Middle Powers and the Changing World Order

Details

Videos:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kusFKeMq3SA (15:32)
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izDAOvHz5Wc (15:49)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dP8YPt03MM (16:11)
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgIztMDI8Yg (11:45)
   5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BnwNOufpTc&t=1786s (54:33)

Reading (Optional):

1. https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/07/08/prepare-for-a-world-of-ad-hoc-coalitions
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/opinion/trump-carney-china-rupture.html
3. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/middle-power-delusion?check_logged_in=1

Questions

1. When you heard "world order," what do you picture? Who do you think is in charge of it?

2. Besides the US and China, what other countries do you think have a lot of global influence?

3. What is a "middle power"? Can a country be powerful without being a superpower?

4. Is it smart for middle Powers to form their own clubs (like ASEAN, G20, BRICS) instead of joining US or China-led groups?

5. Should powerful countries be expected to protect human rights and democracy abroad, should they just look after their own interests?

6. In a world with no single leader, who should make the rules about climate change, AI, and pandemics?

7. Do middle Powers have a moral advantage because they are not superpowers, or are they just as self-interested?

8. 100 years ago it was Britain, then it was the US. If you had to predict, what will the world order look like 30 years from now? Who will be on top, and will there be a single top at all?