From Obama to Justin Trudeau: the post-Cold War consensus may be over. This is how the liberal world order crumbled

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1. ***From The Times:***

   In May 2016, when Justin Trudeau made his first appearance at a G7 summit, it was still possible to believe in a rules-based liberal international order. Taking his seat at the leaders’ table, Trudeau, buttressed by winning a large majority in Canada’s general election the year before, must have felt secure.

   But more reassuring than any warship was the security of being among like-minded leaders. Barack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Matteo Renzi, Shinzo Abe and François Hollande hailed from different nations and different political traditions, but they all shared a common faith in open trade and multilateralism, democratic solidarity and co-operative security, all under the protective canopy of American leadership. Trudeau was intent on steering Canada in the same direction.

   Yet within a month of the summit, Britain had voted to leave the European Union, and within six months Donald Trump had been elected to the US presidency.

   The world stage that Trudeau leaves behind is transformed; the values he promised Obama that he would defend have crumbled. Trump is back, stronger and more empowered. In Canada, Pierre Poilievre, a brash conservative, is poised to win power.

   Across the West, other right-wing populists — from Giorgia Meloni to Marine Le Pen to Nigel Farage — are either in power or surging. The elemental forces that were supposed to have vanished at the end of the Cold War — illiberalism, protectionism, spheres of influence, autocracy, territorial revisionism — have all reasserted themselves. There are more conflicts across the globe today than at any time since 1945. The recovery of the liberal order seems more distant.

   Read the article in full here: [https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/liberal-world-order-justin-trudeau-obama-david-cameron-53v2zhqns?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Reddit#Echobox=1736690917](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/liberal-world-order-justin-trudeau-obama-david-cameron-53v2zhqns?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Reddit#Echobox=1736690917)

2. And let it be said that the “liberals” everywhere crumpled because of socio-economics policies of Neoliberalism and not because of whatever flavor of the month Progressive idea they were espousing.

3. These doomsday articles have been posted for well over a decade now. Life won’t end. Things won’t change as much as they would love you to think. Modern day is slow in many ways.

4. One of the main issues I see with articles like these is how easily they align leaders as rightwing or leftwing. These labels as seen through the myopic lens of the western media really needs some self-introspection. That said, nations evolve and needs of countries change. These are cycles. 

5. Multipolarity is inevitable

   1 billion westerners cannot dominate and dictate rules and norms to 8 billion in global south.

   The American empire tried to mobilize its political, economic, and military power to artificially suppress multipolarity. But its clearly not working.

6. The left lost because is paid no attention to the damage the right was doing – letting the right get away with destruction of education and controlling the Media.

7. Suicidal Empathy killed the Post-Cold War Order. ignoring the atrocities of the 90’s as an aberration, and then taking an approach of wilful blindness to the threats that would end the peace. Mandating empathy for the various enemies of Western Liberal Democracies, inviting them in the front door and giving them a room. Sleeping with poisonous snakes.

8. The collapse of western liberal order is primarily attributable to their terrible governance. Their own incompetence did far more harm to their electability and legacy than any Russian or Chinese propaganda.

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