ilderberg luminary
Henry Kissinger has repeated his routine
call for a new international political
order, stating that global crises should
be seen as an opportunity to move toward
a borderless world where national
interests are outweighed by global
necessities.
Speaking with Charlie Rose earlier this
week, Kissinger cited the chaos being
wrought across the globe by the
financial crisis and the spread of
terrorism as an opportunity to bolster a
new global order.
“I think that when the new
administration assess the position in
which it finds itself it will see a huge
crisis and terrible problems, but I can
see that it could see a glimmer in which
it could construct an international
system out of it.” Kissinger said,
referring to the transition between the
Bush and Obama administrations.
The former National Security advisor and
Secretary of State compared the current
world climate to the period immediately
following the second world war, which
led to the creation and empowerment of
global bodies such as the UN and NATO.
“If you look back to the end of the
second world war, many people now think
that the period between the end of 1945
and 1950 was in many ways the most
creative period or one of the most
creative periods of foreign policy, but
it started with chaos and fear of
Russian invasion of Europe and
governments that were very weak.”
Kissinger stated.
“The new administration is really coming
into office at a strange period in this
sense,” he continued. “It looks like a
period of horrendous crisis all over the
world. And we ourselves are in a severe
crisis financially, but at the end of it
our relative position in the world is
actually stronger than it has been in
the sense that Russia, China, India all
have strong reasons to contribute to a
quiet international environment because
of the preoccupation they must have with
their domestic affairs.”
“They do not wish and have good reasons
not to wish for an international
atmosphere of crisis. So Paradoxically,
this moment of crisis is also one of
great opportunity.” Kissinger commented.
Interviewer Charlie Rose, who has
previously listened to Kissinger’s calls
for a new world order, recognized the
direction the conversation was taking
and urged Kissinger to elaborate:
“When you talk about a new structure,
I’m not sure, you’ve used the term new
world order, what is it? Is it simply a
world order that is defined by new
interest and new mutuality of interest?”
Rose asked.
“That’s certainly how you have to start.
I know the view that you start by
converting the whole world to our
political philosophy. I don’t think that
can be done in one or two terms of an
administration. That is an historic
process that has its own rhythm.”
Kissinger replied.
“There are so many elements in this
world at the moment that can only be
dealt with on a global basis, and that’s
unique,” Kissinger continued.
“Proliferation, energy, environment, All
of these issues necessitate a global
approach, so you don’t have to invent an
international order. So every country
has to mitigate its pure national
interests by the global necessities, or
define it’s national interests by global
necessities But it cannot push its own
technically selfish interests only by
throwing its own weight around.” he
stated.
Kissinger also related that he has been
struck by how much the move toward a new
global order has been enhanced by the
recent crises.
“The jihadist crisis is bringing it home
to everybody, that international affairs
cannot be conducted entirely by drawing
borders and defining international
politics by who crosses what borders
with organized military force.” he said.
“This has now been reinforced by the
financial crisis, which totally
unexpectedly has spread around the
world. It limits the resources that each
country has for a foreign policy geared
to an assertion of its own pure
interests.”
Kissinger claimed that the key players
in international politics, India, China,
Russia, America, Europe, should
recognize they have parallel concerns
and work together to forge what he
termed an “age of compatible interests”.
“I’m not saying that leaders will be up
to all the opportunities that I may
perceive but I think they can start
moving in that direction and I’m
actually fairly hopeful that we will be
moving in that direction.” Kissinger
said.
Watch the full interview below.