Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE

International relations and the new world governance
by a bigger role of the state, by the creation of a «welfare state» in line with
the European experience. This would entail reviewing the long held concept
of citizenship, shifting away from the «pioneering spirit» to establish a
more conservative society less willing to take risks and, accordingly, prone
to avoid commitments beyond its borders. Similarly, there is no guarantee
that on this occasion the United States will be capable of establishing a
genuine national strategy which defines threats, risks, assets, challenges
and objectives. Bush proposed one, but his own Administration turned its
back on it. The same could well occur during Obama’s mandate. All that
we know for sure is that there is no historical determinism to suggest that
the United States is doomed to an imminent decline. No nation is better
placed to address the challenges of global society or the present economic
crisis. Few states can emerge more reinforced from the present situation
that the American hyper power. It all depends on whether they take
the appropriate economic measures and are capable of reaching basic
consensuses on their role in the world.
THE EMERGENCE OF THE INDIA-PACIFIC AREA
The fact that the US secretary of state chose the Pacific area as the
destination of her first official trip as opposed to Europe and the Middle
East is an act of premeditated symbolism that points to what will be the
main focus of America’s external action, whichever party controls the White
House and the Capitol. This area has not ceased to grow in significance.
But the expectations raised have gained ground as the Atlantic Alliance’s
credibility has waned among the US elite and particularly among the young
generations, who tend to view it as an ineffective Cold War relic.
The Pacific region is experiencing a spectacular economic expansion
driven by both demographic growth and substantial progress in education.
China and India still have a long way to go to achieve a standard of living
equivalent to that of Europe, but they have the means and the determination
to do so. Both nations not only feel pride at being the result of age old
cultures and humiliation at having been conquered but are also fully aware
that following their failed experiments they are on the road to joining the
modern world and finally attaining their rightful place on the world stage.
They are powers which are imbued with a very strong national spirit and
eagerness to exercise the influence they consider that befits them and in
this respect have joined others which, like Japan, was one of the great
powers of the present age decades ago.
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