Nils Gilman at Dissent:
Today’s emergent Cold War between the United States and China is also a contest for hearts and minds, but the prize has shifted from the periphery to the middle. A diverse group including both “established” rich countries like Canada, Australia, Japan, and Germany and “emerging” giants like India, Brazil, and Indonesia, the middle powers are the new swing states. The world finds itself in what the Carnegie Endowment’s Stewart Patrick calls a “middle power moment” because the United States has abdicated its traditional managerial role, and China is not yet ready, or perhaps not suited, to step up in Washington’s place. In Carney’s words, the middle powers therefore “must act together,” combining “to create a third path with impact.” The good news is that there are several crucial differences that afford today’s middle powers options that were unavailable to the G-77, that offer reasons to hope they may be more successful than the first version of the NAM in asserting their autonomy.
More here.
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