As we move inexorably to the most dangerous period in the history of humankind the elites of our world have a stark choice before them.
Surmount all differences, no matter how grave or deep they may be and connect together to face the tremendous threats now emerging. Or, continue to carve up exclusive domains where antagonism, confrontation and ultimately self-defeating competition hold sway.
Currently, the USA and its allies are holding fast to the latter course. The rising stars of the East though by no means perfect in every respect are strongly favouring the former option, to connect together making agreements with other nations no matter how diverse.
It is of major importance that all dogmas give way to the necessity to converge in agreement on the urgent necessity to achieve unity of purpose. That purpose is to achieve our common survival and to do so in an atmosphere of cooperation, mutual tolerance and peace. The exterior threats of climate change and further pandemics cannot be faced effectively other than with far greater unity of purpose than we have seen until now. The current pandemic has surely shown this clearly. The severe effects of climate change now occurring surely emphasize this point beyond doubt.
The USA and its allies are playing an old and now potentially disastrous game, disastrous not only for some but for all. It is the height of irresponsibility and evidence of a terminal state of myopia that it continues its divisive and simplistic ‘us and them’ policy of exclusivity. By maintaining that only if nations are a perfect fit with it, conducive to serving its interests and willing to submit to its commands the USA acts in a way that reflects the ethos of an earlier, fast-departing age. The age of empire.
The divide and conquer ethos still being maintained by the USA, UK and their allies is not only no longer fit for purpose it is no longer viable. Those who stand outside the western empire are now more than able to resist being forced to abide by the rules of the West. They have their own destinies to fulfil and are no longer willing to take lectures from those that have an extremely patchy history at best. In recent decades the USA and its allies have torn the Middle East apart with the deaths of hundreds of thousands, engaged in torture, destroyed the livelihoods and life stability of millions and plunged the world into even greater levels of division, hatred, misunderstanding and potential fracture than has been seen since the end of World War II.
No lessons should or will be taken from such institutions, imbued with unwarranted notions of being exceptional and superior to all others. China, Russia and all others seeking to extricate themselves from the orbit of such powers can still be encouraged (if trust can be rebuilt) to engage with even such institutions as these. Recent history does not make the rebuilding of such trust easy however and there are few signs currently that the USA and its allies have even the slightest intention to try. But, without trust how can there be cooperation? Without trust isn’t permanent misunderstanding, division, confrontation and conflict inevitable?
It’s a stark choice. One that the USA and its allies appear intent on choosing the worst possible option for the well being of all of us, choosing to carve up what it can and confront to the absolute limit all that it can’t.
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