Anti-Globalization types and conspiracy theorists often point to a speech made by the elder George H.W. Bush back during the first Gulf War in which he heralded the establishment of a "New World Order" or NWO for short.
The NWO according to these groups is a movement toward one world government, with US corporate and multinational interests as masters of the universe.
Regardless of how one feels on the whole NWO question, events in Egypt have certainly sharpened our focus on how the west deals with many other parts of the planet, particularily the Middle East.
Lost in many history lessons about the impact of World War I is that it wiped out the Turkish or Ottoman Empire, putting most of the world's proven oil reserves under western control. After the so called "War To End All Wars" the former Turkish empire was carved up into a number of different countries, none with democratically elected governments.
Instead of elected leaders, many in the Arab world found (and find) themselves ruled by dictators and thugs, or by royal families such as in Saudi Arabia. And that's all well and good, so long as those leaders are willing to appease Washington and western interests.
But now in places like Tunisia and Egypt people on the street are rising up and demanding reform and true democracy. Its not a new story, its happened before in places like Cuba and Iran, where the people grew tired of corrupt and brutal regimes and engineered their replacements.
The questions now are:
The NWO according to these groups is a movement toward one world government, with US corporate and multinational interests as masters of the universe.
Regardless of how one feels on the whole NWO question, events in Egypt have certainly sharpened our focus on how the west deals with many other parts of the planet, particularily the Middle East.
Lost in many history lessons about the impact of World War I is that it wiped out the Turkish or Ottoman Empire, putting most of the world's proven oil reserves under western control. After the so called "War To End All Wars" the former Turkish empire was carved up into a number of different countries, none with democratically elected governments.
Instead of elected leaders, many in the Arab world found (and find) themselves ruled by dictators and thugs, or by royal families such as in Saudi Arabia. And that's all well and good, so long as those leaders are willing to appease Washington and western interests.
But now in places like Tunisia and Egypt people on the street are rising up and demanding reform and true democracy. Its not a new story, its happened before in places like Cuba and Iran, where the people grew tired of corrupt and brutal regimes and engineered their replacements.
The questions now are:
How far will this spread?
Is the order of the world changing?
We've seen the unification of Europe and the establishment of the Euro as a prominent currency. The economies of China and India are growing and modernizing at breakneck speed. Is the Arab world now poised to rise up and rid itself of the yoke of Western domination? If so what does it mean to us in the west?
Taking the historical view I am definitely concerned. Times like these have typically led to armed conflict. And given the technology and weapons of the modern era, a war of any size and scope has the potential to dwarf the carnage of any of the previous world wars.
Ultimately it is in the best interests of western nations to rid ourselves of our dependency on oil. Eliminate our need to dominate the world's energy markets and our interest in the Middle East will be signinifcantly reduced.
Leave individual nation states to be governed by people popularily chosen, not by dictators and despots beholden to foreign interests, and the world will be a safer place.
We've seen the unification of Europe and the establishment of the Euro as a prominent currency. The economies of China and India are growing and modernizing at breakneck speed. Is the Arab world now poised to rise up and rid itself of the yoke of Western domination? If so what does it mean to us in the west?
Taking the historical view I am definitely concerned. Times like these have typically led to armed conflict. And given the technology and weapons of the modern era, a war of any size and scope has the potential to dwarf the carnage of any of the previous world wars.
Ultimately it is in the best interests of western nations to rid ourselves of our dependency on oil. Eliminate our need to dominate the world's energy markets and our interest in the Middle East will be signinifcantly reduced.
Leave individual nation states to be governed by people popularily chosen, not by dictators and despots beholden to foreign interests, and the world will be a safer place.
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