A perfect storm brewing in an imperfect world

In the past, the West led by the US set the rules for others to follow. Now China is setting the rules that it expects other countries to follow.

- M.D. NALAPAT

Whether one is reading in the print media or listening to a news broadcast, the most confirmed optimist may slip into dismay. After centuries of going against our natural habitat, Mother Nature is hitting back through weather changes that convert temperate zones into cauldrons of heat and regions of moderate to no rainfall into areas where the rain comes mercilessly and sweeps away homes and destroys livelihoods. Almost every world leader appears to be chasing the Nobel Peace Prize, despite several of its recipients having been culpable in decisions that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Overall figures of economic growth mask growing gaps between the rich and the poor. Those in the middle class are more likely to drift downwards into the ranks of the poor than to graduate to the status and privileges of being rich. To those who are struggling to escape the growing clutches of pen-nilessness, the privilege of voting every few years for one candidate seems peripheral in the achievement of needs. There was never any "free trade", for every Free Trade Agreement (FTA) contains barriers to trade that are far from free even where such barriers have been removed, as tariffs remain even if lowered. After decades of indifference, a fightback is gaining pace at the way in which China has been hollowing out industries and services across the world. Success thus far in such an effort is often resulting in a more aggressive posture towards retaining or winning claims that have no historical or other justification. A "rules-based international order" is a euphemism for a world where the strong set the rules and the weak are expected to meekly follow.