.
From a freedom-loving view, this is progress – populism forces concessions, exposes hypocrisy (weather manipulation brags caught on hidden cam by O'Keefe?), and chips away at unaccountable power. But irrelevance? Not quite. The establishment still holds the purse strings, the algorithms, and the narrative levers in legacy media.
The Path Ahead: Keep the Pressure On
Davos 2026 isn't the end of globalism; it's a defensive crouch. The elites admit fading relevance because voters in the U.S., Europe, and beyond are rejecting their top-down vision. Trump's tariffs, Milei's reforms in Argentina, and rising nationalist voices prove the tide turns when people demand sovereignty over supranational schemes.
For Aussies watching from afar, this matters: Our own battles against hate laws, gun grabs, and surveillance creep echo the same elite playbook. The more they squirm in Davos, the more space we have to push back Down Under.
So celebrate the cracks – the admissions of desperation are real wins. But stay vigilant: These folks aren't irrelevant until their influence is dismantled, not just dented. The fight for freedom continues.