The conflict in Ukraine is coalescing into two warring camps:
- The West: US, Europe, Anglo allies, Japan
- The East: Russia, China
The bi-polar nature of the conflict is becoming more and more pronounced. Much of the world is looking on, but yet to definitively choose a side. What does it look like from the outside?
The West's vision is of prosperity, technology, and freedom, the natural evolution of the industrial revolotuion and European colonization of the world. The East's vision is of the rest of the world catching up to the West in technology and prosperity, and of pushing back with regard to freedom. Western freedom has always favored the West, and Russia is fighting back on this front. China has surveyed the landscape and decided it stands firmly with Russia in this regard.
Beyond the military/industrial/economic details lies mythology of who we are and what we stand for and where we are headed. The West's enlightenment mythology is being exposed by the Internet, Everybody can see the hypocrisy. What does the East offer as an alternative?
- The truth. The East merely has to point out the hypocrisy of the West to earn empathy.
- A new world order which is fairer and with better prospects for peace. The old world order is clearly failing with hot and cold wars drowning out the prospects for a prosperous future. China and Russia regularly lay out the case for a new and improved multipolar world.
In short, the East has the better vision -- one based on reality. The West's enlightenment vision has been corrupted beyond recognition. The East offers better prospects for a healthy future.
