The end of contemporary history View(s):By Joschka Fischer, exclusively for the Sunday Times in Sri LankaI cannot recall a time during the past 75 years when there has been such a massive accumulation of major and minor shocks. The world today is dealing with intensifying climate change, a pandemic, major wars, surging inflation, disruptions to international trade and supply chains, and acute food and energy shortages. In short, we are witnessing the denouement of the Pax Americana that underpinned international relations for more than 70 years following World War II. And US leaders mistakenly believed China’s inclusion in the World Trade Organisation and other multilateral arrangements would inevitably lead to its democratisation. COVID-19 and climate change have fundamentally altered the global economic and political calculus and will continue to do so.

Source: Sunday Times August 07, 2022 13:04 UTC