Rejecting ‘The End of the West’: A New Narrative for Transatlantic Relations

The global realignment triggered and then amplified by the financial crisis and the economic downturn in developed economies was having a profound effect on the way the West perceives itself. This in turn was having far-reaching ramifications for the transatlantic relationship and international security generally.

This realignment was seen by most economists, strategists, and decision-makers in terms of a shift in power from America and Europe toward Asia – China and India in particular. There might be diverging views as to the root causes of this alleged demise of the West or in the speed of the process, but there was a growing feeling in many quarters that the Western era, as we knew it, was coming to an end.

The first thing we needed to do was understand precisely why such a narrative had been so readily taken on board. Why the doom and gloom?