History is a cycle;
it perpetuates itself time and again, capitalizing on human weakness and the
gullibility of the uninformed and the misinformed. It is akin to a hammer that persistently
pounds on an unmoving nail till it sink way over its head. Imperialism,
Hegemony, and Colonization are old cliché, and they always refer to one thing... Dominance. The imperialist of the modern times find it less costly to employ
soft power to achieve control and dominance, and that what OBOR is all about.
China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative will be the modern equivalent of China’s
Silk Road, established more than 2000 years ago. The Silk
Road was a web of trade routes that had connected China
to the countries in the Middle East, and certain parts of
Asia. Its sole objective then was to market Chinese
Silk beyond its border. The OBOR on the other hand, is partly and similarly aimed, to create a network
of infrastructures like roads, railways, roads, pipelines, and utility grids
that would link China to Central Asia, West Asia, parts of South Asia and key areas in the European
continent. But, OBOR will be beyond the Silk Road in expanse, scope and purpose. The old Silk
Road was purely trade,
while the OBOR intends to seek not only physical interconnection for economic development, it also aspire for
a common world policy on aspects of trade, finance, social and culture. It abhors the idea of protectionism, and its prime intention is toward its elimination. Simply, it will move for the consolidation of the world‘s
multi dimensional character into one. One policy one economy, one culture, as
well as a common policy on trade and finance, which definitely would undermine
countries with lesser capacity to trade. OBOR may have been geared as an avenue and vehicle to the
Chinazation of the world’s social and cultural make up, when time has come
to a ripe. The OBOR initiative will be the Silk
Road of today to a certain
extent. It is not motivated by economic reason alone. Its aim is to consolidate
world’s resources under one management, with China
as the administrator. It’s like buying a right of way, but not necessarily a two way lane, it has to be cobwebs like, right of way. Access to world’s strategic
land mass, waters, minerals, precious metals, oil, natural gas, raw materials, marine resources,
timber and many more will be far more easier, convenient and sustainable, since along the massive and expensive infrastructure development are certain obligations and warranties of repayment, that consequently would lead to dependency and control. Behind the promise of economic progress is the
prospect of slavery by debt. We need not look far, a one two many nations who
acted as a willing prey are now suffering the brunt of huge debt and
impositions since they took the bite at China’s carrot... and stick strategy, a classic exercise of soft power. OBOR minus its prosperity premium, could approximate
the oppressiveness of the proposed trade agreement sponsored by the western
corporate giants under the Trans–Pacific Partnership (TPP), that was recently
abandoned by the United
States.
One may suspect that the timing of OBOR initiative and the impending demise of the TPP is
not merely a coincidence, but rather; just maybe, may actually be a part of a plan to catapult China
as the superficial leader of the New World Order. The reality in world events and the developing situation
should speak for itself, and maybe, this venue might have bundled a few to synthesis. It might be, that the world is being lured to the other side of the same coin.
"We
really need to bring China
into the New World Order, into the Financial World Order”- George Soros, Oct. 2009./ "In 10 years we can expect a new world order" - Xi Jinping, 2015
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