The (Ex) Washington Realist

Steven Weber came to the magazine today to take part in a roundtable that assessed and critiqued the concept of the "World Without the West." To recap, this is the notion that we are seeing the emergence of a parallel international system that routes around an American-led order.

Dov Zakheim raised an interesting point about the nature of the "West" in general--if that is defined as Europe, the United States and Japan. To what extent are the Europeans and the Japanese engaging with the states that might otherwise be part of the "World Without the West" in ways the U.S. is not? He also supported Weber's point that the U.S. does have options in terms of competing for the allegiance of a number of states that are "in play"--citing the forthcoming naval exercises between Japan, India and the United States.

Devin Stewart noted that some of the states that might find the "World Without the West" concept intriguing nonetheless will continue to face pressure from their own citizens, the international community and in their bi-lateral relationships to accept and implement standards of conduct, say in human rights. He--and others echoed him here, such as Paul Starobin--also called into question the cohesion of a parallel system that would comprise states with disparate interests and perspectives such as Russia, India and China. Paul asked whether the "World Without the West" would also require a hegemonic power to impose order and referee disputes among its members--and which state would fulfill that role?

Ian Bremmer stressed that the nature of the global economy means that China and the United States are in the same system and bound together in a form of mutually assured economic destruction.

Several final points--since there is going to be extensive coverage of this event on NI online--

One was Flynt Leverett's observation that states like China had no objection to American hegemony in the Middle East when it served their interests--e.g. the U.S. provided stability that allowed for energy to flow cheaply and quickly. What we now have is a perception that the U.S. is a dysfunctional hegemon who has made policy choices such as taking Iraqi energy off market and who wants to keep Iran's massive oil and gas reserves in the ground. It raises a question as to whether the U.S. could regenerate support for its leading role in the world if it was again seen as the guarantor of low cost global energy.

Peter Ackerman's observations that in the long run the need for capital investment and for technology innovation favors free societies, meaning that the short term accummulation of economic power by state capitalist systems harnessing natural resources is not sustainable.

And Steve Weber's closing point that the U.S. has a choice: it can ask China and other states to provide a greater share of global public goods only if it is willing to cede much more decision-making authority to them; that the Gulf War I model of the U.S. sets strategy and others pay is not going to work anymore.

So much more--the future of the dollar as a global currency, etc.

A very provocative discussion and one that will be continuing.