Bi-Weekly Discussion - Is The "Liberal International Order" Dying?
Details
We're currently hosting our discussions at Café Walnut, near the corner of 7th & Walnut in Olde City, just across the street from Washington Square Park. The cafe's entrance is below street level down some stairs, which can be confusing if it's your first time. Our group meets in the large room upstairs.
Since we're using the cafe's space, they ask that each person attending the meetup at least purchase a drink or snack. Please don't bring any food or drinks from outside. If you're hungry enough to eat a meal, they have more substantial fare such as salads, soups & sandwiches which are pretty good and their prices are reasonable.
The cafe is fairly easy to get to if you're using public transit. With SEPTA, take the Market-Frankford Line & get off at the 5th Street Station (corner of 5th & Market), and walk 2 blocks south on 5th and then turn right on Walnut Street and walk 2 blocks west. With PATCO, just get off at the 9th-10th & Locust stop and walk 3 blocks east & 1 block north. For those who are driving, parking in the neighborhood can be tough to find. If you can't find a spot on the street, I'd suggest parking in the Washington Square parking deck at 249 S 6th Street which is just a half block away.
IS THE "LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER" DYING? SHOULD IT BE SAVED?
INTRODUCTION:
Earlier this week, the journalist George Packer gave a lecture at the Free Library based on his recent book entitled, Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century - https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/260737922/
One of the central points of Packer's book is that something called the "liberal international order" is coming to an end. This meetup will explore what the "liberal international order" (abbreviated LIO) is, whether or not this order is as beneficial as its proponents claim, why it may currently be in decline, and what the consequences might be for a post-LIO world.
Briefly, the LIO is also known as the "liberal international economic order" (LIEO), the "rules-based order", the "US-led liberal international order", and several other variants, and it is a notion that contemporary international relations are organized around several guiding principles, such as open markets, multilateral institutions, liberal democracy, and leadership by the United States and its allies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_international_economic_order
The LIO was established in the aftermath of World War II, and is often associated with the "Pax Americana", the idea that the relative world peace (lack of major world wars) since 1945 is caused by American military dominance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Americana
International organizations play a central role in the liberal international order. The World Trade Organization, for example, creates and implements free trade agreements, while the World Bank provides aid to developing countries, provided they adhere to 10 economic policy prescriptions that included fiscal policy discipline, trade liberalization, privatization, deregulation, and legal security of property rights for foreign investors. The policy guidelines are known as the "Washington Consensus".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Consensus
The LIO is tied into the Washington Consensus and premised on the notion that free trade and free markets will contribute to global prosperity and peace.
Critics argue that the LIO tilts the scales in favor of the United States and its Western allies, as seen in voting shares in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Some see China as a potential challenger to the liberal order, as its initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and One Belt One Road Initiative appear to compete with existing international institutions, and China has shown a country doesn't have to democratize in order to liberalize its economy & experience major economic growth. China's alternative model for development is referred to as the "Beijing Consensus" -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Consensus
The fall of the Soviet Union, the democratization of Eastern European nations & their entry into NATO, and the economic reforms of China leading to their admission to the WTO in 2001 made the LIO appear like manifest destiny in the 1990s & early 2000s. However, many Western nations have seen a recent decline in public support for certain aspects of liberal democracy, free trade, international institutions & military alliances. These pessimistic sentiments have been attributed to a variety of causes:
- the difficulties with implementing democracy in Afghanistan & Iraq,
- the failure of the Arab Spring to bring democracy to the Middle East,
- the 2008 financial crisis & the shaky economic recovery since then,
- the EU debt crisis since 2009,
- rising income inequality in Western nations allegedly stemming from deindustrialization, outsourcing & globalization,
- increasing political polarization in both the US & Europe,
- the recent migrant/refugee crises in both Europe & the US.