|
The Neo-Cold War (also known as the Second Cold War) is an expression coined by Joseph Stroupe to refer to the post-Soviet era geopolitical conflict resulting from the implementation of two divergent projects for the configuration a New world order. The two basic opposing ideas for the impending world order are Unipolarity and Multipolarity. The geopolitical aspects of this conflict relate to economic, military, political, cultural, educational, and energy resources competition.
Unipolar vs multipolar world
A multipolar world is the ideology that has been heralded by Russia, China, India and other regional powers as the most attractive alternative to a US-dominated unipolar world. To them multipolarity means multiple poles, or centers of power, distributed widely and more equitably across the globe, with no single pole inordinately dominating the others.
A unipolar world is defined by Vladimir Putin as "one center of authority, one center of force, one center of decision-making one master, one sovereign."
William Kristol and Robert Kagan in their Project for the New American Century (PNAC) call it the "sole remaining super-power", who has the mission to impose a "benevolent global hegemony" upon the world.
George W. Bush, in an address at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2002, said: "America has, and intends to keep, military strengths beyond challenge, thereby making the destabilizing arms races of other eras pointless, and limiting rivalries to trade and other pursuits of peace." which confirms his adherence to the PNAC project and therefore to building a unipolar world.
Geopolitical developments Russia-China-India Rise
Russia is revising its military doctrine in order to deal with what it sees as an increased threat of US military actions around the world.
China has substantially increased its military budget and it is on the path of becoming a global military power.
India is building its own naval force and enhancing its ballistic missile technology with the help of Russia.
The rapid industrial expansion of China and India has created a competition for the world's energy resources and the need to secure their supply. The increase in the military expenses of these three countries is aimed at ensuring its energy security as threats amount due to the Iraq war and other crisis in energy rich areas of the world.
US and NATO expansion The US led unipolarity extends NATO operations beyond its natural geographic limits, such as Afghanistan, and other war theaters. It is also incorporating countries formerly under the Russian sphere of influence. US carries out advance plans to use the new NATO countries as platform for its missile defenses.
Race for the control of the energy resources Gas and Oil cartels A gas cartel that brings together the world largest exporters of natural gas was an idea floated initially by Russian president Vladimir Putin, it has also been supported by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, both the leaders of the largest gas producers of the world.
The world largest producers of natural gas are on the way to create if not the equivalent to the OPEC, which sets prices and quotas, at least some coordination is factors such as pricing, infrastructure, and the development of technologies for the cost effective storage of LNG, etc.
|
|
|