In a piece at the Star-Tribune Fareed Zakharia remarks on what apparently was a pretty lugubrious meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos:
The leaders of several smaller countries (all of whom insisted on staying off the record) described the world as adrift and lacking in any collective purpose, with only voices about narrow self-interest and conflict being heard. “When the Americans are engaged, we have a sense of direction,†one of them said to me. “We might disagree on some points, but at least there is a larger conversation, some efforts at cooperation. Now the only energy is negative — worries about retreat, trade wars. That’s not a world in which it is easy for us to move forward. We are all stuck.â€
This, then, is the post-American world. Not one marked by Chinese dominance or Asian arrogance. Not an outright anti-American one, but in fact, one in which many yearn for a greater U.S. presence. One in which countries are freelancing, narrowly pursuing their own interests, and hoping that the framework of international order remains reasonably stable. But with no one actively shoring up the international system, the great question remains: In a world without leaders, will that system over time weaken and eventually crumble?
Once again, the irony seems to be lost on Mr. Zakharia. Can you think of any example over the period of the last 25 years in which the world has followed the lead of the United States on anything? I can’t. To my eye for European countries the U. S. has mostly served as a foil and now it’s not even that.
Since the end of World War II, the United States has divided the world into two camps: enemies and friends. Enemies are to be opposed or subverted with economic, diplomatic, and military power. Friends are weak and passive. The great exception to that strategy is frenemy China. China won’t let itself be weak and passive but it also is not being opposed. There’s just too much good money to be made from cozying up to it.
We are seeing the fullness of the strategy of infantilizing your friends. At first it was okay. Then they became like a bunch of rebellious teenages—openly defiant but still happy for three squares and a roof over their heads. Now they’re like a group of seven year olds on a rainy day.
