Editor’s Note ~ Volume 13 / Spring 2010
Dear Readers,
The collapse of the Wall Street banking industry in September 2008 precipitated a global financial crisis economists believed was analogous to the Great Depression. Heralded by some as the end of capitalism, the crisis provoked calls for change around the world, including those of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a “new Bretton Woods.” But after two years, and billions of dollars worth of bailouts, capitalism remains and the world order is much the same as it had been. The United States may initially have lost some credibility, but it quickly helped to orchestrate a decisive response and remains the world’s hegemon, albeit in an increasingly multipolar world. China and other emerging powers continue to win more seats at the head of major international institutions and global decision-making forums, but they have joined, not displaced the established order. And while the crisis inspired efforts to overhaul financial regulatory regimes, it seems that in many ways it’s back to politics as usual.
As a consequence the change that has occurred has been more moderate than revolutionary – the system is not being overhauled, but rather adapted. With this in mind, the editorial team has decided to dedicate this edition of the Journal to examining the on-going process of change, and the possible trajectories that might result. Florian Weiler considers the cautious global response to climate change and the dynamics of reaching a consensus in a divided world. David Calleo and Mark Gilbert reflect on American decline and the inadequacy of “old assumptions that lay behind America’s unipolar role and identity.” Samuel Adamson charts the failure of post-war Britain to adapt to a changing world order, while David Ellwood explores the American question in Britain’s identity debate. Mahrukh Doctor evaluates the extent to which big business contributed to the rise of Brazil, Robbert Van Eerd describes the impact of the discovery of natural gas in the 1960s on the political economy of the Netherlands, and Bastiaan Verink, Thilo Schroder and Matthew Sollenberger examine China’s evolving defense technologies and their implications for US hegemony. Finally, Lara Loewenstein extrapolates lessons from the rise of the political Islamic movement Al-Ittihad Al-Islamiyya in Somalia, and Allison Hart reflects on the “Islam problem” in Europe.
In light of the recent tragedy of the death of Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski and the dozens of political and military leaders aboard the plane, this edition of the Journal also includes an interview with Agnieszka ?ada, the Head of the European Program at the Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw. We extend our deepest condolences to our Polish colleagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I would like to thank the authors for their contributions, and the Bologna Center faculty – Professor Erik Jones in particular – for their support. I am especially grateful to the Journal staff, who worked tirelessly to produce this volume. Thank you for all the time and effort you devoted to putting together this year’s edition of the Journal. I hope you are as proud of the outcome as I am.
Best regards,
Analisa Bala
Editor-in-Chief
April 2010
