A recent op-ed from Bloomberg suggests a new “axis of evil” is emerging. It was behind a paywall and I wasn’t about to pay to read it. But instead of the old axis of Iran, Iraq and North Korea, the new ones are Russia, Iran, North Korea and China. […]
We all know how US foreign policy turned out last time under George W. Bush when its formulation was based on such an axis: an illegal war in Iraq that killed hundreds of thousands, uprooted millions and destroyed a whole society; the spurring of Iran to become a big regional player in the Middle East and the nuclearisation of North Korea that makes it virtually uninvadable.
Don’t blame China for presenting itself as a peace broker while taking aim at the West, but especially the US; it’s a no-brainer. Biden has practically handed the diplomatic opportunity to Beijing on a platter. Opportunism or not, what’s wrong with Beijing calling for a Gaza ceasefire and a two-state solution – now openly rejected by the Israeli leadership – and drawing closer to the major Arab states? It has built on the restored relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia that it helped mediate. But not just in the Middle East; Beijing has shown itself in accord with the shared world views of the Global South.
That may be perceived as a threat to the US-led global order, but Washington has no one else to blame but itself. When you overextend by committing to a war that can’t be won and another that amounts to genocide, the outcomes are predictable. I am reminded of another recent op-ed in The New York Times titled, “What if we’re the bad guys here?” Hmm, that’s an excellent question. Läs artikel