WEST-CENTRIC MYOPIA IS MEETING THE BRICK WALL OF A NEW REALITY

It has been a long run… but it is almost over.

For decade after decade the western world has prided itself on being numero uno. In fact this impression was so ingrained within its cultures that it became a given, the constant background of almost unlimited power and influence to be wielded at will.

This brought about a virtual monopoly on such power and influence. It was blithely applied to all and sundry as if it was as natural as rain and to boot considered as manna from the western heaven.

Western elites built up a myth of goodness, probity and helpfulness that covered a multitude of sins that all humanity is prey to. No group of human beings are immune to ambition, to a desire to expand their area of control and to battle, in one way or another, with those they conceive of as competition or adversaries. But to depict themselves as belonging to the highest states that humanity can aspire to and then engage in mass slaughter in recent years, was not a good look.

Then there were the lies. The numerous lies.

Of course these and much else besides that belied the self-sanctification of western elites was well known… for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. MK Ultra, Operation Paperclip and Mockingbird… the assassination attempts, the coup conspiracies, the wars… the many wars. Eyes had surely been opened. Ears assailed by these facts from a plethora of commentators. But no. The myths prevailed in the general public consciousness of the majority in the West. Their guys were good guys… weren’t they?

And so things went on from one exceptional duty to enforce an inalienable right to another with a trail of blood always left to remind anyone who needed reminding that they should mind their behaviour or they might be next.

It seemed as if this state of affairs might continue forever with the West led indefatigably by the U.S. and UK knights of the holy sword defeating all the world’s demons with a little help from their friends. But hey, something very strange has happened to put all such seeming certainties into question.

In part it has been the taking of an extremely large and blunt hammer to problems such as those perceived by western elites in the Middle East. As the saying goes, when all you have is a hammer each problem looks like a nail. Blunt force has been recognised as such across many nations… though most have held their peace… until now.

With Russia asserting her right of self-protection and that of its people in Ukraine we see a situation where the thus far hidden disagreements with past western interventions are being shown in broad daylight visible to all.

Even the apparently very close ally of the West, Saudi Arabia is showing a striking, and in fact shocking, reluctance to bow westward as it has for many decades now. India too, a nation relied upon by the western powers to be neutral if not an ally to be wooed, is now showing it has no intention of abandoning Russia as a nation to work and trade with. Within Europe Hungary strongly resists being pulled into a condemnatory alliance against Russia. And in Africa various states are looking to Russia to help solve their economic and nutritional problems and build their infrastructure along with China.

The sea change in international politics has been astonishing to watch and continues in the vein apparently with no perceptible end to this process and progress toward a multipolar world where power is shared and the impetus is behind agreement and trade with arm-twisting, threats and accusations very much a thing of the West-dominated past.

Jaws must surely be dropping and anger and confusion rising to previously unheard of peaks as it becomes a matter of crystal clear observation that the power and influence held almost as of right by the West has largely already slipped from its grasp.

It has been a long run… but it is almost over.

For decade after decade the western world has prided itself on being numero uno. In fact this impression was so ingrained within its cultures that it became a given, the constant background of almost unlimited power and influence to be wielded at will.

This brought about a virtual monopoly on such power and influence. It was blithely applied to all and sundry as if it was as natural as rain and to boot considered as manna from the western heaven.

Western elites built up a myth of goodness, probity and helpfulness that covered a multitude of sins that all humanity is prey to. No group of human beings are immune to ambition, to a desire to expand their area of control and to battle, in one way or another, with those they conceive of as competition or adversaries. But to depict themselves as belonging to the highest states that humanity can aspire to and then engage in mass slaughter in recent years, was not a good look.

Then there were the lies. The numerous lies.

Of course these and much else besides that belied the self-sanctification of western elites was well known… for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. MK Ultra, Operation Paperclip and Mockingbird… the assassination attempts, the coup conspiracies, the wars… the many wars. Eyes had surely been opened. Ears assailed by these facts from a plethora of commentators. But no. The myths prevailed in the general public consciousness of the majority in the West. Their guys were good guys… weren’t they?

And so things went on from one exceptional duty to enforce an inalienable right to another with a trail of blood always left to remind anyone who needed reminding that they should mind their behaviour or they might be next.

It seemed as if this state of affairs might continue forever with the West led indefatigably by the U.S. and UK knights of the holy sword defeating all the world’s demons with a little help from their friends. But hey, something very strange has happened to put all such seeming certainties into question.

In part it has been the taking of an extremely large and blunt hammer to problems such as those perceived by western elites in the Middle East. As the saying goes, when all you have is a hammer each problem looks like a nail. Blunt force has been recognised as such across many nations… though most have held their peace… until now.

With Russia asserting her right of self-protection and that of its people in Ukraine we see a situation where the thus far hidden disagreements with past western interventions are being shown in broad daylight visible to all.

Even the apparently very close ally of the West, Saudi Arabia is showing a striking, and in fact shocking, reluctance to bow westward as it has for many decades now. India too, a nation relied upon by the western powers to be neutral if not an ally to be wooed, is now showing it has no intention of abandoning Russia as a nation to work and trade with. Within Europe Hungary strongly resists being pulled into a condemnatory alliance against Russia. And in Africa various states are looking to Russia to help solve their economic and nutritional problems and build their infrastructure along with China.

The sea change in international politics has been astonishing to watch and continues in the vein apparently with no perceptible end to this process and progress toward a multipolar world where power is shared and the impetus is behind agreement and trade with arm-twisting, threats and accusations very much a thing of the West-dominated past.

Jaws must surely be dropping and anger and confusion rising to previously unheard of peaks as it becomes a matter of crystal clear observation that the power and influence held almost as of right by the West has largely already slipped from its grasp.