Why is the world recognizing Putin now? As it is becoming clear that the Western domination of the last two centuries and the American hegemony which stated after the collapse of the Soviet Union is ending, Putin’s role in this context is becoming more important and relevant.
By Dr. Sawraj Singh
The Forbes Magazine has just declared Putin the most powerful leader of the world. He pushed Obama, who held the position for three years, to the second place. Putin’s role in solving this Syrian Crisis and his growing influence in the world politics, were the main reasons for the selection. For the last several years, I have been repeatedly saying that Putin is emerging as the most powerful leader of the world. I feel that the Forbes Magazine has validated my assertion. I have also said that Putin will find a place in history as one of the most important leaders of the twenty first century.
Why is the world recognizing Putin now? As it is becoming clear that the Western domination of the last two centuries and the American hegemony which stated after the collapse of the Soviet Union is ending, Putin’s role in this context is becoming more important and relevant. In the twenty first century, Putin and Hugo Chavez have played a similar role to the role played by Mao, Ho Chi, Minh and Castro in the twentieth century. All these leaders contributed very significantly to the people’s struggle against the Western Imperialism.
Another question arises that how after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a Russian Leader has emerged as the most powerful leader of the world? Similarly, Russia has again emerged as an important player in the World Affairs. Can America and the Western countries also reclaim their lost status in the world? I see very little possibility of this happening. If we look at the past history then it becomes clear that after Alexander’s invasion, no other Western invader conquered any major Eastern country such as India. The Western colonialists really did not conquer India. They sneaked, begged, connived and cheated their way. However, India has never fully exposed the meanness and shamefulness of the Western colonialists. Actually, India has bent backward to whitewash their heinous crimes. Compared to India, China fully exposed the atrocities of the Western colonialists committed against its people. It took almost two hundred years for the Western colonialists to establish their empire. However, this empire lasted for less than two centuries.
The Roman Empire could not reach the East. It was mostly confined to Europe and the Middle East. After the Roman Empire, the Western colonialists and Imperialists established their Empire in the eighteenth and the nineteenth century. The two largest countries of the East came under the Western domination in the nineteenth century. Punjab became a part of the British Empire in 1849. Even though, Bengal came under British domination a century earlier, after the battle of Plassey, yet the British considered Punjab as the most powerful kingdom in India and the second most powerful kingdom in the World. China came under the Western domination much later than India and unlike India, never came under complete Western control. Only some parts of China such as Hong Kong and Macao came under complete Western control. The Western powers extracted special rights in some areas of China such as Shanghai.
From the second century to the eighteenth century, China and India led the world in terms of the Gross Domestic Product. In the second century, under Kanishka and in the seventeenth century, under Shah Jahan, India led the world in GDP. China led most of the rest of the time.
From the very beginning, Russia had a tilt toward the East. Geographically, most of Russia’s territory falls in Asia. Ural Mountains make the border between Asia and Europe. Even today, most of Russia’s territory is in the East of Urals. Vladivostok is in the far East. Russia has been the center of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the seventeenth century, the Roman Church was divided into Rome and Constantinople. After the fall of the Turkey to the Muslims, the center of the Eastern Orthodox Church moved to Russia. The Eastern Orthodox Church has always been different than rest of Christianity because it has been influenced by the Eastern civilization.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, some Russian leaders such as Gorbachov and Yelstin wanted to tilt Russia to the West. However, their efforts made Russia suffer tremendously. Putin changed all that and wanted to take Russia back to the Eastern fold. Friendship with China became his top priority. Putin also wants to revive the traditional friendship with India. Russia’s Eastern cultural base helped it to stand on its feet after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
America could never evolve a deep culture. It has functioned with a Work Ethic. However, Work Ethic cannot replace a deep rooted culture. Without a stable and deep cultural base, it is almost impossible to regain your lost status. Therefore, in the near future, America is unlikely to regain its lost status of the Only Super Power of the world and the Policeman of the world. No other Western country has the ability to lead the West to its lost glory. Russia regained a respectable status in the world because of the strong Eastern cultural base and a powerful leader like Putin. However, it is Russia’s strong cultural base which produced a leader like Putin.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
