{"id":50423,"date":"2024-08-23T13:11:29","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T07:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/?p=50423"},"modified":"2024-08-23T13:11:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T07:26:30","slug":"the-west-and-the-emerging-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/2024\/08\/23\/the-west-and-the-emerging-rest\/","title":{"rendered":"The West and the Emerging Rest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Prajwal Baral, Kathmandu:<\/strong> Predicting future political events is often the hardest task, as the underly<\/ins>ing events and facts<\/ins>\u00a0may change at any point\u00a0in<\/ins>\u00a0time \u00a0altering the trajectory of future events. However, political scientists around the world often undertake the challenging task of analyzing and interpreting global events to gain a clearer understanding of the evolving world order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the period of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>Cold\u00a0W<\/ins>ar,\u00a0the<\/ins>\u00a0Sino–<\/ins>Soviet split, Nixon’s visit to China,\u00a0and the<\/ins>\u00a0fall of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>Berlin\u00a0W<\/ins>all demonstrated<\/ins>\u00a0how previous predictions about the global order were changed by these events. New realities of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>time redirected<\/ins>\u00a0the trajectory of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>future, leading to unforeseen outcomes of\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>new horizon.

The p<\/ins>eriod of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>Cold\u00a0W<\/ins>ar was\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>challenging period for political scientists<\/ins>\u00a0as the emergence of\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>bipolar world and\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>public\u00a0d<\/ins>iaspora centered on\u00a0competing ideologies<\/ins>\u00a0made it difficult\u00a0to<\/ins>\u00a0foresee new roots of social order that could have changed the global discourse. Political events were largely framed within the larger context of the Cold War, and smaller, impactful events were often overshadowed.

However, after the fall of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>Soviet Union,<\/ins>\u00a0political scientists all around the world began to analyze newly established facts and events regarding lessons from two devastating world wars<\/ins>\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>period of\u00a0the C<\/ins>old\u00a0w<\/del><\/s>W<\/ins>ar. Just before the fall of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>Berlin\u00a0W<\/ins>all, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama emerged on the global stage with his article “The End Of History,” reflecting\u00a0on the\u00a0<\/ins>triumph of liberal democracy as\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>final form of political organization upon the defeat of fascism and communism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrastingly,\u00a0i<\/ins>n his 2018 book, Identity: the Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, Fukuyama revises his earlier ideas, recognizing that identity politics poses a significant challenge to liberal democracy and there is more left in it. Fukuyama,<\/ins>\u00a0in his earlier work,<\/ins>\u00a0failed to foresee smaller emerging events and trends that were shaping under the bigger picture of\u00a0the C<\/ins>old\u00a0W<\/ins>ar that went unnoticed.Before Francis Fukuyama’s realization, another prominent political scientist, Samuel P. Huntington,closely analyzed<\/ins>\u00a0the period of the Cold War and the democratic transitions occurring in newly independent countries after the fall of the Soviet Union. Samuel Huntington identified<\/ins>\u00a0several key phases in the history of democratization in his renowned work, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, published in 1991. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first wave began in 1828 with the expansion of democratic suffrage in the United States. This was followed by the first reverse wave, which started with Mussolini’s rise to power in Italy. The second wave of democratization began with the Allied victory in World War II, leading to the independence of many colonized countries and their attempts to establish democratic systems. However, by the early 1960s, the hope for continued democratic progress began to fade as the second reverse wave emerged, characterized by a shift towards one-party rule and military dictatorships in many countries. The third wave of democratization began with the fall of the dictatorship in Portugal but did not follow a linear path and faced several setbacks too.

However, while observing the process of democratization, Huntington noticed that it still had a long way to go as distinct cultural norms, which varied from place to place, made it challenging for many countries to fully adopt democratic practices. For democracy to take root and thrive,<\/ins>\u00a0there must be strong political, economic, and cultural foundations upon which Western universalism was often imposed on many countries.

In his influential book The Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington predicts that the future world order will be defined by clashes between different civilizations rather than by conflicts over haves and have nots<\/ins>\u00a0or ideological differences. The primary division will be between the West, which represents universalism, and the rest of the world, which embraces cultural relativism, not only\u00a0in<\/ins>\u00a0the east.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The g<\/ins>rowing influence of Confucianism in China, India’s revitalization of its cultural regions and cultural affiliation, and the strong political and cultural identity of the Arab world are<\/ins>\u00a0key elements shaping this clash of civilizations in the emerging global order.While identifying the clash of civilizations as a central issue related to identity, Huntington points\u00a0out\u00a0<\/ins>that civil unrest and potential civil wars could be significant challenges for countries,<\/del><\/s>\u00a0as cultural and social groups seeks<\/del><\/s>\u00a0to assert their identities, both within and beyond their national boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we may never witness a full-scale clash of civilizations as envisioned by Samuel Huntington, it is evident that countries and blocs representing distinct cultural identities and civilization norms are making significant strides in economic progress and posing substantial economic challenges to the West.\u00a0The l<\/ins>ens of economic progress may provide a more effective framework for understanding world affairs in the 21st century with regard to\u00a0the principle of\u00a0<\/ins>civilization.

Most theorists and political analysts have traditionally framed global dynamics as a West vs. East dichotomy. However, this view is incomplete. The decline in Western superiority is not solely related to Eastern hegemony; it reflects a broader shift beyond the Cold War’s bipolar world order. In the 21st century, the concept of “West vs. the Rest” has become more relevant, as Western universalism faces significant challenges from diverse global perspectives.

Chinese Civilization

The Western ideas of private property, freedom, individualism, and state power stand in contrast to Chinese perspectives. In China,Confucian philosophy emphasizes a familial approach, adherence to the authority’s superiority, and the central role of the state,<\/ins>\u00a0which reflects<\/ins>\u00a0a reliance on collective values, respect for hierarchical structures, and a strong role for the state in guiding and maintaining societal order.

Earlier, China struggled to achieve economic success, but in the 21st century, it has emerged as a flourishing economy, presenting a counter-assertion to the Western bloc.\u00a0Since<\/ins>\u00a01978,<\/ins>\u00a0China has averaged\u00a0a<\/ins>\u00a0GDP growth rate of 9% \u00a0and lifted 800 million\u00a0people out of<\/ins>\u00a0poverty,<\/ins>\u00a0which is attracting many<\/ins>\u00a0other countries for its development model and fostering its relationship and trade with\u00a0C<\/ins>hina. As the rising power of\u00a0C<\/ins>hina\u00a0challenging<\/del><\/s>es<\/ins>\u00a0and threatens<\/ins>\u00a0the existing ruling power,<\/ins>\u00a0the Thucydides trap looks inevitable.

Indian Civilization

A<\/ins>fter the period of economic liberalization in\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>early 1990s, India announced its<\/ins>\u00a0mark\u00a0o<\/ins>n the global stage and started cooperating with many other countries while strictly maintainingstrategic autonomy. The growing influence of India in maintaining regional hegemony has been\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>serious concerns\u00a0<\/del><\/s>\u00a0for<\/ins>\u00a0US influence. India strategically partners with the US and other countries to counterbalance\u00a0C<\/ins>hina‘s<\/ins>\u00a0growing influence; however, it doesn’t<\/ins>\u00a0completely\u00a0align\u00a0with<\/ins>\u00a0the\u00a0W<\/ins>estern bloc. As India marches towards<\/ins>\u00a0its economic growth and<\/ins>\u00a0becomes<\/ins>\u00a0the 5th largest economy in the world, India is likely to assert its own cultural,<\/del><\/s>\u00a0and<\/ins>\u00a0philosophical identity to\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>world rather than comply with W<\/ins>estern ideas<\/ins>.Reemergence of cultural relativism all around the world and economic growth of\u00a0nations above<\/ins>\u00a0undermines the concept of\u00a0an\u00a0<\/ins>upcoming bipolar world. The future of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/ins>world order still looks unpredictable,<\/ins>\u00a0but\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>multipolar world order is shaping with the growth of countries that represent\u00a0a\u00a0<\/ins>different cultural identity other than US universalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 21st century where nationalism, identity and culture have gained relevance, positing the idea of West versus the East or China versus the US is not complete at all. The US may seek to counterbalance China but US hegemony will face significant challenge all around the world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Baral is a graduate of Nepal Law Campus with an interest in international law and international relations.)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Prajwal Baral, Kathmandu: Predicting future political events is often the hardest task, as the underlying events and facts\u00a0may change at any point\u00a0in\u00a0time \u00a0altering the trajectory of future events. However, political scientists around the world often undertake the challenging task of analyzing and interpreting global events to gain a clearer understanding of the evolving world […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":50424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG-20231031-WA0137.jpg?fit=1200%2C1600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcWLTd-d7h","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50423"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50425,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50423\/revisions\/50425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nepallivetoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}