Geopolitics What makes S'pore the real exceptional nation

The news coming out of the western flank of the Atlantic makes for uncomfortable viewing, with many feeling anxious every time they watch the news.

- Tarun Kataria

Rolling back renewables' development, fanning the flames of hyper-partisanship, all while overseeing increasing disparity and having multiple mass shootings so far this year do not make the US an "exceptional country". The moral malaise is palpable.

Other Western nations too are hit by economic and leadership malaise. The euro zone is structurally flawed, with its internal barriers and regulatory hurdles creating a very difficult macroeconomic environment.

The UK's relevance has diminished over time, especially post-Brexit.

China, too, has scored some own goals. The decades-long dependency on real estate has ended. Coupled with a 200-plus per cent debt-to-GDP ratio and poor demographics, it is an economy under enormous pressure.