The US sense of being a sole hegemonic superpower is under challenge, even as it pulls along the UK and allows it to think of their relationship as special.
Diplomacy is not new. It has assumed various characteristics in the modern age, but the idea of sending emissaries to another state is old and was common to many cultures.
This book, by Stephen Chan, explores via a range of examples, the challenges diplomacy faces today as actors seek to change history and undermine interests.
Robert Mugabe, 91 in February 2015, assumed the chairmanship of the African Union; he may be more concerned about stage-managing his legacy than leading the continent.
The announcement of a suspension of sanctions pending a credibly free and fair referendum was a very low bar to cross. The real action lies in what is already going on behind the scenes. As with all major diplomatic breakthroughs, a heavy element of cynicism is the accompaniment.
Mugabe’s regime is hardly on its last legs and is not threatened beyond key points. He is strong enough to intimidate the most senior of his ambitious colleagues and there are many who trace the death in 2011 of Solomon Mujuru to his door.
In the west, China’s rise and increased attention to fundamentalist Islam have caused many to perceive a global contest in the export of values. At this particular crossroads of history there seem to be several very different maps for the future. In this context, many speak of the ‘decline of the west’, but what is it exactly?
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