I know I keep harping on it — talking about Vladimir Putin’s brainchild, BRICS; Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road” initiative; Viktor Orban’s “Patriots for Europe“ scheme — as being a long-range plot to turn the world upside-down. But it’s not a made-up conspiracy theory; it is a real thing.

And now the heads of the United States’ CIA and Britain’s MI6 are describing the present international order as being “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.” [Gordon Corera and Jemma Crew, BBC News, September 7, 2024.]

In a first-ever joint article for the Financial Times, the two intelligence chiefs addressed the issues of “resisting an assertive Russia and Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine”; the work being done to “disrupt the reckless campaign of sabotage” across Europe by Russia; the push for de-escalation in the Israel-Gaza war; the rise of China as “the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century”; and the urgent need to counter the resurgent Islamic State. [Id.]

In part, they wrote:

“There is no question that the international world order — the balanced system that has led to relative peace and stability and delivered rising living standards, opportunities and prosperity — is under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.” [Bill Burns and Richard Moore, Financial Times, September 6, 2024] [bold emphasis is mine].

Without rehashing the entire article — which is well worth a read, by the way — I just want to say that, while it is certainly good to know that you haven’t been imagining or overstating things, there are times that you really wish you were wrong.

This, unfortunately, is one of those times.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/8/24