Future of Global Power: Project Syndicate

The world wars of the 20th century weakened the British Empire and strengthened the United States; the Cold War weakened the Soviet Union while again strengthening the United States. Yet Covid-19 could upend US power as the world assesses pandemic responses. The Trump administration, managing the pandemic response ahead of the November election, blames China for Covid-19. US voters, polarized over most issues, generally approve of tough policies on China – rejecting authoritarianism, intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices and more. Joschka Fischer, writing for Project Syndicate, questions if the United States can provide global leadership while evading responsibility. “While the US remains mired in short-term thinking, China is establishing itself as an alternative source of global leadership and investment, patiently pursuing a long-term strategy to exploit the geopolitical vacuum created by America’s inward turn,” he writes. “In any case, the blow to America’s international image, especially following the Trump administration’s disastrous failure in the face of COVID-19, will be hard to repair. The pandemic is reinforcing the general impression that the US is a decadent superpower, soon to be supplanted by a strategically deft and economically dynamic China.” Other countries, caught in the middle, must encourage cooperation, long-term planning and human rights. – YaleGlobal