Putin, Netanyahu and their would-be imitators
The conclusion that is starting to emerge from what is happening around the world is that anyone who wants to impose himself through geopolitical bullying succeeds. Russian President Vladimir Putin has seized part of Ukraine and is unlikely to give it back no matter what the West does, which seems to be losing its stamina for a protracted war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also does what he wants and crosses every red line, expanding the war in the Middle East. No one these days can stop a determined leader who has the punch and power to impose what he wants in his region. Who will be next to follow their example? Good question; I hope it’s not in our geopolitical neighborhood.
It has long been clear that the most dangerous period was the one that began with US President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from November’s electoral battle and will end at noon when the new president is sworn in in January. Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken seem completely clueless and unable to control developments. The power vacuum that has been created in Washington is great and everyone knows it. Their inability to even somewhat contain Netanyahu is indicative of the problem, especially if you consider that Israel survives economically and militarily only because of the US.
The case of uncontrollable powerful leaders, however, is not only about specific people. We are going through and are living the end of the Pax Americana, of American hegemony. It lasted over 75 years, which is rare. But it is becoming more and more obvious every day that the institutions, the balances, and the systems of power that were built after the Second World War are either declining or collapsing. For us who grew up and lived our whole lives in the West’s heyday, what is happening is very strange. We have neither the tools nor the divination skills to understand what the world looming on the horizon will look like. Obviously there will be more cacophony, anarchy, many centers of power, more conflict. Everything will be more unpredictable.
We need to rethink where we stand as Greece in this new environment. The main conclusion, of course, is that we need to get serious as a country. Many may not like what Israel is doing at this time. However, one cannot help but be impressed by how such a small country has managed to have a superpower in its pocket, possess technology and unique intelligence gathering mechanisms and do what it wants without asking anyone. We are far from all that. But also very close to a neighborhood in which, at some point, the imitators of Putin and Netanyahu may want to follow their example.
