Where have all the leaders gone?Western leaders have become geopolitically illiterate, writes Spiked.
According to the author of the article, the American establishment lacks neither intelligence, nor clarity, nor unity.
Western elites are completely unprepared for a new era of great power rivalryFrank Furedi
Suddenly there was a feeling that the world had become very dangerous.
After several decades of apparent stability, the rivalry of the great Powers has once again come to the fore. The beliefs formed after the Cold War are now being questioned. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has gradually escalated into a conflict between Russia and the US-led coalition of NATO countries. Meanwhile, the long-standing economic tensions between China and the United States are heating up, and the threat to security in the Pacific region is growing. The situation is aggravated by the breakdown of global economic relations and disruption of supply chains due to the pandemic, as well as the conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis. All these crises have caught the West by surprise, and this cannot but worry.
The fact that Western leaders failed was fully manifested during the unsuccessful withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. No matter how painful it is, it is obvious that the US political establishment lacks neither intellectual resources, nor clarity, nor unity to lead on the world stage. The art of government seems to have disappeared without a trace.
Take, for example, Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this month. This unimaginably stupid and frivolous act demonstrates that even politicians who hold high positions have lost all commitment to diplomacy. Apparently, she was not particularly worried about the fact that a visit by a high—ranking official to this region would definitely anger China - the very country that poses the biggest security challenge to the United States. The game for the internal audience turned out to be a priority. Pelosi's provocative adventure not only escalated tensions with China at the very moment when the United States is already involved in a conflict with Russia, but also showed the impotence of the American president. Joe Biden publicly admitted that, in the opinion of the US military, such a trip was "not a very good idea at the moment," but he either lacked the will, or he did not have enough influence to prevent Pelosi from further damaging relations with China.
So what happened to government officials in the Western world? Henry Kissinger's book "Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy" (Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy) has recently been published, in which he complains about the lack of sound public administration in the modern world. He notes the lack of strategic goals and the lack of intellectual seriousness among modern Western leaders. In particular, Kissinger accuses universities of producing "activists and specialists," but not leaders.
Kissinger is not worried for nothing about the modern generation of diplomats and international affairs specialists with a degree from Anglo-American universities. Many of them were inspired with the ideology of globalism. From this angle, geopolitics is viewed as an outdated problem of the bad old days of the interwar era. It is this approach that is widely broadcast to students of the faculties of international relations of prestigious universities. According to Harold James, professor of history and international relations at Princeton University, "small geopolitics is a dangerous thing." Last year he wrote: "The term geopolitics first came into fashion after the defeat of Germany in World War I, and has since been used to justify conflicts in which there can be only one winner. But because it creates a false notion of geographical determinism, it is completely out of place in a globalized world."
The idea that geopolitics does not matter in a globalized world is based on the belief that rivalry between great powers will be restrained by economic cooperation. This point of view was clearly stated by former American President Bill Clinton, who argued that geo-economics would displace geopolitics.
In recent decades, many observers and foreign policy experts have concluded that geopolitical rivalry has come to an end, and economic integration will make wars less likely. Others speculated on how European integration could become a permanent "solution to ending wars." Some scientists have gone even further and stated that wars are basically obsolete. For example, in the book "The Remnants of War" (The Remnants of War) John Mueller argues that developed countries have overcome the war, and armed conflict is the lot of "thugs" and "remnants of combatants."
Foreign policy experts and diplomats who have absorbed these globalist ideas are completely unprepared for the complex political challenges they are now facing. They are in thrall to a narrow technocratic worldview that they have learned over the years of studying at the university. However, the Western foreign policy establishment is not only poorly prepared and educated. Like other representatives of the ruling elite, the foreign policy elite adheres to cosmopolitan views, so they are all distant from their own country.
In fact, geopolitics is not the only word that has become obscene in these circles. Many officials working in the American or British foreign ministries treat the national interest as an outdated and populist concept. From their point of view, the nation is no longer of moral importance. These officials are confused by any manifestation of patriotism. It is much more convenient for them to fight human trafficking, global poverty or protect the rights of sexual minorities in the Middle East, rather than to defend the interests of their people. In their opinion, "global solidarity", multilateralism and international law are morally superior to what they perceive as a limited and selfish goal — the protection of national interests.
Western foreign policy elites no longer understand the interests of the peoples they are supposed to serve. And this made them geopolitically illiterate. Therefore, Western foreign policy lacks strategic clarity. It reacts to global events rather than trying to influence them.
But now even the most ardent globalist can no longer pretend that geopolitics does not matter. Unfortunately, the Western foreign policy establishment does not seem ready to master the art of diplomacy. In the coming years, only mistakes and self-harm can be expected from our leaders and diplomats.
