Capital

New disorder?

Here's hoping all that New Year's feasting and imbibing has left you with sobriety. Then again, perhaps the untouchable prices of meat (from the butchers or from ceremonial slaughter) has put paid to the customary post holiday upset stomachs and pounding heads… so few people being able to celebrate in the style they had been. None can escape the clutches of the 'Law of change? You know, the one that stipulates that everything is in flux, that there is no such thing as permanency… which brings us smack to our topic of the week.
Opening with the fact that the majority of Ethiopians are making do without certain holiday musts, may not at first seem like an apt introduction to discuss whether or not a new world is in the making.
However, with many of us in potential agreement that today's Ethiopia is not what is used to be, I'll explain a bit later, but whether this changing Ethiopia is a positive thing or not is entirely up to individual interpretation. And that is not the theme of this page. It never has been. Rather, Society is more interested in focusing on those subtle trends, nuanced social conduct and other seemingly insignificant but highly revealing insights into our collective behavior. For instance, we may all wonder, a couple of sheep a month - or at the very least a chicken a fortnight used to be commonplace items, affordable to the average one-salary family. Today's Ethiopia has made even the purchase of one sheep a year by the same family a rare achievement.
Yes, our country is changing and much of this alteration is not at all positive but then, the entire globe is also undergoing it seems, a fundamental shift as centers of gravity in the overall scheme rearrange themselves for a coming reality - a next global "order".
A resurgent and apparently belligerent Russia, economically empowered, resource hungry China, a more competitive and I.T. emboldened India and a score of other newly emerging states are indelibly making their mark on the direction of our planet. Following the cold war and the uncertain times it had brought with the U.S.A. as the sole super power, many are those that would not mind a fresh global alignment perhaps even a return to the more predictable East Vs West polarity.
This view has strengthened due to the recent Russian invasion of Georgian territory, which brought back images of 1956 Hungary and 1968 Czechoslovakia, not to mention 1979 Afghanistan, to re-arm, re-assert itself and region, its Soviet era 'prestige and glory' come what may… Whatever happens we are definitely in for some eventful years. As for Africa and the rest of the world, we will revert to again playing East off West in order to gain the most out of these naturally competitive blocs.

Is a new world order in the making?

In my opinion, there has never been in place a ‘world order’ for the simple fact that we have never had order, and will ever be at best, in a state of managed disorder.

Melat Lemma, 22,
Collegian

My view is not dissimilar to that of many others. I believe that what this world wants… no, make that, needs, is a world with a balance of power. True, the Cold War was a very dangerous game of nuclear brinkmanship. However, at the very least, it provided reference points. Currently, what we have is one waning superpower that is frantically trying its best… and worst, to create order out of chaos. If America makes it, as it did when it more than convincingly won the cold war, all credit to it. Sadly, I fear that the U.S.A. can no longer be assured of an unrestricted field of play. This is not a wholly bad thing. The rise of Russia, China and others, while they may never (even cumulatively) ever match American power – both soft and hard, they can restrain the U.S.A. from its excesses.

Be that as it may, if forced to choose a superpower, I’d rather it remain the United States. God forbid a Pax-Russia or a Pax-Orientale.

Abate Haile, 42,
Unemployed