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The global political awakeningBy Zbigniew Brzezinski Published: Tuesday, December 16, 2008

NEW YORK TIMES http://www.nytime.com/!""#/$!/$%/opinion/$%iht&YEb'(e(inki.$.$#)*"+$$.html,-'"

new p'ei0ent i a1ming o22ice in the mi0t o2 a wi0ep'ea0 c'ii o2 con2i0ence in

me'ica3 capacity to e4e'cie e22ecti5e lea0e'hip in wo'l0 a22ai'. That may be a ta'k

tho1ght6 b1t it i a 2act.

Tho1gh 7.S. lea0e'hip ha been eential to global tability an0 0e5elopment6 the

c1m1lati5e e22ect o2 national el2 in01lgence6 2inancial i''eponibility6 an 1nnecea'y

wa' an0 ethical t'ang'eion ha5e 0ic'e0ite0 that lea0e'hip. Making matte' wo'e i

the global economic c'ii.

The 'e1lting challenge i compo1n0e0 by i1e 1ch a climate6 health an0 ocial

ine81ality & i1e that a'e becoming mo'e contentio1 beca1e they ha5e 1'2ace0 in the

conte4t o2 what I call 9the global political awakening.9

o' the 2i't time in hito'y almot all o2 h1manity i politically acti5ate06 politically

concio1 an0 politically inte'acti5e. ;lobal acti5im i gene'ating a 1'ge in the 81et 2o'

c1lt1'al 'epect an0 economic oppo't1nity in a wo'l0 ca''e0 by memo'ie o2 colonial o'

impe'ial 0omination.

Thi pe'tain to yet anothe' 21n0amental change: The

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E1'ope. The only p'actical ol1tion i to c1lti5ate a mo'e 0elibe'ate 0ialog1e among the

7nite0 State an0 the th'ee E1'opean co1nt'ie that ha5e a global o'ientation: ?'itain6

'ance an0 ;e'many.

o' many yea'6 E1'opean ha5e complaine0 they a'e e4cl10e0 2'om 0eciion&making6yet they a'e pe'2ectly willing to let the 7nite0 State a1me the b1'0en o2

implementation. @i22e'ence o5e' 2ghanitan a'e b1t the latet e4ample o2 that

0ilemma. It i to be hope0 that the new 7.S. p'ei0ent will make a 0elibe'ate e22o't to

'e5itali(e the 7.S.&E1'opean 0ialog1e.

To enla'ge entail a 0elibe'ate e22o't to n1't1'e a wi0e' coalition committe0 to the

p'inciple o2 inte'0epen0ence an0 p'epa'e0 to play a igni2icant 'ole in p'omoting mo'e

e22ecti5e global management. It i e5i0ent6 2o' e4ample6 that the ; ha o1tli5e0 it

21nction. cco'0ingly6 ome 2o'm1la 2o' 'eg1la' con1ltation 'anging in compoition

2'om ;&$+ to ;&$% ho1l0 be 0e5ie0 to b'ing togethe' co1nt'ie with geopolitical

igni2icance a well a economic weight.

To engage mean the c1lti5ation o2 top o22icial th'o1gh in2o'mal talk among key

powe'6 peci2ically the 7.S.6 the E1'opean T'ia06 =hina6 >apan6 R1ia an0 poibly

In0ia. 'eg1la' pe'onal 0ialog1e6 2o' e4ample6 between the 7.S. p'ei0ent an0 the

=hinee lea0e' wo1l0 be epecially bene2icial to the 0e5elopment o2 a ha'e0 ene o2

'eponibility between the only 1pe'powe' an0 the mot likely ne4t global powe'.

Witho1t =hina6 many o2 the p'oblem we 2ace collecti5ely cannot be lai0 to 'et.

0mitte0ly6 =hina i economically nationalit6 b1t it i alo a 21n0amentally ca1tio1

powe'. It wa @eng Aiaoping who bet a'tic1late0 how =hina 0e2ine it inte'national

app'oach: 9Obe'5e calmlyB ec1'e o1' poitionB cope with a22ai' calmlyB hi0e o1'

capacitie an0 bi0e o1' timeB be goo0 at maintaining a low p'o2ileB an0 ne5e' claim

lea0e'hip.9

CDage ! o2 !

Thi 1n0e'line a igni2icant 0itinction with R1ia. Fike ?eiGing6 Mocow wihe to

'e5ie inte'national patte'n6 b1t it ten0 to be impatient6 2'1t'ate0 an0 ometime e5en

th'eatening. Nonethele6 it i in the inte'et o2 the 7nite0 State an0 o2 E1'ope to

engage R1ia. In o 0oing6 me'ica ho1l0 eek ag'eement that enhance global

tability6 p'omote n1clea' weapon 'e01ction an0 0eal with 1ch 'egional p'oblem a

I'an.

me'ica an0 E1'ope will ha5e to 2in0 a way o2 'ea22i'ming thei' commitment to the

integ'ity o2 7k'aine an0 ;eo'gia while con5eying to R1ia that thei' inte'et in thee

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two tate 'elate to the g'a01al cont'1ction o2 a la'ge' 0emoc'atic E1'ope an0 i not

0eigne0 to th'eaten R1ia itel2.

To paci2y 'e81i'e a 0elibe'ate 7.S. e22o't to a5oi0 becoming bogge0 0own in the 5at

a'ea 'anging 2'om S1e( to In0ia. 7'gent 0eciion nee0 to be ma0e6 with E1'ope3 help6on e5e'al potentially inte'acti5e i1e.

The I'aeli&Daletinian peace p'oce nee0 to be a p'io'ity. The new p'ei0ent ho1l0

tate on the 'eco'0 that a peace21l accommo0ation between the two pa'tie m1t: 2i't6

in5ol5e a 0emilita'i(e0 Daletinian tate6 pe'hap with a NTO p'eence to enhance

I'ael3 ene o2 ec1'ityB econ06 the te''ito'ial ettlement ha to be bae0 on the $H%)

line with e81itable e4change pe'mitting I'ael to inco'po'ate the mo'e hea5ily

1'bani(e0 ettlement on the 2'inge o2 the 3%) lineB thi'06 both pa'tie ha5e to accept the

2act that Daletinian 'e21gee cannot 'et1'n to what i now I'ael6 tho1gh they ho1l0 be

p'o5i0e0 with ome compenation an0 aitance 2o' ettling p'e2e'ably in the

in0epen0ent Daletinian tateB an0 lat6 the I'aeli will ha5e to accept the 2act that a

01'able peace will 'e81i'e the gen1ine ha'ing o2 >e'1alem a the capital o2 two tate.

The 7nite0 State will alo ha5e to 1n0e'take e'io1ly 'ecip'ocal negotiation with I'an.

That mean aban0oning the c1''ent 7.S. pot1'e that Teh'an make a one&i0e0

conceion a a p'econ0ition to talk.

inally6 me'ica3 t'ategy 'ega'0ing 2ghanitan an0 Dakitan nee0 a baic'eaement. The emphai ho1l0 be hi2te0 2'om milita'y engagement to a mo'e 1btle

e22o't to eek a 0ecent'ali(e0 political accommo0ation with thoe po'tion o2 the Taliban

who a'e p'epa'e0 to negotiate. m1t1al accommo0ation ho1l0 in5ol5e Taliban

willingne to eliminate any l ae0a p'eence in 'et1'n 2o' Wete'n milita'y

0iengagement 2'om the pe'tinent te''ito'y. The p'oce ho1l0 be accompanie0 by

inteni2ie0 'econt'1ction.

Fet me concl10e on a pa'ochial note: 7n2o't1nately6 the me'ican p1blic i woe21lly

1n0e'e01cate0 abo1t the wi0e' wo'l0. ?a'ack Obama will ha5e to t'i5e to make

me'ican 1n0e'tan0 the no5el 0imenion o2 global 'ealitie. Witho1t o1n0ing o5e'ly

pa'tian6 I belie5e that he ha 1ni81e intellect1al an0 'heto'ical gi2t 2o' 0oing G1t that.

So let me en0 my 'ema'k by ae'ting imply6 9Ye6 we can.9

Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, is trustee and

counsellor at the Center for Strategic and nternational Studies !CSS"# $his article is

based on his %&& John (hitehead lecture at Chatham )ouse, *ondon# $he com+lete

tet will be +ublished in the January issue of nternational -ffairs !*ondon"#