Events since September 11 showed that the globalized world is unwilling to resolve conflicts involving major financial and economic factors by responding with conventional military and diplomatic instruments. Even a challenge like September 11 would be ignored if it were bad for business. Any attempts to resort to these methods will be vetoed.
The end of the Bush era marked the rejection of these former methods and with them signaled the apparent decline of national action, indeed of the nation state. In its place would stand the transnational institutions. In that sense Bush was the “last president” in the old mold, just as Obama was to be the first of the new, one of a different type; a perfect representative of the successor order, a child of the world with no particular loyalties except to some vague arc of history.
The Obama era was an attempt to supersede the old methods with a system where only negotiations between the power elites were permissible to resolve problems. That was the theory at least. Unfortunately this method too is failing. It has failed to secure the future of the EU. It has failed to secure the Middle East, even the safety and existence of Saudi Arabia. It threatens to fail catastrophically in Asia. It has failed everywhere. It did not restore the anticipated stability. All it gave us was the Forever War.
IMHO geopolitics can never be ‘superseded’. Politics like business have been cast adrift by central banks (which of course is political) who have flooded the world with cheap money. The old axiom of ‘kicking the can down the road’ applies in spades. It has allowed politicians to promise the world to their supporters as they receive their goodies by debt.
From the business perspective the cheap money has exaggerated values of most investment vehicles to the point that any realistic cost of money throws the entire system into chaos. Politicians have spent world economies into such a debt hole that any ‘correction’ will collapse most economies.
Globalization promised that countries would all find their niche which would provide for their populations. This a utopia which never made sense. There are many countries that do not have the basic ingredients for making this theory work. The world is now full of ‘disruptors’ that will ensure massive displacement.
Geopolitics cannot be ignored and will reflect the ambitions and desires of those countries. Major powers will contest for the assets which will yield the biggest gains for their economic advantage.
We failed to learn from our own history so alas are doomed to repeat it if we re-elect pacifist, yes pussified (sex not being the issue) progressives.
Reality: Terrorists again given sanctuary – though this time overtly by Obama’s reckless withdrawal from Iraq – plan major attacks to force a messianic war to fulfill their prophesies, as their “lone wolves” evade through due process. Restraint and civility are not their leaders’ comportment, but patience is.
Narrative: We are defeating ISIS and therefore protected from major attacks, climate change is the real enemy. The unreal is real.
I hope Americans are OK with the idea of a lot less liberty and most certainly prosperity via the harder than necessary landing into reality with stagnant economies, maxed out on borrowing and long past point of no return on taxation. Then the barbarians come calling.
On the 12th of September 2001, taking out ISIS now, would have been a no brainer.
Hoping ISIS will go away by fantasizing co-opted allies will do the job for us is the negligent legacy of Barack Obama.
Now coming soon, Hillary, fresh from her Libya, Iran and Russian debacles. But oh so progressive.
Dead wrong.
Today’s globalists are elitists – people seeking to bring back the old way, not people offering a new way. Before 1776 noble families controlled the world; after Obama/Clinton (God forbid this happens!) they will again.
I wish it had failed. But, I fear it has only been delayed. The left is winning and has been winning, big-time, since the 60s. An apocalypse may give us a restart. On the other hand it may hand the remaining elite the excuse they want to completely statify whomever survives.
An Optimist.
The fact that Saudi Arabia is not a glass parking lot is a symptom of what is wrong.
Since the Korean War, no one has been willing to win a war he entered into for one reason or another. We have a Chinese octopus that will never democratise and we have Islamist groups of all stripes gaining strength each day. Everyone seems to be fine with it. Moral relativism and all that.
This is a war we’ve given to our children and grandchildren.
“Peace For Our Time” – Redux
Load of mallarky. The new way is actually a disguise for Marxism. Nothing new there.
Trump can not lift mountains but he is a step in the right direction.
Let’s hope he inspire a lot of good men to do something and not just let evil happen.
However let’s make a Real & Bold Statement; Start with the proven corrupt and proven inept by their own activities the Liberal Party of Ontario.
Corrupt; The PARTY paid a Fine, of their own determination of $ 15,000.00 for deliberately destroying the Computer Records of the Premiers Office when the Scope of more than a Billion Canadian Tax-funds was documented as the cost to select and elect Legislative Seats for the Liberal Government of Ontario.
Inept; Within Day’s the Liberal Government prorogues The Ontario Government when it becomes obvious the Liberal Party has no Idea of the difficulty for Ontario Citizens to live safely under the Present Liberal Majority Rule Government.
Bold Statement and Action Plan; all Ontario Ctizens living within an Ontario Riding represented by a Liberal Party Member to notify by either email; twitter; letter or Phone Call for that Liberal Party Member to resign His or Her Liberal Party Membership & Sit in the Legislature as an Indepemdent Member. This will very shortly eliminate the Majority Government the Obviously Corrupt & Inept Sitting Government.
This is urgent and important. As of today there is a New Governing Party. Do not allow the proven Corrupt and Inept Kathleen Wynne proceed to the Lieutenant Governor with a requisite list of Liberal Party Supporters. If a truly Bold & Proper Staement of becoming an Independent the Liberal Party Member to be Honest to themselves need to refuse to be part of the Liberal Party supporting represntatives without a New Leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario and a New UnCorrupt and Capable Cabinet.