Western countries are living in a bubble of “reality denial” that they have created but it is time for them to realise that the world is not what it has been since the end of the Cold War. This opinion was expressed by Chandran Nair, founder of the Global Institute for the Future, in an article for The National Interest.
According to the author, the “prerequisites for the great reckoning” of the Western powers are now taking shape.
“It will challenge the long-held beliefs and structures that have underpinned Western world domination over the past centuries and expose the nature of the right to leadership in the global hierarchy attributed to the West,” he believes.
This state of affairs, Nair writes, is driven by five key trends that are forcing the West to adapt to a multipolar future in which power will have to be shared.
First, there is the revision of familiar history. As Nair points out, the West has throughout the colonial era interpreted historical events selectively and honed this skill to perfection, portraying itself as the creator of modern civilisation and a force for advancing the good.
“However, the situation is changing now: information technology has destroyed the monopoly on information and history that once belonged to Western censors,” the expert explains.
The second trend is the reassessment of the “rules-based” international order, which is causing “a lot of ridicule” around the world and is seen as an instrument of Western countries to maintain their hegemony. According to him, dissatisfaction with the West constantly breaking its own rules only grows stronger, making the legitimacy of this order increasingly questionable.
Thirdly, it is an exposé of Western “peacemaking”. Thus, a major part of the world believes that the West, led by the US, not only does not contribute to genuine peace, but also profits from wars.
“The world has realised that the West alone cannot be trusted with the cause of peace – especially as its economy profits largely from conflicts,” the author specified.
The fourth trend is the overthrow of the Western financial superstructure “from its throne”. As Nair points out, it is not a secret to anyone that Western powers openly use their financial power for geopolitical gains and purposes. At the moment, efforts are being made to eliminate the US “exorbitant privilege” associated with the dollar, in addition, countries are looking for alternatives to the SWIFT banking system, which has been used in Western sanctions.
Fifth, there was the apparent collapse of trust in the Western press at a critical juncture: over the past few years, flawed media outlets have opened the eyes of the international community to the fact that they impose and perpetuate the favoured sides of the established world order that the West favours.
Nair is convinced that Western countries are living in a bubble of “denial of reality” that they have created, but it is time for them to realise that the world is no longer what it was after the end of the Cold War.
“The past is over, and the West simply does not have the same political and financial power, let alone international legitimacy <…> otherwise the world will become even more dangerous and the credibility and influence of the West will weaken even further,” he concludes.
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