World In Crisis: Great Power Competition Imperiling Global Peace and Security: Pitfalls of a Multi-Polar World

The long-standing rules-based international order is crumbling, creating greater global disorder, volatility, and insecurity as inter-state competition increases and non-democratic forces ramp up efforts to change global norms and foment political subversion and predatory policies that divide.

The war on democracy and the rule of law by authoritarian states advancing?a multi-polar agenda captures?the geopolitical schism realities among today's military and economic powers.

While I do recognize that a re-balancing may need to take place post-Cold War, the duplicity, disinformation, and malign influence, however, by the multi-polar "no limits" leading powers need to be held to greater scrutiny and accountability given the conflicts, violence, war crimes, human rights violations, modern slavery, grand bribery, kleptocracies, and other criminalities that authoritarian states are engaging in around the world to counter democracies and a rules-based international order.

Make no mistake: the end of the Cold War brought greater peace and stability, international cooperation, economic interdependence, political liberalization, human rights, prosperity, and democratic freedoms.

Decades of relative geopolitical stability are today being undone by authoritarian, revisionist, and revanchist powers and greedy autocrats against peaceful, open and free communities.

Actions speak louder than words.?

So frankly, there is no "just multipolar system of international relations" when Russia and China are in fact making the world less secure and more dangerous, and violent.?

China and Russia are also making some countries poorer by co-opting their economies through usurious loan-sharking, weaponizing corruption, and pillaging critical?minerals, rare earth elements, and other natural resources through coups and propping up dictators across developing countries and undermining democracy in Africa and Latin America.Being a responsible global power entails integrity, honesty, and a commitment to "truths" and not political distortions or convenient lies in?conflicts in Ukraine,?Africa, Middle East, and other?places of insecurity and instability.?

A counter-narrative to democracy must be more than an agenda for regime survival and self enrichment.

With an array of global challenges impacting the world including the effects of climate change, pandemics, migration, food security, corruption and cross-border crime, and economic distress, we need honesty and trust.

In a more complex?world, I prefer a?world that is more open, where the rule of law is upheld, where universal human rights are respected, and where good people are left to chose their identity, freedoms, and destiny.

I also believe that we must navigate today's Great Power Competition and manage Thucydides’ power equation through pragmatic pathways and kine-dynamics negotiations.

David M. Luna (罗文礼) ??????