Seriously, this won’t give the conspiracy theory folks ammunition, right? Because it’s not like former Obama State Department Policy Planning Staff member Edward Fishman is putting it to print, right?
How to Build the Post-Coronavirus World Order
International orders seldom change in noticeable ways. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the Pax Romana was not a passing phase: it persisted for centuries. The order that arose from the 1815 Congress of Vienna didn’t fully unravel until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
But at rare moments, confidence in the old order collapses and humanity is left with a vacuum. It is during these times that new orders are born—that new norms, treaties and institutions arise to define how countries interact with each other and how individuals interact with the world.
As the most far-reaching global disruption since World War II, the coronavirus pandemic is such a moment. The post-1945 world order has ceased to function. Under a healthy order, we would expect at least good faith attempts at international coordination to confront a virus that knows no borders. Yet the United Nations has gone missing, the World Health Organization has become a political football and borders have closed not only between countries but even within the European Union. Habits of cooperation that took decades to entrench are dissolving.
Well, let’s see, that’s rather because this is a disease that spreads through contact. Did Edward miss the part of about social distancing? Stay at home orders?
Five years ago, I represented the State Department in an inter-agency project to evaluate the future of the international order. We studied past transitions and discussed possible reforms. We recognized that the order was fragile and needed repair, but we also appreciated the power of inertia—it takes extreme moments for leaders to accept that the old order is broken and summon the will to forge a new one.
Now that extreme moment is here, and U.S. leaders have an opportunity that typically comes around just once or twice a century: They can build an order that actually works for our times—one that combats climate change, cyber threats and public health challenges, and that allows for the fruits of globalization and technological progress to be shared more widely. If, that is, they do it right.
No, no, nothing creepy about this. This is the kind of thing that gives people like Alex Jones wet dreams, yet, here Edward is saying that they want giant monster big world government, and will take advantage of the misery, fear, sickness, and even deaths of people to achieve it.
The coronavirus will arrest our lives longer than we’d like, but not forever—and when the crisis passes, the contours of the new order will take shape rapidly. To ensure that brief window is put to good use and not consumed by squabbling, U.S. and world leaders should begin collaborating now to formulate principles.
It would be foolish to expect President Donald Trump, who is one of the reasons that today’s international order isn’t working, to spearhead planning for a new one. We might have to wait for a more internationally minded president to form the institutions of the new order. But Trump’s presence doesn’t mean that valuable progress can’t happen in the meantime.
In other words, Trump would get in the way of instituting Modern Socialism, otherwise known as Progressivism (nice Fascism).
Despite temptations to find scapegoats for a pandemic that has already killed more Americans than the Vietnam War, U.S. leaders should be generous in aiding post-coronavirus recovery efforts around the world. Though Beijing doubtless bears blame for its suppression of early reports of the coronavirus, America and the world would be far better served by bolstering China’s public health system than by seeking to punish Beijing or embarrass it through racially insensitive epithets.
But, of course Edward is inclined to be nice to China.
At the same time, we need a revamped order among like-minded democracies—which, as a smaller group, can be more ambitious. The United States and its allies in Europe and Asia should come together into a council of democracies, expanding collective defense beyond the military realm to counter subtler menaces such election meddling, disinformation and financial coercion. On the economic front, it’s well past time for an international system that prioritizes human welfare over growth for growth’s sake. America, the EU, Japan and other democracies should seal new economic agreements in which increasing market access goes hand-in-hand with cracking down on tax avoidance, protecting data privacy and enforcing labor standards. Some level of pullback from globalization is inevitable and warranted. But absent planning now, that retreat will be chaotic and blunt, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
That means the government runs the economy. Socialism. Never let a good crisis go to waste, right?
ANOTHER DEEP STATE PIECE OF TRASH POSTING PROPAGANDA!!
First of all 5 years ago was smack dab in the OBAMA admin and we all know he was a far left puppet owned by CORPORATIONS and HE REALLY DID NOTHING to upset the power that corporations have developed to themselves SINCE CLINTON and the REPUBLICANS let CHINA INTO THE WHO.
Five years ago, I represented the State Department in an inter-agency project to evaluate the future of the international order. We studied past transitions and discussed possible reforms. We recognized that the order was fragile and needed repair, but we also appreciated the power of inertia—it takes extreme moments for leaders to accept that the old order is broken and summon the will to forge a new one.***Now that extreme moment is here, and U.S. leaders have an opportunity that typically comes around just once or twice a century: They can build an order that actually works for our times—one that combats climate change, cyber threats and public health challenges, and that allows for the fruits of globalization and technological progress to be shared more widely. If, that is, they do it right.***
MORE JUNK BULLSHIT about a new world order, defence of Globalism and for it to become EVEN MORE WIDELY SHARED.
This man is out of touch with reality. We have 200 countries right now that want nothing to do with CHINA and China is now ordering all the countries they have lent money to to pay them back. NOW.
China sees the writing on the wall. Australia, UK, Italy, Denmark, Sweeden, Austria, The US, Canada, Japan. have all demanded accountability and that is not the complete list.
Notice who is missing here? South Korea as China masses a million men within striking distance of its nation. War simulations show repeatedly the USA loses in a war with China due to one fact.
WE HAVE SOLD OUR SOULS TO CHINA FOR PROFITS. NOW 50 centers are defending China. The very people that rail against corporations for shipping jobs to CHINA.
The new world order will exist in the future. Count on it. This is the end for America. The ultra leftists have been planning this for decades, it just took COVID-19 to plunge us into CHAOS.
We will all be communists in 40 years because the difference tween us and them is they DONT CARE IF A BILLION PEOPLE DIE and we care if ONE PERSON DIES>
Didn’t we end up with a new order after 9/11? Patriot Act, Surveillance State, TSA, new banking rules, a new enemy, GWOT, perpetual war…
Mr Fishman wrote:
The People’s Republic has the world’s second largest economy, thrice as large as Japan’s, which is in third place, but Mr Fishman thinks that the US and the world should be sending what amounts to welfare to China to help the PRC’s public health system?
The estimable Mr. Dana complains that it was suggested that the US bolster China’s public health system.
Ask yourselves, what if China’s public health system HAD contained the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, early, honestly and transparently? Wouldn’t the entire world have been better off without the pandemic?
Warring with China may not be the best approach to encourage their cooperation.
It’s understandable that the American right wants to build A Wall around the nation, but it’s not feasible or advisable. America will have to re-learn to work with other nations.
You fool. China doesn’t have a “public health system” they have a communist state run health system and politics, not science, runs the show. And there is NOTHING we can do to make commies honest and transparent. We’ve been trying with our Democommies here and it won’t work since they are partisan ideologues.
Nobody mentioned “warring with China” except you. Why is that? Is that the new line your Chicom bosses want you to circulate?
If you think “the American right wants to build A Wall around the nation” then you really are a magnificent moron of the first degree. No wonder you have a Stinkyfinger running for pez. That’s all you asses got!
Trump 2020 Keep Stinkyfinger out of the WH.
Kye,
You can’t be as dumb as you pretend to be. OTOH Sibley is not pretending.
NotTrump2020: Kick StinkyStump out the WH.
Ask yourselves, what if China’s public health system HAD contained the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, early, honestly and transparently? Wouldn’t the entire world have been better off without the pandemic?
Because that would tell the world their wonderful government health system screwed up, like all the other wonderful government health systems screwed up.
Warring with China may not be the best approach to encourage their cooperation.
Making kissy face and letting them have their way sure as Hell didn’t.
It’s understandable that the American right wants to build A Wall around the nation, but it’s not feasible or advisable. America will have to re-learn to work with other nations.
Worked for China way back when. Also working for Israel and Eastern Europe today.
In fact, not keeping the world out is why NY is the epicenter of the ChiCom Cough 19.
The distinguished Mr Dowd — who wants to wreck our own health care system — thinks we should send money, money borrowed from China, back to China to upgrade their public health care system, and then have to repay the money we borrowed from China to send back to China to improve China’s health care system?
Where’s that old ROTFLMAO emoji when we need it?
We didn’t mention money, did we? The problem isn’t that China lacks money, it’s that they may lack the expertise, the international cooperation or even the will.
If the ChiComs lack the will, we can’t force it upon them. They need no international cooperation to upgrade their own health care system. If they lack the expertise, well the Chinese send plenty of students to American and other western universities.
The implacable Mr Dana typed: wreck our own health care system
We spend about twice per capita as any other wealthy nation on Earth for healthcare will poorer results, and with millions without care. There’s little left to wreck.
How can we possibly have “millions without care”? Didn’t His Majesty Barack the First — and hopefully last — get his wonderful Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed?