The US, China, Russia, India and Israel are the five global superpowers. They are all considered far from Portugal, with flight times ranging from 8 to over 16 hours. Yet, an important detail, often overlooked, is that Portuguese blood not only reached all these places but also generated individuals with high positions of command all over the centuries.
Without needing endless lists, some notable examples should be mentioned. Haym Solomon (the "Financier of American Independence) was of Portuguese origin. Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit (a signatory of the Israeli Declaration of Independence) was of Portuguese origin. Abraham Barak Salem (the "Jewish Gandhi" to whom India's independence is owed) is of Portuguese origin. Horace Gunzburg Porto (the "Russian Rothschild") was of Portuguese origin. Sir Michael Kadoorie (the "Chinese Rothschild") is alive and of Portuguese origin.
The US, China, India, Russia and Israel form a cornerstone of global influence today. They control the primary pillars of modern power—economic scale, military supremacy, and technological dominance—while possessing the demographic and geostrategic assets needed to survive systemic global shocks.
The United States is now the preeminent global superpower. Its longevity stems from unmatched financial market dominance, the US Dollar's role as the primary global reserve currency, a formidable blue-water navy, and a robust alliance system.
China is the world’s primary manufacturing hub and the second-largest economy. Its longevity is grounded in vast supply chain control, massive infrastructure investments, and significant technological self-reliance, giving it unrivaled influence across the Global South.
India is a rapidly growing economic powerhouse and the world's most populous nation. Its strength relies on a strategic "swing" position in Indo-Pacific geopolitics, a massive domestic consumer market, and a rapidly expanding technological and digital infrastructure.
Russia is a traditional Eurasian giant and a nuclear hegemon. Its staying power is rooted in vast reserves of critical natural resources (oil, gas, and rare earth minerals), extensive military-industrial capabilities, and strategic partnerships across Eurasia that allow it to bypass Western pressure.
Israel is the homeland of all Jews around the world and their networks of work and influence. While geographically small, it maintains a critical strategic interdependence with all the larger powers mentioned above, acting as a crucial technological and intelligence and an unmatched center for global innovation, particularly in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and defense technology.
The unique capabilities of India and Israel make them indispensable to the future of global politics, technology, and economics, together with the US, China, and Russia, the traditional global superpowers.
