These are times of crass realism in international politics—or simply, times of irrealism! Apparently, the actors are resorting to realism, but it may not serve their national interest or the good of the world. The realism is mistaken, as it is not missed by concerned observers.
As we advanced into a highly connected world with distances reduced or eliminated in every realm of human interaction and transactions, the world appears more on tenterhooks.
The point is that a world that does not care for idealism, the good of humanity as a whole, makes their realism detrimental to any player's interest, not to mention the global good.
Humanity faces severe crises of environmental unsustainability, unemployment, hunger, and crimes, and needs concerted efforts. On the contrary, economic rivalry, worse geopolitical conflicts, and even ugly irredentism (even unsubstantiable) overwhelm the collective consciousness.
Fairness in transactions eludes the world, which seeds all other problems. We require a broader and deeper understanding of international power rivalries so that humanity can rise for itself. Idealism was never irrelevant, and of its made-up irrelevance we must be more bothered about now.
Niraj Kumar Jha
