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International Power Shifts Threaten the Western WorldWestern global supremacy is definitely on the wane as key Asian nations make significant economic progress while Middle Eastern conflicts trouble the West politically and militarily. We are in desperate need of a biblical compass so we can grasp the tragic implications of how these potentially massive political power shifts will impact the West's way of life.by John Ross SchroederThe leaders of China, Russia and India seek a new multipolar world that would significantly counter U.S. political and economic power. According to a recent article in The Times, "India, China and Russia account for 40 per cent of the world's population, a fifth of its economy and more than half of its nuclear warheads. Now they appear to be forming a partnership to challenge the US-dominated world order that has prevailed since the end of the Cold War" (Jeremy Page, "Giants Meet to Counter US Power," Feb. 15, 2007, p. 47, emphasis added throughout). Foreign ministers from these three countries held a crucial February meeting to discuss the possibilities of a new world order--a world no longer dominated by America and the West, a world they can reshape more to their liking. The decline of the West and the diffusion of world power Author Samuel Huntington articulates an alternate view to the reality of present Western domination in so many aspects of our world. "The second picture of the West is very different. It is of a civilization in decline, its share of world political, economic and military power going down relative to that of other civilizations. The West's victory in the Cold War has produced not triumph but exhaustion. "The West is increasingly concerned with its internal problems and needs, as it confronts slow economic growth, stagnating populations, unemployment, huge government deficits, a declining work ethic, low savings rates, and in some countries including the United States, social disintegration, drugs and crime. "Economic power is rapidly shifting to East Asia, and military power and political influence are starting to follow. India is on the verge of an economic takeoff and the Islamic world is increasingly hostile toward the West" (The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, 1998, p. 82). Bear in mind that this book was written before 9/ll and the current Iraq war. Huntington's assessment is generally accurate, although some negative trends he predicted haven't happened in every single Western nation. Notice a much more recent specific assessment by Timothy Garton Ash, noted British author and commentator: "China and India, playing the economic game on terms largely invented by the West, are beating the West at their own game" ("Davos 07: How Power Has Shifted," The Guardian, Jan. 24, 2007, p. 31). Meanwhile Russia has petroleum resources in abundance, supplying most of Europe with its natural gas needs. The Russians, flush with cash from petroleum and gas sales, are currently seeking to vastly improve their military technology as well. Here in the 21st century, different civilizations are forced to interact with one another in ways never conceived of in the 19th century and before. With some notable exceptions, powerful civilizations that existed simultaneously largely interacted on their peripheries. But starting with World War I in the early 20th century, every powerful nation (or alliance of nations) began to seriously impact others in the world. This interaction has grown exponentially in our technologically complex age. Clearly globalization is a big deal for the 21st century, affecting economics, politics and culture. More and more political leaders are, in fact, sharing power with corporate business giants that are beginning to dominate the world economically primarily through the Internet. American unipolarity is gradually disappearing. The threats to America are multifaceted The International Institute for Strategic Studies recently completed its annual global military survey. Journalist Ian Black summed up some of the difficulties facing America in particular: "The United States is still powerful enough to shape an agenda for international activity, but too weak to implement it globally as it faces uncertain prospects in Iraq, an escalating confrontation over Iran's nuclear ambitions and a robust challenge to its military hegemony from an increasingly assertive China" ("Powerful Yet Weak--a US Dilemma," The Guardian, Feb. 1, 2007). America is now tied down militarily on two fronts while much of the rest of the world is becoming increasingly resistant to American power and influence. The United States is also confronted by an "arc of crisis" in the Middle East, a region racked by every type of instability. Western politicians seem to pin their hopes for a workable solution on somehow reactivating the moribund peace process between the Palestinians and Israel. But in spite of a Saudi-sponsored peace effort between rival Palestinian factions, the chaos tends to continue and such impediments seriously imperil the hoped-for "road map to peace." Terrorist insurgents are, of course, a constant worry, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. Their brand of warfare has seriously challenged the American military machine. Suitable adjustments to a different type of warfare are not easily forthcoming. Some experts say that better intelligence and more sophisticated psychological warfare are needed. (To understand why the United States is experiencing such mega-difficulties today, the nation's ethnic and prophetic origins and where the country is ultimately headed, request our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. In today's world climate, we need to be very sure of the biblical identity of key nations.) Where do we go from here? As these shifting trends indicate, humankind's overall view of the future appears clouded and confused. Many are unhappy about today and increasingly unsure about tomorrow. A whole range of knotty global problems makes for an uncertain future. Clearly we need help from a force outside ourselves to ensure our survival. U.S. News and World Report once referred to the need for a "strong hand from someplace." Nearly 62 years ago U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur stated that solutions have to be "of the spirit if we are to save the flesh." The missing dimension is God Himself. Only His revealed Word in the Bible can help us find our way out. We need a biblical compass to make our way through this maze of enormous problems. Sadly, the Bible is largely ignored in our increasingly secular world. Most who make up the intelligentsia blindly accept the theory of evolution and its corollaries, that there is no God and humankind itself is a cosmic accident. These false assumptions are the foundational basis for much of modern education. But, in fact, the Bible is the basic textbook for all humanity and the nucleus upon which all right knowledge can be built. The monumental sufferings we see are a direct result of our turning away from its teachings and substituting our own ways for God's (see Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). What the Bible says about God's sovereignty The Bible gives us a completely contrasting perspective from the shifting sands of our increasingly atheistic secular world. God challenges mankind to look to Him in its pages because He is always there. His Word tells us that our Creator is in control. He is absolutely sovereign! Consider the words of the psalmist: "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:10-11). At the end of the day God's plan and purpose for humankind will prevail against any and all odds. The psalmist continues: "The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth" (verses 13-14). The prophet Isaiah adds: "All nations before Him are as nothing" (Isaiah 40:17). The Bible shows us how to stay sane and rational in this world of growing uncertainty. Between a fourth and a third of our majestic Creator's Word consists of prophecy that foretells the future. Our free booklet You Can Understand Bible Prophecy asks (and answers!) these crucial questions: "Why is our world so uncertain? Is nothing predictable? Must we live in ignorance of the future? Can we discover a source for information about where the world is headed?" As this attractively presented publication shows, biblical prophecy has a structure and a firm foundation. It explains the fundamentals of biblical prophecy and takes the reader to the end of "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4) and then through to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and on beyond. Request or download your free copy of . WNP Recommended Reading Can You really know what the future holds? Request a free copy of . This booklet gives a helpful overall picture of God's prophetic plans for humankind and the good news beyond today's troubled world. |
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