I love this article - and the cartoon. One of the many empty slogans in the UK around Brexit was the emergence of Global Britain. Well, like the rest of the empty promises and claims made at the time, we shall be waiting for a very long time for this! And given the new UK government's 'red lines', they are preventing themselves from making really meaningful improvements to relationships. One exception is perhaps in defence - but that merely serves to reinforce the extent of the UKs decline in capabilities. One question though - is that such a bad thing?!
But there is one aspect of this article that, might I suggest, is present throughout but not stated explicitly? The perception of where 'The West' now stands is only seen in 'The West', reflecting its self-perception still as the main focal point of the world. Being unable to see the rise and improvements of other parts of the world (including, as you so rightly point out, the elevation of billions out of the deepest poverty) in terms other than that it must mean we in The West are declining, seems to point to a bizarre degree of self-absorption. Oh woe is me...
I love this article - and the cartoon. One of the many empty slogans in the UK around Brexit was the emergence of Global Britain. Well, like the rest of the empty promises and claims made at the time, we shall be waiting for a very long time for this! And given the new UK government's 'red lines', they are preventing themselves from making really meaningful improvements to relationships. One exception is perhaps in defence - but that merely serves to reinforce the extent of the UKs decline in capabilities. One question though - is that such a bad thing?!
But there is one aspect of this article that, might I suggest, is present throughout but not stated explicitly? The perception of where 'The West' now stands is only seen in 'The West', reflecting its self-perception still as the main focal point of the world. Being unable to see the rise and improvements of other parts of the world (including, as you so rightly point out, the elevation of billions out of the deepest poverty) in terms other than that it must mean we in The West are declining, seems to point to a bizarre degree of self-absorption. Oh woe is me...