We are in the midst of a radical change in world geopolitics. The twentieth century saw two major geopolitical shuffles that resulted from the world wars. The second world war’s effect remained intact through 1989 when the Soviet Union collapsed and since then there has been the tremors of a reshuffling.
The United States of America is clearly the only superpower. The European Union was an attempt to create a second superpower, but it is doubtful especially after the France-Germany debacle regarding Iraq and the fracturing of Europe. Starting in 1979 with the overthrow of the Shah in Iran, militant Islamicism has surreptitiously become a major, albeit psychotic force in geopolitics–a result of evasion and appeasement on the West’s part. The same goes for North Korea, beginning in the mid-1990s. Of course, China is vying for superpower status. These next few years are potentially as monumental as the world wars were in re-shaping the world’s political order. There is certainly as much at stake.
It is conceivable that there will be a transfer of political power in Europe away from “Old Europe” that is openly hostile to the USA, and toward the New Europe that is either more ideologically in line with the USA, or at least has decided to be aligned with the odds-on favorite in this reshuffling. No doubt there is a lot of animosity for France and Germany, who have been haughty and arrogant in dealing with the rest of Europe.
The United Nations seems to be irreparably damaged. It is an American creation and a parasite of America’s military and economic power. Since its inception, however, it has been a hostile parasite and as nature goes, at some point the host either rids itself of the parasite or it dies.
NATO is fractured too and ultimately the France-Germany hostility toward the USA will have to play itself out there. NATO’s existence has been tenuous since the Soviet Union collapsed, any way.
Another major change is that America’s (and indeed other Western countries’) practice of appeasing dictators in exchange for favors of various kinds, seems to be coming to an end. Latin American dictators who curried US favor lost it through the 1980s, mostly. Saddam Hussein was another such blessed dictator that was clearly not a good call. Now the House of Saud, which has been protected by the US for more than half a century while it schooled its youth to make holy war with Americans, is proving to be a costly mistake, as well. (Not surprisingly for the more thoughtful ones.)
The reality is that these changes, if done right, will promote more freedom, capitalism, security, and general improvement of human life. Yet the Left–for its various motives–is screaming and dragging their feet against all changes, clinging hysterically to the past and fearing dreadfully the future. The Left is, ironically to some, reactionary.
