Transcription
Professor Kesor Mahubani explains one of the biggest changes happening in our world today. The West is no longer as powerful as it once was, while Asia and especially China is quickly rising. This is a story that will shape the future. So don't miss it. Watch until the end.
We live in extremely interesting times. Our world is changing fundamentally in a way that it hasn't changed in centuries. So we have to be psychologically ready for massive changes coming our way. But what is what makes it in some ways even more difficult to prepare for these changes is the fact that the civilization and this is in response to your question about has the west lost it? The civilization that led the world for the last 200 years is losing its way in a very profound way. And I say this because if there was one gift that western civilization shared with the rest of humanity, it's what I call the gift of rationality. The west said, "Oh, we believe that in everything you do, you have to base it on evidence. You have to be reasonable and logical in whatever you do and you must check and verify any information you have, right? In the search for objective truth." And yet despite all these fundamental maxims of western civilization, the west is acting irrationally at a time when it should be acting more rationally. And I'll give you three concrete examples, huge examples of irrationality.
The first example, we know that the world has changed because it's become a small interdependent world, right? We are hugely connected. And so, as I to use a simple boat analogy, in the past when 8 billion people live in 193 separate countries, they were living on 193 separate boats, right? Separate from each other. So if one boat caught CO, other boats wouldn't catch CO. They're separated. But the world has shrunk. The 8 billion of us live in 193 separate cabins on the same boat. So when one cabin catches CO, all 193 cabins catch CO. It's so obvious. Now, what happens if you are all living on the same boat? What's the most irrational thing you can do? The most irrational thing you can do is when your boat is sinking as a result of climate change, instead of trying to save the boat, you argue about whose cabin is more beautiful. You know, there's an old expression, English expression, there's no point rearranging the deck chairs when the Titanic is going down. That's irrational. But that's what the West is doing. For the United States to launch its geopolitical contest against China when the planet is in peril is hugely irresponsible and hugely irrational. And what's shocking is that the west has the leading universities, the leading think tanks, the leading media channels, and they don't point out that this is irrational behavior. That's just one example.
Kishor Mahabani is absolutely right. At a time when the world is facing a serious climate crisis that needs cooperation and unity, the United States has chosen to launch a geopolitical battle against China instead. Rather than working together to solve global problems, Washington keeps labeling China as a threat and calling it an evil communist empire. This constant fear-mongering has not only damaged global stability, but also distracted the world from real challenges like climate change, poverty, and sustainable growth. It's irresponsible and shortsighted. Just imagine how much progress we could make if the US and China, the two largest economies and biggest carbon emitters, joined forces. Together, they could lead the fight against climate change and create a better future for everyone.
The second example is that what's so obvious is that history has turned a fundamental corner this century. And what was the norm for the past 200 years is not going to be the norm in this century. So for example, amazingly enough, a 100 years ago in 1924, a few Europeans could run the world effortlessly. A 100,000 Englishmen could rule over 300 million Indian ancestors of mine. Just like that effortlessly, right? Europe could run the world. But European power has diminished. One statistic in the year 1980, the combined EU GDP was 10 times the size of China. 10 times. Now is the same size as China. And by 2050, Europe will be hard that of China. Now when you have this massive shifts of power happening surely you should look for rational ways and means of adjusting. Is that happening? It's not another sign of irrationality on their part.
Once again professor Kashor Mahubani is spot on. For the past 200 years, the world has been dominated by Western powers, first Europe, and later the United States. But today, that era is fading and the global balance of power is shifting. China has risen to become the world's second largest economy and continues to grow at a steady pace. India and the rest of Asia are also catching up quickly, driving a new wave of growth and innovation. Meanwhile, Western countries are struggling with economic stagnation, rising debt, and political divisions. On top of that, their heavy involvement in the Russia Ukraine conflict has only highlighted their geopolitical miscalculations and lack of foresight. The truth is clear. The center of gravity is moving from the west to the east and Asia is stepping into a role it hasn't held in centuries, shaping the future of the world.
And the third sign of irrationality is this. If you had to decide what's the most important priority of any society, the most important priority for any society anywhere in the world should be to improve the well-being of its own population. Right? If you had to make a choice between X and well-being, you say no, I must take care of the well-being of your people, of my people. And yet paradoxically, United States, which is the most rational society on planet earth, at a time when the average standard of living of the bottom 50% of the American population has stagnated for three decades and the priority should be to take care of the bottom 50%. Instead of focusing on people, the United States says primacy is more important than people. Any country that chooses primacy over the well-being of its own people is making an irrational decision and nobody questions it.
The problem with America's current strategy is that it cares more about staying number one than about taking care of its own people. Instead of fixing issues like broken infrastructure, expensive healthcare, and growing inequality, Washington spends huge amounts of money trying to contain China and hold on to global dominance. That's not pragmatic. It's wasteful. Think about it. No empire in history has stayed on top forever. The smart move isn't to fight the rise of others, but to adapt and focus on making life better at home. If the US put the same energy into rebuilding its economy, improving education, and uniting its people, it would be much stronger in the long run. And let's be real, China's rise is unstoppable. It's already the world's manufacturing powerhouse, a technology leader, and the main trading partner for most countries. Fighting this reality only creates more tension and damages global stability. Accepting China's rise doesn't mean America is weak. It just means recognizing the world is becoming multipolar where power is shared instead of dominated by one country. If the US accepts this and works with China instead of against it, both nations and the whole world stand to benefit. That's what a truly pragmatic policy should look like.
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