AS WE ENTER the 2020s, I thought it appropriate to look back on the 2010s, and some of its key features, at least with regards to international politics.
Looking back, I think that the 2010s was a decade of opposites, and polarization. In the US, the 2010s began with the Obama presidency – a liberal figurehead – but was later followed by the Trump administration – a conservative/nationalist symbol. For the US, it was a decade where America fought itself over the fate of Pax Americana
In Asia, the 2010s saw the rise of China as a political power house that could potentially challenge the United States. As we end the decade, we see China struggle with Hong Kong, US tariffs, increasing inequality and a serious debt situation.
India is also continuing its own Nationalist renaissance with the latest changes to its immigration laws; while the rest of Asia tries to reorganize ourselves around changing geopolitical circumstances. Our own country has also undergone its own strange transition, namely the transition from the nominally mainstream Aquino administration and the more outsider figure of Duterte. And although Duterte seems to be having trouble implementing his plans, his own rise to power is a precedent that popular outsiders can take power in “Imperial Manila.” This transition happened in the 2010s.
In Europe, the 2010s saw the zenith of the EU, and now the continent is filled with all kinds of nationalist parties and insurgencies. And of course, there’s Brexit and Russia as well, both of which have their own issues. The EU must also contend with the fact that the United States – at least under Trump – is abandoning its previous role and it will only likely continue in the 2020s.
So do any of these things tell us what the future will hold? Many thinkers believe that the next decade will be a time of great political instability, and based on what I see, I’m inclined to agree with them. The 2010s held many surprises and the 20s are sure to offer plenty of its own.
For now though, we can look back at the 2010s as something of an end to certainties that have been around for many decades. Old things began to crack and the current political structure had to make way for something new and unstable. It was a very interesting decade, at least for global politics, and it could very well be the preview of more interesting times. (jdr456@gmail.com/PN)
