Global Heterogeneity

HorizonS Global Heterogeneity Global Heterogeneity Political Regimes and World Politics Thierry de Montbrial NE OF the focal points of my one like the United States—has the writings has consisted of shed- right to unilaterally act to bring down a ding light on the problem that regime of another state. Unfortunately, Oarises from the heterogeneity of the this principle has been violated many international (or national) system, and times by the members of the Atlantic the need for its components to reach Alliance themselves since the fall of the agreement on the rules of the game Soviet Union, and we see clearly that and thus avoid collapsing into hos- U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision tile blocs—as well as the need for the to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, components of those blocs, the active pushed by the Israeli right and Ameri- units, in particular the political ones, to can evangelicals, stems from the ideol- IFRI Photo: respect them. ogy of “regime change.” Thierry de Montbrial more authoritarian—for example in values” on a daily basis without caus- Such rules are obviously not built to Similarly, in 2004 and again in 2014, a China, Russia, and Turkey—and liberal ing a major uproar from the American last eternally, but the structural stabil- large number of well-meaning Western democracies have somewhat contracted population or institutions. Because of ity of the system suggests that they may democrats wanted to favor the birth compared to illiberal ones; populism is his preference for strong personalities evolve only within the scope of proce- of “democracy” in Ukraine from the gaining ground in the Western world, like himself, he does not shy away from dures commonly agreed upon. Such outside, counting on a domino effect which is not immune to the rise of showing sympathy for leaders whose principles lie at the root of international in Russia. This was decided despite the nationalist movements. aspirations are sometimes far from law, the efficiency of which is made pos- fiasco of the “Greater Middle East” ide- what we today call “liberal democracy.” sible only if perceived as legitimate by ology of U.S. President George W. Bush. number of Asian intellectu- In Europe, his sympathies openly go the relevant populations. The subsequent response was Russia’s als, like Kishore Mahbubani of to Poland’s Jarosław Kaczynski over intervention in the Donbass region and A Singapore, are already loudly rejoicing Germany’s Angela Merkel. he heterogeneity I address in the the prompt annexation of Crimea. about the superiority of “Asian values” following passages is one of po- T and denouncing the decadence of the Thus far I have used quotation litical regimes. It results from an under- Yet, since then, it appears that au- Atlantic civilization, whose ideologi- marks to underline a certain lack of standing that no state—even a powerful thoritarian regimes have become even cal leadership is rapidly losing ground. precision in the characteristic ter- Thierry de Montbrial is a member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques, Founder and Through his rhetoric and actions, minology used in ongoing debates Executive Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), and Founder and Chairman Trump continues to demean “Western regarding major international and of the World Policy Conference. You may follow him via his website: www. thierrydemontbrial.com Summer 2018, No.12 12 13 Thierry de Montbrial HorizonS Global Heterogeneity even national questions. This lack incredible tour de force in transforming After the two world wars, the countries hen it comes to European se- of precision reveals that the current its economy and society into the world’s of Western Europe chose as their line Wcurity and defense, we seem to international system is out of balance second largest economy? The Chinese of horizon the illusory reign of bour- have fallen asleep in the sweet lethargy in a fundamental sense, for many of its regime is not democratic in the sense geois comfort and protection against the of pacifism, giving ourselves away, in active units are themselves out of bal- that the electoral process is very tightly obstacles of life, seeking state protec- times of hardship, to the initiative and ance, which, again, is due to their lack controlled and the separation of pow- tion guarantees. The French expression direction of the United States. The only of capacity to adapt to the shock of an ers is dubious at best. It nevertheless État-providence, a poor translation of exceptions to the aforementioned rule ill-controlled globaliza- appears to be a sort of “welfare state,” is self-explanatory. The are, to some extent, the United King- tion process. The current meritocracy, based on French understanding dom and France. Yet if international system technical and political stands at the opposite When it comes to we take a look back in Global Powers is out of balance in a skillsets that are being end of the spectrum to European security time, we can conclude et us examine the fundamental sense, for cultivated from within the American ideal as and defense, we seem that the 44 years be- Lonly two global many of its active units the Communist Party. defined pithily by John F. to have fallen asleep tween the end of World powers today: the are themselves out of By political skillsets, I Kennedy in his Inaugural in the sweet lethargy War II and the fall of the United States and China. mean their savoir-faire. Address: “ask not what Berlin Wall constitute America’s huge success balance, which is due In this regard, we should your country can do for of pacifism, giving only a short parenthesis is that it has managed to their lack of capacity not forget that China has you; ask what you can do ourselves away, in times in which Western Eu- to produce a constitu- to adapt to the shock more than 25 centuries for your country.” of hardship, to the rope conducted a policy tion that, despite all the of an ill-controlled of history and at least initiative and direction of the ostrich—for want obstacles of history, has globalization process. as many centuries of Because the individual of the United States. of a better term. This pa- maintained its legiti- experience in exercising is the ultimate actor in renthesis has, neverthe- macy in the eyes of the overwhelming power over both a considerable terri- American democracy, there is no con- less, been long enough to paralyze the majority of the American people whilst tory and equally enormous population. tradiction with the supposition that the capacity of adaptation vis-à-vis people continuing to embody their identity. Western ideologists who champion the citizen has a duty to serve his or her that have continued to live under trag- This constitution is perfectly linked to few voices of dissent as the real avant- country. As such, on that side of the edy and hardship, and that have main- culture, which very closely resembles garde voices of the Chinese people are Atlantic, the role of the individual and tained the sense of the group over that what the Founders had envisioned: suc- committing a grave mistake. the group is resolved harmoniously. In of the individual. cess by merit, melting pot, etc. Moreo- bourgeois Western Europe, we keep ver, it remains compatible with an ideal s such, both the American and waiting for the State to serve the individ- uring these 44 years of intro- of economic efficiency, despite resulting AChinese governments are well ual, without reciprocity. We speak about Dversion, however, Western (and rising) inequalities. The question equipped to confront each other in the rights and not duties, forgetting that a Europe founded an entirely new that lingers, however, is whether and race for the world’s top spot. This is not nation does not merely represent a col- political construction that eventually for how much longer such a culture will the case with a majority of other states in lective of its citizens at a given moment, became the European Union. From maintain its essential characteristics. the world, beginning with those in the EU but includes its both dead and those that the very beginning, it was not per- that do not suffer as much from a “demo- are not yet born. That’s why Charles de ceived as an international institution Regarding China, how can we doubt cratic deficit,” as we often like to repeat ad Gaulle carefully distinguished between among others, but as a starting point the legitimacy and efficiency of a -re nauseam, but rather from an efficiency what he called “eternal” France and towards the establishment of a new gime that has managed to pull off an deficit, and thus a legitimacy deficit. France “of the moment.” type of political unit. Summer 2018, No.12 14 15 Thierry de Montbrial HorizonS Global Heterogeneity This entity helped to reorient com- adapt to changes in its environment and government to correctly identify prob- electoral base. As of August 2018, the mon priorities away from waging war threats to which it is directly exposed. lems and provide necessary solutions. American economy is doing well and and towards the establishment of a Thus we ask ourselves the question: Sir Winston Churchill was very attached Trump looks like he might actually be force for prosperity and active peace what is the future of the EU and its to such a distinction—one that Queen reelected for a second term. on a global scale. As with every politi- member states? Elizabeth II has perfected so much that cal entity, a form of governance was her long reign has managed to paper During the slower years of the Cold needed that would be fundamentally Trump, Trump, and More over the fact that numerous post-World War, the Europeans learned to be skep- compliant with the principles of liberal Trump War II British governments have not tical of the concept of national inter- democracy.

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