Strategic cooperation and competition

Aug 14, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Competitive trade is a sublime form of warfare. From 2018, the United States (US) and China have been engaged in a trade war. The US defence strategies list China and Russia as its top concern. With regard to China, the report declares the relationship has changed from strategic cooperation to strategic competition.
The current US-dominated world order has been in place after World War 2 – re-enforced by the 1944 Bretton Wood Agreement and the US Military superiority. Whether it is the US-China trade War, Iran Nuclear deal, North Korea acquiring Nuclear weapons, US unsuccessful attempts to have regime change in Syria and Venezuela or humiliating vote in the UN to not support Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the US power is ineffective.
The question is: Can Guyana and Caricom Countries come out unscathed when their most important trading partner and international reserve supplier is in decline and refuses to strategically adapt? Since the 1823 Monroe doctrine, the US has effectively categorised the Caribbean as an imperial interest of the US, and all of Caricom is historically, financially and militarily tied to the US.
During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the US was a rising power, but now it is a declining power with a national debt of 22.5 trillion, an annual deficit of at least 1.2 billion and many countries moving away from the US dollar.
During the 1970s, US President Nixon engaged China to ensure China and Russia didn’t unite. Russia is in the US’s league militarily and China is a match economically, and they are working together and creating a new international order. China has the belt and road initiative which involve 152 countries and over US$1trillion. Russia has demonstrated it can regulate US global hegemony; for example it controls a portion of Ukraine, part of Georgia, and intervened in Syria and Venezuela.
I personally see the US, China and Russia as international predators, and countries like Guyana as potential prey in the international arena (jungle). It’s only if we are willing subordinates or we manipulate their predatory tendencies to our advantage and strategically use them as counter balance to get what we want and need with minimal cost.
I have never seen in history, any powerful country do any significant action without something being in it for them. “Massa days done.” It is time to put our national interest first with a combination of strategic cooperation and strategic competition.
Yours truly,
Brian E Plummer

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News