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First, we live in a world that is a lot more G-Zero now than just twelve months ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n A G-Zero world is one in which the G7, G20, and G-everything else gives way to a more broadly fragmented global power structure with no leadership compass. Faced with a once-in-a-generation crisis in 2020, global cooperation was almost entirely absent, with most countries dealing with the common COVID enemy on their own (as Trump did by walking away<\/a> from the World Health Organization). <\/p>\n The crisis did, however, spur unprecedented progress in the vaccine race<\/a>, and forced a rare consensus<\/a> within the European Union on a rescue package for the bloc's economic recovery<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a global power vacuum, China saw an opening to make its move<\/a> on Hong Kong<\/a>, where democracy is now officially over<\/a>. China also clashed with India<\/a> over their Himalayan border, and the US-China rivalry<\/a> heated up with tussles over the South China Sea<\/a> and Taiwan<\/a>.<\/p>\n Second, the pandemic exposed deep fissures in our societies.<\/strong><\/p>\n Crises always do, but COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on the poor, minorities, and women<\/a> in the US and other countries. When the George Floyd protests went global<\/a>, we looked into the broader r issue of policing in America<\/a>, and racial equality<\/a> around the world.<\/p>\n The pandemic also revealed the fragility of the US economy<\/a>, took an enormous toll on mental health<\/a>, and cast a light on widening inequality which multilateralism is struggling to address (along with climate change<\/a>) as the United Nations turned 75<\/a>.<\/p>\n Third, the US election turned out to be every bit as contentious and contested as we expected.<\/strong><\/p>\n As the Joe Biden campaign gathered momentum, we predicted<\/a> what his foreign policy would look like, and discussed how to hold a safe election<\/a> with a surge in mail-in voting<\/a> amid a pandemic. We later analyzed how taking office will be no walk in the park<\/a> for Biden, whose administration's future success in part depends on the result of a January runoff election in Georgia for control of the US Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even as individual states certified the results, Trump still refused to concede<\/a>, and his efforts to question<\/a> the legitimacy of the vote will reverberate for years to come. Biden inherits a deeply divided country<\/a>.<\/p>\n Looking ahead:<\/strong> The good news is that 2020 is almost over, and we are ending it on a (cautiously) optimistic note with vaccine rollouts<\/a> in a host of countries, and continuing hopes that the Brexit saga<\/a> ends with a trade deal. But the pandemic won't be over anytime soon, and just as no one saw COVID coming one year ago, 2021 will surely bring this G-Zero world a few challenges that no one will have foreseen.<\/p>\n More Show less <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Continue reading here:<\/p>\n What Were Watching: US hits Turkey, EU stands up to Big Tech, Xinjiangs cotton-picking forced labor - GZERO Media<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First, we live in a world that is a lot more G-Zero now than just twelve months ago. Continue reading