When nations decline: Business Standard

When nations decline, rule-makers turn rule-breakers, threaten world order: T N Ninan asks which country is the greater threat to the world system: China or the US?


Trump as a symbol
This refers to “When nations decline” (Business Standard, Weekend ruminations, March 17). The short piece has covered several concerns of people across geographies which usually get swept under the carpet while editorials and columns are written in the mainstream media. Unpalatable truths are always reserved for special occasions and are told in bits and pieces.  Though briefly, Ninan has opened up and perhaps a debate may follow.
It is not comfortable, being reminded about history, especially for those in power. But we are passing through a time when, forgetting history can be more harmful than any other time in world history. Today “Trump” doesn’t carry extra value than any other card in the pack. Thanks to the idea of strength developed post-World War II by those who thought that they had won the war, no nation in the world takes ‘powerful’ countries seriously. A nation with $20 trillion public debt cannot boast much about the size of its GDP or boss over the nations whose purchasing power its economy depends for survival.
Unfortunately for the rich and the powerful, today the poorest in the world is aware why he is remaining poor and is able to tell the richest in the world that distributive justice and equality before law are integral parts of peace for individuals and nations. Creating islands of peace and prosperity is going to be tough as the current century progresses.
Back in India, “WE THE PEOPLE” have started giving signals to the effect that democracy is much more than occasional elections and those who elect governments are willing to monitor the governance on an ongoing basis. Earlier the political leadership wakes up, the better for the nation.
M G Warrier, Mumbai





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