作者/Author(s): Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jeremy Shapiro 

網站來源/Source: Foreign Policy 

日期/Date: November 20, 2023 

關鍵字/Keywords: Global South, Diplomacy, Liberal Hegemony 

摘要：

冷戰結束後，西方通過傳播其體現在國際法中的自由主義規範，鞏固了全球影響力，這些規範可以化解戰爭、保護主權並捍衛人權。然而，三十多年過去了，以規則為基礎的國際秩序的願景正在破滅，就連西方都一再違背其原則或違反其制定的規則。對發展中國家而言，基於規則的秩序始終是西方在國際上的偽善。 


自由主義霸權的衰落 
  • 全球南方國家對西方在國際秩序核心問題上的虛偽越來越感到失望。他們要求西方國家為了全球秩序犧牲一些核心物質利益，但遭到了西方國家的拒絕。因此，許多國家拒絕加入西方對俄羅斯的制裁，也不支持以色列在衝突中的立場。 
  • 指責西方虛偽行為的聲音通常來自俄羅斯或中國，但其實這兩國也一直違反國際規則。
  • 大多數全球南部國家並不認同西方的價值觀，但最終的結果卻符合西方的利益。
  • 西方並沒有意識到，自 2022 年俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭以來，「基於規則的秩序」這一主張基本上已經失敗。因此，當大多數全球南部國家不支持西方的努力時，西方感到非常驚訝。
  • 作為回應，西方開始與俄羅斯和中國展開輿論戰，並試圖將全球南方國家納入對基於規則的秩序之下。 
  • 然而，以色列-哈馬斯衝突再次暴露了西方的虛偽。歐盟警告說，如果西方不根據國際法追究以色列的責任，其全球影響力將會減弱。這也表明西方已經輸掉了輿論戰，現在它意識到了這一點。 
西方的機會 
  • 雖然西方輸掉了輿論戰，但他們仍有機會。全球南方國家對任何人的說法都不買單。他們只希望獲得地緣政治自主權，以及按照自己的條件與任何國家打交道的自由。
  • 西方不應將重點放在道德價值觀上，應強調協助全球南方國家發展社會經濟，這顯然比俄羅斯或中國更好。
  • 雖然這需要長時間的努力，但西方應在其政策和價值觀上保持一致，以贏得輿論戰。
  • 最後，美國和歐洲不能再將全球南方國家視為嬰兒，而應將其視為長大成人的中等強國，給予它們互惠互利的地緣政治自主權。 
Summary:
After the end of the Cold War, the West cemented its global influence by spreading its liberalist norms embodied in international law that could defuse war, protect sovereignty, and defend human rights. Yet, after over three decades, the vision of a rule-based international order is tattering, especially when the West repeatedly acts against its principles or violates the rules it sets. For developing countries, the rule-based order was always a hypocrisy from the West internationally. 

The Fall of Liberal Hegemony 
  • Global South countries are increasingly frustrated with the West's hypocrisy at the core of the international order. They demanded Western countries to sacrifice some of their core material interests for the sake of the global order, but they refused. As a result, many countries refused to join Western sanctions on Russia and did not support Israel's cause in the recent conflict.
  • Charges of Western hypocrisy always come from Russia or China, which has always breached international rules. 
  • Most Global South countries do not share Western values, but ultimately, the outcome aligns with Western interests. 
  • The West does not realize the "rule-based order" proposition essentially failed since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, the West was surprised when most Global South countries did not support its effort. 
  • In response, the West started a battle of narrative with Russia and China and tried to include Global South countries in the control of the rule-based order. 
  • Yet, the Israel-Hamas conflict exposes Western hypocrisy again. The EU has warned that the West's global influence will wane if it does not hold Israel accountable under international law. It also shows the West had lost the battle of narrative, which it realized now. 
Opportunities for the West 
  • There is optimism for the West despite losing the battle of narratives. Global South countries do not buy narratives from anyone. They only hope for geopolitical autonomy and the freedom to deal with any state on their terms. 
  • Instead of focusing on moral values, the West should emphasize assisting Global South countries to develop their socio-economy, which is clearly better than Russia or China. 
  • The West should be consistent in its policies and values to win the battle of narratives, although it will take a long time and effort. 
  • Lastly, the US and Europe should stop treating Global South countries as infants and treat them as grown-up middle powers, granting them geopolitical autonomy that could be mutually beneficial. 
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