Countries within the Southern Hemisphere are on the move.
This past weekend member states of UNASUR and the African Union met on Margarita Island, Venezuela, in order to strengthen ties between their countries and continents. One of the ideas proposed by President Hugo Chávez, as well as Moammar Gadhafi, of Libya, is an alliance among countries in the South, a southern NATO of sorts. More information can be found in this NPR story.
Meanwhile, a major outcome of the G-20 in Pittsburgh last week was the acceptance that it will now serve as the world’s major economic organization. This grants greater recognition to other nations such as Brazil and India, whose economies and populations are significant and are yielding greater influence. The G-8, organized in 1975, now fails to represent the demographic and economic realities of the 21st century. The expanded set of countries accounts for 5/6 of global GDP and 2/3 of its population.
Chávez continues efforts to position himself as a leader of countries opposing the historical dominance of the United States and Europe. He is charismatic and can be inspiring, but one wonders if he is truly the best man to lead the charge in this cause?
Brazil’s population and GDP make it the rising South American powerhouse, while Venezuela’s clout rises and falls with the price of oil. Over the long-term it seems that Brazil is in a better position, as its economic strength is based on diversified sources, rather than relying solely on global demand for energy. Notably, while the Presidents of Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina all traveled to the UN General Assembly last week, only Lula and Kirchner continued on to Pittsburgh.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
