While individual countries face multiple difficulties, the one trend observable across the world is the rise of economic inequality. The breadth and depth of this challenge make it the main suspect in explaining the growing sense of vulnerability among national governments.
Both Russia and the United States have faced a drastic rise in economic inequality in recent decades. In Russia, the gap between rich and poor skyrocketed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and reached the level of , right before the first Russian revolution.
In the United States, inequality has climbed to a level comparable to that in the late s on the eve of the Great Depression. While direct historical analogies can be distractive, there is little doubt that such trends challenge the internal stability of the two countries. Perceived threats make horizontal connections between Russian and American society increasingly toxic politically. Governments increasingly treat such contacts as transmission belts for foreign interference rather than benign channels of communication.
The trend towards greater inequality goes beyond Russia and the United States. The rise of economic inequality proceeded from the globalization of production, the financialization of economies, and the automation of many industries and services.
Although the first has slowed down, the other two continue to contribute to the rising gap between haves and have-nots. Unlike previously, economic inequality did not contract even after the Great Recession of — and amid the global pandemic. Throughout history, major economic crises and widespread epidemics, despite all the hardships associated with them, acted as great levelers , but currently, the division between rich and poor stays stable or even increases.
While polls indicate widespread concern over economic inequality, in neither Russia nor the United States does this issue top the list of public misgivings. However, other items on these lists are often closely related to a sense of social injustice.
The gap in incomes translates into differences in healthcare and educational opportunities, sensitivity to corruption, and hostility towards immigrants. The chronic nature of inequalities deprives societies of a sense of historical optimism—a hope that current problems will go away with time. The rise of economic inequality amplifies tensions within societies and fosters political dissatisfaction. It stimulates not only support for wealth redistribution and trade protectionism but also religious, ethnic, and racial divisions, redirecting the blame to the outsiders.
Henceforth, it strengthens opposite political movements associated with left-wing socialism and right-wing nationalism. It undermines the moderate center, discrediting the corruption of the ruling political elites and promoting anti-establishment attitudes.
National governments come under mounting pressure and face a looming threat of domestic destabilization. They become increasingly reckless in their attempts to retain internal order and political authority. Turmoil within also has substantial implications for foreign policy, as other states are treated as either part of the solution or part of the problem amid challenges experienced by political elites.
The current social trends, while disturbing, are not entirely without precedent. One could even claim that the period of relative equality in the second half of the twentieth century was something of an exception in comparison to previous epochs. However, at various points throughout history, domestic fragility has produced very different consequences for international politics. For example, in the nineteenth century, concerns over internal revolutions incentivized great powers to resolve their disputes amicably, contributing to the stability of the Concert of Europe.
The organization was By Zhang Hui. Photo:Xinhua The detailed examples of US' blatant interference to China's Hong Kong affairs since , issued for the first time by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, served as a strong counterattack and warning to the US, and also signaled the urgency for legislation of Article 23 of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law which is likely to be put on the legislative agenda after December, Chinese analysts said on Friday.
It details the US' moves of intervention since early including enacting Hong Kong-related acts, imposing sanctions, smearing the Hong Kong government and police force, shielding and supporting anti-China forces that attempted to destabilize Hong Kong, and teaming up with allies to exert pressure on China.
The long sheet listed five main facts with a total of examples. The first was that the US has enacted and is considering eight Hong Kong-related acts, bills or resolutions since in an attempt to vilify China's policy on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and meddle in its affairs.
The past 30 years saw a string of moral, diplomatic and military failures of the U. In fact, nearly 50 years ago, General Maxwell Taylor of the U. Army already noted that the U. The general trend of history and the times is unstoppable and can never be reversed. The rash and unrealistic actions of some U. Justice naturally inhabits people's heart, and peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the only right way in the world.
No attempt that goes against the general trend will find support; any misdeeds that undermine global political security will surely backfire; anyone that is obsessed with hegemony, bullying, or manipulation will only end up harming themselves. Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy. China urges U. Five-Year Plan, a feature of China's governance system. Americans were outraged about foreign interference in the US election, and officials have sought to counter the asymmetric advantage that the Internet gives America's adversaries.
But the United States will be unable to establish norms to constrain its rivals until it publicly denounces and ends the practice itself. Wray disclosed that Russia and Iran had obtained US voter registration data. Americans have been understandably outraged and alarmed about foreign electoral interference.
But the practice is not new; in fact, the United States was for a long time its leading exponent. One of the most famous examples of US foreign electoral interference came at the dawn of the Cold War in , when the CIA in its first covert action secretly subsidized public efforts to ensure that communist candidates were defeated in elections in Italy. It also spent millions of dollars on propaganda efforts and supporting favored Italian politicians.
These and similar practices, covert and overt, continued throughout the Cold War. Already have an account? Log in. For more than 25 years, Project Syndicate has been guided by a simple credo: All people deserve access to a broad range of views by the world's foremost leaders and thinkers on the issues, events, and forces shaping their lives.
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