The Collapsing World’s Bridge

The Collapsing World’s Bridge

By Tim Akano

Come, my friends,
‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows: For my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides, and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heavens, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Lord Alfred Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’ (1809- 1892)

The Prologue

The world is in a flux

Can’t you see?

The world is in a fix

Don’t you know?

COVID-19 has triggered a historic seismic tilt from the historically powerful West to the historically powerless China…

Now, China’s voice, historically heard in whispers, counts!

Its body language has become consequential in stillness.

It is a season of confusion in the West…with accompanying knee-jerk reactions

It is a season of unusual boldness in the East (China)….

But sadly…

It is a season of an inexplicable but dangerous sleep in Africa.

The Bridge is giving way…and there is no one to the rescue!
It is an open secret.

Unarguably, the world’s bridge is collapsing. The Political, Economic, Social, Health. Military, Education and Cultural bridges that connect us are all falling apart, in different direction at different degrees.

The bridge of peace is collapsing and the bridge of war is now under construction, perhaps at faster rate than the collapse of the bridge of peace.

Multilateralism and globalization are the glue that holds humanity together. Both are rapidly becoming anachronism. The glue that binds us together are love, kindness and global friendship, all of which are now on the slab. We have opened up old wounds. Yet to heal a wound you need to stop the hemorrhage and stop touching it.

But we are not only touching the wound, we are indeed pressing it. When you touch a wound, it sores. It pains. It eats away the peace of the bearer of the wound. China is determined to snatch the ‘’world’s feeding bottle (WFB)’’ from America’s hand to enable it dispense the milk according to its whim and fancy.

America says ‘No’.

But even a worn-out and tired defending champion would put up a ‘fight’ at the prospect of losing its belt. Even if that ‘fight’ is just to say ‘No’

Is Russia the new beautiful bride? Nothing is certain on that score yet.

How are the regional blocks and nations stacking on the prospect of China’s control of the WFB?

In Central and Eastern Europe, it is an open secret that things are falling apart, the centre can no longer hold as Europe’s 17+2+1 are now beholden more to China.

Germany, ever strong, ever dynamic, ever decisive, is preparing to lead the resurgence Europe…but will Europe trust her or is it even too late for Europe’s rebirth?
Britain, ever slippery, ever unpredictable, ever indirect – stands seemingly aloof and uninterested in the wars around her doors…but can Britain save Hong Kong, her former colony of 156 years come June 4th from China’s jaw?

Or is it Britain’s season of exits: Brexit to Globexit, that is, exiting global relevance completely?
Hong Kong is boiling and burning. China is ready to have HK for dinner. Check your time, it is far past breakfast time in China. It’s dinner time and Hong Kong is being prepped for dinner going… going..

In China’s thinking: why wait till 2047 (read: the next day) to have HK as breakfast when you can have it as early dinner on June 4th?

What should Britain do to save Hong Kong on June 4th?

UK should make it clear on June 3rd that China should choose between Huawei and HK. If China goes ahead with its plan to delete HK freedom, then Britain should cancel the Huawei 5G contract and mobilize Europe and the Commonwealth to do same.

The extremely wealthy City-State of Macau, may also be slated for sumptuous lunch the next day – very rich but probably, too small to cause any indigestion for the new Asia King.

Taiwan- the inferno next time – is fully ripe for dessert this afternoon- why wait till 2050, China reckons.

The ASEAN’s Islands are also on the watchlist of China to complete the CHINA DREAM. Indo-China unending boundary skirmishes: handshake going beyond the elbow – why now, why not?

Philippines, America’s oldest military ally in the South East Asia, in a surrendered mode, sealed a relationship with China on 24th May, 2020.

Colombia, America’s ‘’best friend’’ in Latin America, is now in bed with a new sweetie – China.

For Australia, it is a case of “massage China’s ego publicly or silently starve to death” Japan, the Asia’s original Tiger is back on the drawing board- searching its bag of tricks for surrealist techniques and new ideas to thrive in these strange times.
South Korea – ever focused, ever smart, ever practical: growing its economy amidst C-19 pandemic, having conquered the virus in a jiffy, is now cleverly and unobtrusively operating under the radars of both China and America. South Korea is sharpening its economic competitive edge as Huawei looks up to the South Korean Samsung for supply of the most needed computer chips and semiconductors after America’s extension of ban on Huawei by another one year until May 20th 2021.

For its survival and for national peace, South Korea keeps an eagle eye watching every move of its erratic cousin next-door, the ’Rocket Boy’, 36-year old King Kim Jong-un of North Korea… just in case his brain snaps.

Brazil and Iran – both ignored and trivialize science and are paying for their ignorance and stubbornness. Definitely, the gods are not to blame for the multitude of calamities befalling both Iran and Brazil in 2020, including the mass deaths from corona virus. The fault is theirs and surely, they owe the gods an explanation.

Saudi Arabia: modernization in jeopardy, no thanks to C-19?

In Israel, war is on a casual leave whilst peace is on transit. But for how long will war be away and peace hangs around in transit in Jerusalem?

It is innovate or decline in UAE. The excellent model rendered obsolete by C-19 as Tourism is now in tatters and hospitality is held hostage.

Lucky Qatar: Zero death from corona virus, 501 cases reported- revenue from natural gas guaranteed, therefore, economic crisis is in self-isolation, quarantined in Qatar.

For the smart Pacific Nations of Vanuatu, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Samoa, it is a stich in time saves nine- zero cases, zero death from COVID-19- reaping the fruits of decisiveness and obedience -first countries to close their borders to visitors immediately the pandemic broke out in China.

Canada: standing eyeball-to-eyeball with China, but for how long?

America’s November Presidential election: why it matters to you and to the world- choice between the devil and the deep blue sea?
Africa…. Still strangely snoring, sleeping 400 years after: a little more sleep, a little more slumber, China will take over the West’s leftovers resources in Africa, probably, then, its bygone to modernization.

Multilateralism is now in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In the past week, the 72-year old World Health Organisation (WHO) faced its biggest challenge since its creation when America carried out its threat to pull out of the world body. On 29th of May 2020, President Trump while chastising WHO for its obvious irredeemably China-centric approach said:’’ We will be today terminating our relationship with WHO and directing those funds to worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs’.

Is it the end of the beginning or beginning of the end for WHO?

Mass Murder Machine? – It’s now Buy one, Get One Free!

The recent handling of the Open Skies Treaty (OST) is the beginning of a new dangerous arms race among the Super powers as America pulled out on 21st May 2020. It had earlier pulled out in 2019 from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia. The OST became effective when 34 countries signed the treaty in January 2002. The objective is to reduce the risk of war by allowing Russia and Western nations to conduct unarmed short-notice reconnaissance flights by military aircraft of another country over the complete territory of any of the other 33 countries to collect data on troop, military hardware and weaponry size and innovation. President Trump said on 21st of May 2020:’’ I think we have a very good relationship with Russia, but Russia didn’t adhere to the treaty, and until they adhere to the treaty, we will pull out’.

By this singular action, the trailer earlier parked on the road to block arms race has been removed by the same country that parked it thus bringing an end to arms control with serious concomitant implications for global security. With the hitherto checks and balances that have been the foundation of the relative world peace in the last 75 years gone, the floor is open for unbridle mass production of weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological weapons and Lethal Autonomous Robot (LAR) otherwise known as killer-robots.

The implication of this is that all the 34 countries under the OST are now free from the moral dilemma that used to accompany their secretive investment in ‘’ death by algorithm’’. With the latest massive knowledge in Artificial intelligence (Ai) and data science vis-à-vis- military technology, it will be a piece of cake for an invading Army to send a flock of thousands of small drones with simple coding to shoot and kill everyone holding a weapon, even if it is a hunter’s gun or toy gun in another country. Within hours, the city is subdued and the invaders enter to share the loot.

After WHO, then who?

World Trade Organisation (WTO), the body created to provide rules for global trade and to resolve disputes between countries may also go the way of WHO. President Trump threatened to withdraw the US from WTO. Hear Trump: ‘’If they don’t shape up, I would withdraw from WTO because the body too often rules against the US’’. To Trump’s delight, the knives are out from the Capitol Hill to cut off the US from WTO in a new legislation introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio, a Democrat that enjoys the support of both parties calling for US immediate withdrawal ‘’The WTO has been a disaster for the United States, No trade regime can last when it no longer serves the people of the countries who are part of it’’. Supporting the legislation, a Republican, Josh Hawley said:’’ Our interests and those of the WTO diverged long ago’’

The death of the world’s trade Referee will turn the typically methodical process of resolving international trade disagreements into a free-for-all street fight leading to a tit-for-tat Tariff World Wars (TWW). The EU trade commissioner captured it succinctly: ’The W.T.O is facing its deepest crisis since its creation. If the rules governing international trade can no longer be enforced, we would have the law of the jungle’’ Trump’s administration sees W.T.O. as an impediment to the ‘’America First’’ project for preventing America from imposing its influence as the world’s biggest economy while at the same time W.T.O is perceived as a tool in the hands of China that joined the organisation in 2001 to outcompete other countries through obvious trade malpractices.

The Office Bridge is equally undergoing ‘’re-modelling’’. Both Google and Facebook have informed their staff that they are free not to return to the office till 2021. The research carried out by Gartner and released on March 30th illustrated this graphically: 74% of the CFOs surveyed by Gartner expect some of their employees who were forced to work from home due to the pandemic will continue to working remotely after the pandemic ends. That is, 25% of those surveyed expect 10% of their staff to stay at home permanently; 17% expect 20% to continue to stay at home; 4% expect 50% while 2% expect over 50% of their employees to permanently work from home after the pandemic subsides.
Similarly, the Education Bridge is affected. Is e-learning the new normal?

About 1.2 billion school children are experimenting with different e-learning solutions worldwide. What happens to those skills like emotional intelligence, social intelligence, etiquette, citizenship education and some critical life skills that are germane to future success of the learner but which skills are better acquired in a structured brick and mortar traditional education milieu?

What is the future of private education now that knowledge is a commodity, available free or next to nothing at the click of a button? What is the implication of the Big 7 entering into the education space: Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, BBC, Alibaba, and Amazon on the future of private schools?

Today is tomorrow…but tomorrow is now

When tomorrow comes the world will soon discover to its surprise that by educating children online and instituting the culture of working remotely, the world is inadvertently erecting barriers to love, kindness and empathy which come more through physical interaction and not virtual engagements.

You can’t just ‘’Zoom love’’, “Skype compassion’’, or ‘GoogleMeet empathy’’

These virtues cannot be derived wholly virtually. They come when an African drinks from the same water dispenser in the same cafeteria where the Europeans, the Japanese and Arabs just drank in the same school or hostel or corporate canteen.

Is the Aviation Bridge collapsing or in ICU or R.I.P.?

Most Airlines are currently in intensive care unit (ICU) while some are in the morgue, resting in peace (R.I.P). Warren Buffett sold 100% of Berkshires stocks in the ‘’big4’’ (American, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines) in April . The timely injection of bailout funds of about $9billion into Lufthansa saved it from chapter 11.

Others are not that lucky. Virgin Australia, Thai Airways, Air Mauritius, South African Airways, Eurowings have all filed for bankruptcy. The lay-offs in the industry is staggering. The practitioners in the airline industry is projecting that about 8000 planes will be grounded by September 2020 and at an average of 5.8 crews per plane, a worldwide unemployed pilots will reach 90,000. What happens to Pilot training schools globally? The Hospitality Bridge is not left out from the damage. It is equally facing a life-threatening challenge.

What about the Money Bridge?

Old bridges have collapsed. New ones are being erected. Money flew from Airline to Online. It would appear that money loves the lines.

Money has alighted from the Airline business, checked out of the hospitality business, dropped out of brick and mortar school business, relocated with a new address in the cloud sharing buffet with the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and shuttling between his other two mansions – one in the Hospital for those in the health care business, and the other on the Farms for those in food supply chain business.

Money has some other chalets in other sectors though, but if you seriously need to corner her as your girlfriend, she relaxes more these days inside any of her three beautiful mansions built around online, health and food businesses. You stand an excellent chance of ambushing the ‘’stubborn, elusive beautiful Lady’’ to woo and win her love.

Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Mack Zuckerberg all know. Bezos, founder of Amazon is set to become the world’s first Trillionaire by 2026 at the age of 62 from his current worth of $140 billion. While, Facebook founder , Mark Zuckerberg could become the youngest trillionaire in the world ten years after in 2036 when he clocks 51 years, according to the Business Software projection by Comparisun Organisation.

Africa, finally deleted from the world map?

Meanwhile, how can you explain Africa’s sleep of death when everything around her is transforming? WHO refused to recognize the Madagascar and Senegal COVID-19 drugs, yet Africa kept quiet.

This forced Madagascar to disembark from WHO train of deceit. The CEO of Africa Development Bank, (AfDB), an African, is about to be pushed out of the bank for dubious reasons by America, a minority shareholder. It is now a regular occurrence in America, China, and Europe for Africans to be treated with undiluted disdain, if they are lucky, or get killed when mother luck is not on their side for the simple reason of their blackness.

China is holding Africa hostage with its $146 billion debt-trap. Its mineral resources are being carted away to foreign lands with reckless abandoned. And Africa leaders keep calm in the midst of all these calamites that have enveloped the continent.

African leaders fiddling while Africa burns. In July of 64 A.D., a great fire ravaged Rome for six days, destroying 70 percent of the city and leaving half its population homeless. The legend has it that Rome’s emperor at the time, Nero, “fiddled while Rome burned.” Several centuries after, African leaders are on the same page with Nero!

“I can’t breathe’’…can you?

George Floyd, the black American who was killed last week by a white American Police kept saying ‘I can’t breathe’ until he could breathe no more. Can Africa breathe with the debt-rock tied around its neck by China and mountain of unfair trade deals with the Western powers? No.

For how long will Africa remain quiet? Like George Floyd, maybe until Africa breathes its last and its land re-partitioned and finally deleted from the global map.

• What stops Africa from establishing its own Africa Health Organisation (AHO) to regulate the health matters of Africa?
• What stops Africa from establishing its own exclusive continental bank tagged: One Africa Bank?
• What stops Africa from establishing its own CNN tagged One Africa TV/Radio?
• What stops Africa from pulling their resources together and establish a modern Steel Factory- One Africa Steel Corporation?
• Where is the Africa Airline- One Africa Airline?
• When will a giant Telecoms tagged One Africa Telecommunication start operation?
• When will the idea of a well-funded Mining Corporation One Africa Mining and Processing begin to see the light of the day?
Snakes easily get killed because they walk individually. Therefore, Africa needs to pull together to survive and thrive.

Africa wealth are in the hands of Western and Asian imperialists and the time to retrieve what is ours and place our destiny in our hand is now.

Think about this – In just 180 days, the world turned 360 degrees. The world tilted, geopolitically redrawn, and irrevocably so, for good and or for bad, and forever.

A new world, a new day, a new dawn, a new milieu, a new normal is here.

China seems to have regained its self-confidence after 2000 years under the radar, without a voice. It shocked America with its brand new Wolf Warrior Diplomacy. When America (foolishly though) announced its withdrawal of its yearly $400 million funding for WHO: who came out to rescue WHO? China. Not with $400 million, but with $2billion, outspending USA on a ratio of 5:1 in the war against pandemic.

First leg: China 3, USA 0.

China scored three goals in a jiffy having conquered the pandemic in a record time, bought over and pocketed WHO and firing its economy at 220k/hr., making it possible to unleash Mask Diplomacy.

All in all, America could not find the net for the first 45 minutes of the match between January and May, 2020. While America is playing the traditional ‘’perfect football formation’’ of 4-2-3-1: four defenders, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders and a striker, China entered the field with a strange, new football formation: 1- 0-3-6- one defender, zero midfield, three attackers and six hungry strikers- one for each continent of the globe!

This is called massive, overwhelming concentration of resources for quick wins.

China, like a spirit, is everywhere simultaneously scoring goals exploiting America obvious weaknesses: corrosive division between the Republican and Democratic parties, the war between the Media and the Executive on one hand and major internal gulf among races in America. For sure, Beijing is not interested in any military confrontation with Washington, at least, not now. To China, the decline of America is a historic inevitability, therefore, why rush and push at a door that’s opening already by itself, effortlessly.

Before America could read and interpret the Chinese game plan, China has altered the football formation again in favour of optimum defence, maximum attack: 4-O-O-6.

On May 23rd 2020, President Xi in his address to China Communist Party (CCP): “China will consolidate the fundamental role of agriculture, ensuring stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas, and accomplishing the targets and tasks of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and winning the battle against poverty’’ Converting 1.4 billion Chinese into active domestic consumers like their counterparts in Europe and America would have removed the major vulnerability in the China’s export- driven strategy.

With WHO inside its pocket, China’s next move is to dominate IMF, World Bank, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and even the United Nations. China will like to give the four a new hairstyle look: the ’Chinese look’.

It’s an open secret that China desires to supplant the USD as the main medium of international foreign exchange. The word ‘’petrol dollar’’ is unfair, it hurts, and it’s obsolete. China and Russia prefer a neutral global currency. To accomplish its goal, China needs the support of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Europe.

If the coup against USD hegemony is successful, then the game is over. The poverty and economic crisis that will befall USA will be worse than that of the 1930 Great Depression. CIA knows. Federal Reserve’s knows. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSS) knows. And China Ministry of State Security (MSS) knows it too. Those who should know among the America’s intelligentsia know. America’s strength is not its Military, even though it is spending about $721 billion on military in 2020 representing 40% of the total world’s military expenditure. America’s secret power is the GREENBACKS.

Russia, as the world’s biggest oil producing nation after Saudi Arabia and USA, is central to either the Chinese strategy of sending USD on early retirement or America’s strategy of maintain the statuesque ante. Both America and China are currently sweating it out wooing Russia, seeking her hand in marriage? Who will the maverick Russia eventually go to bed with between the macho- tough-speaking America and the wealthy, cunning China?
Presidents Trump and Putin issued a rare joint statement on April 25th 2020 commemorating a 1945 WW2 handshake between the Soviets and American troops on a bridge over the Elbe River in Germany on their way to vanquishing the stubborn Hitler and his evil Nazi regime:’’ The spirit of Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause’’

On the other hand, China’s strategy is to tempt Russia with ‘’petro-dollar’’- plenty of it. The oil figures for April 2020 showed that Russia leapfrogged Saudi Arabia as China’s top crude oil supplier. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs recently, Russia shipments reached 7.2 million tonnes in April , equivalent of 1.75 million barrels per day compared with 1.49mbd same time 2019. Meanwhile, supplies from Saudi Arabia dropped to 1.26mbpd in April 2020 as against 1.49mbpd in April 2019 according to Reuters. China made sure the Saudis bled more, just to prove that there is a new Sheriff in town whose name starts with Capital ‘’C’’ and end with capital ‘’A’’

…and of course, it is neither Canada nor Cambodia

The ‘’Wolf- Warrior- Diplomacy’’ coined after two popular Chinese movies whereby the action hero outguns and outmanoeuvres pompous US special agents. China is dictating the pace of attacks on multiple fronts as America tries to catch up defending. That Chinese movie is real. Today, it’s no longer a fiction, it is our present reality.

First, the Hong Kong (HK) tango. China alerted HK that a national security law will be implemented with effect from June 4th 2020 which will practically remove the concept of one country two systems. This is contrary to HK Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) agreement reached with China when Britain handed over HK to it by midnight 1st of July 1997. The agreement is to expire in 2047. But Chinese seems to be hungry and they need a ready- made breakfast, which the rich Hong Kong represents!

In its response, White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said ‘’the US government will likely impose economic sanctions if Beijing follows through. The US could revoke a special status that allows HK to function as an international financial hub, which will make it hard for financial community to remain in the city if the law is enacted’’. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told America to stop its ‘’ wishful thinking of trying to change China and for taking actions that are pushing the two nations to a new cold war…. This is dangerous and will endanger global peace’’
Taiwan – it is the turn of China to draw the Red Line.

Beijing threatened action against the US for interfering in China’s domestic affairs with regards to Taiwan which China considers a Province, the claim which Taiwanese rejected. Wang warned US Officials ‘’ not to challenge China’s red line’’, according to him ‘’Reunification between the two sides of the strait is an inevitable trend of history, no one and no force can stop it’’

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said recently:’’ The media’s focus on the current pandemic risks missing the bigger picture of the challenge that is presented by the Chinese Communist Party’’

Meanwhile, fighting on the Himalayas has intensified between China and India. The Indo-China borderlands are rumbling again. On May 5th, the two sides came to blows on the banks of Pangong Lake, which has become the battle ground for both of recent. On May 9th, dozens of military men roughly 150 soldiers fought each other along the Sikkim-Tibet border, resulting in injuries on both sides. The 2,167-mile China-India border has remained the longest disputed border globally since 1962.

The question is why the escalation in confrontation now and why would Beijing be picking numerous fights with its neighbours now?

Analyst conclusion is that it is an attempt at ‘’political signalling’’ by Beijing. China does not feel comfortable with the military alliance between America and India which led to the signing of a key military enabling agreement: The Communication Compatibility and equipment (COMCASA) between US and India.

In Columbia, too, China is winning. China won the tenders for the control of one of the most important gold mine in Colombia and the country has completed arrangements to join China’s Belt and Road initiative. The China Civil Construction Company (CCCC) also won the tender for the construction of the regional rail road and most of the roads for the connectivity with the Caribbean Sea will be handled by CCCC. The Bank of China and China Development Bank are both financing most of these projects. Yet Colombia used to be regarded as the ‘’best American friend’’ in Latin America.

Another interesting development is the case of Philippines which used to be America’s oldest military Ally in South East Asia. The Philippines is converting a historic America military base, an expansive 500-hectare airfield that was the centre of America’s largest overseas military base until 1991 when it was handed over to the Philippines into a city. Guess who is funding it? China. China is also funding the shipyard in Subic and a railway linking Clark to a coastal city of Subic, the site of former US naval base.

According to the Philippines President, Rodrigo Duterte, the projects are ‘’ symbols of a newfound friendship and relationship between Beijing and Manila’’ A Singapore research conducted in February 2020 found that almost 70% of people in Southeast Asia believe that US engagement in the region has diminished substantially and recognize China as a rising power.

Europe: divide and conquer?

Germany manufacturers depend on China to supply components for its factories and Chinese market to sell its cars, so its hands are tied. The newer, former communist Eastern European countries were called EUROPE 17+1 before C-19 outbreak, but with the pandemic, we now have what we call Europe 17+2+1 where, Spain and Italy are the 2 and, China is the 1.

They are all wearing ‘’Chinese haircut hairstyle now’’

China has promised billions of USD for infrastructural development in Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy etc. The recent poll conducted by SWG Research Institute shows that more than 50% of Italians consider China a friendly country.

Conclusion
Both America and China are driving on the wrong historical lane which can only lead to ghastly head-on collision resulting in comprehensive injuries to both.

America, China is not the problem!

If America’s diagnoses are based on wrong premises, the medication will only bring more complications-and aggravates the illness. America’s decline is a historical inevitability though, but it is too early for exhaustion. After all, Roman Empire lasted for a millennia, 1000 years (753 BC-476 AD).

Why should America limo run out of gasoline just in 75 years? Wrong choices.

When it pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal of 5+1, and later pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord (PCA), then pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia(2019), then OST, then WHO and now contemplating pulling out of WTO…

These were all wrong choices that destroyed strategic alliances and weekend its leadership franchise. Will America pull out of UN, IMF and World Bank tomorrow when China gains upper hand? These are all institutions that America had used as ladders to achieve supremacy. Only a foolish man will abandon the house it helped build for a new guest to inhabit and control.

And what happens tomorrow if the whole world also ‘’pull back from using GREENBACKS’’ as a medium of international foreign exchange? Sudden death to the America empire, unarguably.

Five things are broken in America which their wise men need to fix quickly if they desire America’s reign beyond 2030 (the year America is projected to become an ex-king).

I tag the 5 missing links as ED3Ms: Education, Democracy, Military, Media, and Manufacturing.

On Education, America should ask themselves and answer this question: when last did their students beat their Chinese counterparts in international Maths or STEM or any serious science competition? 10 years ago? No. 15 years ago? No. They should read ‘’Most likely to Succeed’’ written by two American teachers (Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith).

On Democracy, it is obvious that America’s democracy is broken. America’s leadership recruitment process, too, is broken. Except America re-connects with the world, the world will pass it by.

Military over commitment. America is suffering from what I call the ‘’Rome Disease’’. 800 America Military bases in 70 countries of the wold spending about $700billion yearly on defence is not sustainable. China has only one military base in Djibouti while Russia, France and Britain combined have just 30 by contrast according to Politico.

Four, the America media sucks. Simple. It needs to be fixed.

Five, finally, America needs to re-industrialize- relying on a single global supply chain is a mistake of the century.
For China: Driving its limo at 250km/h exposes China to a sudden crash, which damage could be wholesale and final. China may even ‘’die’’ before the throne becomes vacant- it may not get to wear the crown at this speed and with the volume of controversies.

Before they annex Hong Kong or stifle its freedom on June 4th 2020 and Taiwan much later, China should first go and read the autobiography of their hero, former President Deng Xiaoping, the father of China modernization where he strongly advocated for a ‘’ PEACEFUL RISE’’ as the best model for China modernization.

He definitely must have learned the bitter truth from the Rise and Fall of Japan. Finally, China should know that the fact that a woman collects your money and expensive gifts does not mean she loves you or she will marry you.

Before China can dream of becoming the sole custodian of the WORLD’S FEEDING BOTTLE, it needs to re-work its trade practices in a win-win manner, change its bad behaviours and stop bullying its neighbours.

The world’s BRIDGE is fragile, and with the volume of weapons of mass destruction in the world today, if by error of omission or commission, the world Bridge eventually collapses, we are all losers, the living will envy the dead!

As Lord Alfred Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’ stated, maybe it is not too late to seek a newer world. Or maybe we have passed the hour of reasoning and the vehicle has already crashed into the broken bridge.

Time will tell.

Timakano1@gmail.com

Tim Akano, THISDAY LIFE LESSONS ADVISOR, is MD/CEO New Horizon System Solutions

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