Suchergebnisse

THE CLOCK OF THE 'BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS' IS NOW AT 3 MINUTES TO TWELVE. THIS INDICATES AN ALARMING CONCERN WITH THE STATE OF THE WORLD, AND THE REASON IS, OF COURSE, THE BAD SHAPE OF SUPERPOWER RELATIONS. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT MOOD OF 'FIN DE SIECLE' IS NOT CONFINED TO THE LIBERAL SPECTRE OF THE EDUCATED WESTERN PUBLIC. DARK AND OMINOUS. SOMETIMES WILDLYFATALIST COMMENTS AND PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE FATE OF THE (WESTERN) WORLD ARE EMERGING FROM THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. A DISTURBING MOOD OF DECAY, DISARRAY AND DISORDER UNHEARD OF SINCE SPENGLER'S UNTERGANG DES ABENDLANDES' CHARACTERIZES EDITORIALS IN THE PRESS OF THE RIGHT. ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL SCENE, FEAR OF WAR MUST BE PUT IN THE PRESPECTIVE OF DECLINING ORDER, OF A WORLD WHICH IS THREATENED BY DISSOLUTION. AND INDEED, THERE IS REASON FOR CONCERN. INTERNATIONAL REGIMES OF MANY ISSUE AREAS, WHICH A LITTLE MORE THAN A DECADE AGO IT WAS HOPED WOULD PRESENT FIRST BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ORDERLY WORLD, ARE BROKEN DOWN (LIKE ENERGY, THE MONETARY SYSTEM OF BRETTON WOODS, FOOD, THE LAW OF THE SEA). SERIOUSLY ERODING (LIKE NON-PROLIFERATION OF THE GATT TRADE REGIME AND THE MONETARY SYSTEM OF FLEXIBLE EXCHANGE RATES) OR ACUTELY THREATENED BY EROSION (LIKE THE STABILITY OF DETERRENCE): NEW PROBLEMS WHICH DEMAND A RIGOROUS SOLUTION ARE LEFT IN CHAOS WITHOUT PROSPECTS FOR A CONSENSUAL REGIME (LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, THE NEW INFORMATION/ COMMUNICATION MEDIA, GENETIC RESOURCES).