January 9, 2017 ☼ China ☼ Donald Trump ☼ Foreign Affairs ☼ foreign policy ☼ geopolitics ☼ India ☼ realpolitik ☼ swing power ☼ United States ☼ Vladimir Putin
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
I was in a panel discussion with Steve Coll, dean of the Columbia Journalism School and T K Arun, senior editor of the Deccan Herald at the Deccan Herald Spotlight, Taj West End, Bangalore on 9th January 2017. The topic of discussion was Trump and geopolitics. The following is an outline of my initial remarks. (Read the newspaper report here)
The bases for US global leadership have become uncertain
Resilience of its democracy is uncertain (more than merely risky)
Its status as a magnet for the world’s most talented people is also uncertain
Trump’s rhetoric and posturing will cause others to adopt protectionist policies and withdraw behind walls and fences, at least in the short term.
This might reverse in the longer term but we can’t be sure how long that will take and what we’ll have to endure in the meantime
For the first time, the factors that propelled India’s & China’s unprecedented growth will come under a cloud. China is luckier because it started earlier and was most focused.
For India the challenge will be to generate 8% growth without a benign external environment
How fast can India integrate domestically and iron out the kinks regarding movement of people, goods and capital across state boundaries
How fast can India create external relationships that will allow growth to take place?
In geopolitics, it all the more clear that India will have to become a swing power. This means selective alignment with the US and China where interests coincide, without joining any one camp.
Better relations with US and China than they have with each other
Ability and willingness to inflict pain and give pleasure
Finally, a more mischievous point: if the West is ceding leadership of values of democracy, liberty and free markets, then India should stake its claim to that leadership.
Do we really need so many illiberal democracies and authoritarian states in the permanent membership of the UNSC?
Do we need four or five Putins in the UN Security Council
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