The New Asian Hemisphere

Possible Futures

Asia’s economic ascent is lifting millions out of poverty and transforming the world into a safer, more peaceful and more modern place. Western nations ought to applaud these developments and encourage Asia’s growing wealth and strength – but they don’t. Instead, they act threatened and closed, and they are suspicious of Asia’s success. The invasion of Iraq, for example, shows how narrow and unrealistic Western attitudes can be. American and British leaders expected Iraqis to welcome their troops with open arms. It was absurd to suppose that an Islamic nation would see the presence of Western military occupiers as a blessing.

Western pragmatism distrusts ideology. But today, ironically ideology seems to be in the driver’s seat. The West attempts to export democracy, yet it resists the “democratization of the human spirit” evident in China’s and India’s embrace of economic freedom.

The Western world managed to maintain global dominance, even after its retreat from colonialism, by controlling international institutions, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the U.N. However, Asia’s rise will inevitably challenge this...