Opinion | West must bridge its internal divides or risk becoming irrelevant
- Regardless of external challenges like China, the future of the West is imperilled by decaying political institutions and stagnant economic growth
- Once havens for freethinking and the exchange of ideas, Western universities have succumbed to extremist viewpoints and an absence of debate
In assessing the status quo, the chances of the West maintaining its role in the world, regardless of the challenges posed by external factors, do not look bright. This is not because the West will struggle to compete with China and other rising actors in terms of economic, military or soft power, but due to its failure to tackle internal political, cultural and generational struggles.
The primary case study for this is the United States. Its political system is essentially broken. An unprecedented degree of tribalism has paralysed the legislative branch, Congress, on too many occasions. The Supreme Court’s approval rating continues to slump. According to a recent FiveThirtyEight poll, only 34.9 per cent of Americans approve of the nation’s highest court, suggesting an overall loss of trust in the court system.
