The Decline of the West, and How to Stop It

Western democracy’s many achievements are in jeopardy as cooperation erodes at both the global and national levels, warn Javier Solana, former secretary general of NATO, and Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution. “A vital lesson of the modern era is that internationalism has stabilized the world, while lapses into bellicose nationalism have wreaked havoc,” the two write. Nations that were opponents during World War II united around economic platforms and open markets to deliver prosperity. The global debt crisis of 2007-2008 increased inequality while reducing employment and social safety nets – unleashing uncertainty for Europe and the Americas and instigating “widespread mistrust of elites and experts, and feverish enthusiasm for anti-establishment populists.” Solana and Talbott warn that “With this backlash comes the threat of protectionism in economics, isolationism in foreign policy, and a resurgent nativism and xenophobia in politics.” They urge streamlined decision-making as well as programs that educate, reduce alienation and inequality, encourage cooperation and expand globalization’s many opportunities. – YaleGlobal