Things are a changing

 Things are a changing 

The world is in torment as we hear of clashes between protesters and law enforcement across the globe.

Hong Kong to Guatemala, much of the Middle East to the unreported Yellow Jackets in France (nearly 9 months and 4000 people, police and protesters injured) who continue each weekend dispite a news blackout. South America is a mess as major league power politics, stimulated in part by the continued US policy of Latin America interference, attempting to subdue any left wing government from Cuba to Venezuela but conniving with the right wing government of Brazil as the decimation of the rainforest increases under Jair Bolsonaro. From the trauma which is Syria to the potential nuclear destruction in and around Kashmir, from rioting in Russia to new sabre rattling between the two Korea's, the list of national instability goes on.
With the retrenchment of Americas role of global policeman and the upsurge of Russian self awareness to the economic disruption to world trade by the economic tit for tat going on between the US and China, the world is descending into a mess of conflicting claims and counter claims. And all this as we in the UK extricate ourselves from the market protection of the European Block.
The farcical gun boat drama playing out in the Straights of Hormuz where, gazing into our traditional role of enforcer boarded an Iranian ship carrying Iranian oil to Libya only to find those pesky Iranians boarding one of our tankers using small lightly armed, highly manoeuvrable boats whilst our own "fleet" (which now consists of a frigate) was left kicking its heels waiting for backup.
The power has shifted. America has become once again, self serving and protectionist putting its own interests above the global need. It had to happen as the Europeans in particular enjoyed a free ride under NATO whilst the Americans, who began to feel the economic pinch under the Chinese, questioned whether they should continue to afford it.
It's amazing really that since the end of the Cold War there has been, other than the rise of Muslim fundamentalism, a relatively peaceful international order but things are changing and without the potential bully boy to keep us in our place, a rag tag assembly of conflicting aims is percolating to the surface, scolding those who thought they were safe and encouraging those who have a grievance.