Had there not been the unnecessary pomp and pageantry accompanying Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, the missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle might not have exposed the world for what it is.
She was beloved to her subjects, differently viewed by those that were once. The 54 nation Commonwealth, vestiges of an empire of yesteryear, was a chasm whereby, beyond niceties and diplomatic nuances, not too many shed tears.
During royalty visitation shortly before her passing, offsprings were confronted by the fact that countries still swearing sovereignty with her as titular head wanted to break free.
King Charles III is now faced with a number of calls to make. They include cutting down on staff, reducing expenses, downsizing monarchal privileges, and re-examining the relevance of the commonwealth -- where nothing much remains common and wealth is on the decline. That is but a continuation of wing-clipping set in motion centuries ago as the quiet but inevitable steps of democracy set in, and questions grew louder about paying for royal privileges with the honest tax payer’s contribution.
The British love their monarchy, even though they don’t agree with the misdeeds in its name. The feeling isn’t universally shared by those that feel they were exploited more than benefitted.
The unity of the United Kingdom is shaky. Scotland wants freedom, and demographics suggest the wobbly inclusion of Northern Ireland is headed for embracing a full Irish sentiment sooner than later. So much so that Britain’s double-back on Northern Ireland having a hard border with the European Union and distancing rather than reducing ties with Ireland has come up for condemnation by the EU, and even the ally of allies -- the United States.
The country without a written constitution, run by "common law" and confused by misplaced priorities, thanks to politicians no longer willing to listen to people, is in between a rock and a hard place.
Watching in the wings with amazement and chagrin are the strongest Euro economy, Germany and the man secretly harbouring his now weakened aspirations to be leader of Europe, Emmanuel Macron. The others of the now motley grouping of 27 states are pirouetting between lambasting Hungary for converting democracy into a form of fascism better exemplified in the third world; Poland for violating the agreed form of human rights on law and abortion exemplified in the third world; Italy for breaking sacrosanct rules on budget deficits and sweeping under the carpet Greek bankruptcy that all but writes off its sovereignty to Germany.
Economically speaking, England is the main headache. 40% of exports to the EU is not to be laughed at, nor one of the largest intakes of migrant labour. The £240 billion payments to EU coffers is as big an issue to be digested. The Russian adventure into Ukraine has exacerbated the problem as much, if not more, for the UK as Europe.
The champion of the "leave" campaign Boris Johnson has tripped over his claims of savings and is today relegated to the Tory back benches. In his place steps on Liz Truss who voted "remain" in Brexit, and must now steer the country out of the "leave" mess. Her initial steps, promised as they were to the electorate, has had analysts and economists fuming. Former Chancellor Rusi Sunek must be tearing his hair.
The new Chancellor and Truss haven’t explained where the £5bn in tax cuts will be funded from, though there had been a lame example of smaller increases spread over a few years. Ms Truss has also stayed away for super taxes on the windfall profits of energy companies, softening the prospect by saying more licenses are to be issued for North Sea drilling.
Ms Truss must be in the inner know by declaring that she will plump £2.5bn to support Ukraine. That’s the biggest indicator after NATP Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Russia was in for the long term .
There are darker clouds on the horizon. Predictions suggest Italy is on the verge of electing a hard-right government in. Sweden has a neo-Nazi leader as kingmaker in government change. Macron has all but lost his majority support in Parliament to the far right. Neither of such parties like being browbeaten by EU bureaucracy. The United States’ more than generous support to Ukraine has pilloried the country, with obvious agenda. Part of that is coming to the fore as Russia tries the non-military "democracy" in a referendum to embrace bordering areas of Ukraine into its fold.
There’s more to come judging by the unusual frankness of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN General Assembly. "Russia isn’t squeaky clean and we don’t hide it" was enough to send chills down the spine. Barring boots on the ground, all that Russia has said so far about NATO targeting heroes is now truly exposed.
Initial sympathy support has changed to lethal weapons supply that has dented the country militarily. Calling up 300,000 reserves by Vladimir Putin isn’t to be mocked at either.
As one drama unfolds in Europe, others are being enacted elsewhere. Direct US provocation in Taiwan has got China’s goat. Her economic growth may have slowed but that’s no welcome sign for the world. Russia has stepped in by diverting its import sourcing to Beijing.
To an extent, energy relief for India is added support to yet another perfidious process. Hard right Rashtriya Sevak Sangha off-shoots are re-writing India’s constitution to give legal cover to the current sapphronization taking place under the Citizen’s Registration and National Registry amendments.
Global concerns have effectively been thrown for a toss. The usually frugal Germans are throwing money at their energy crisis by nationalizing a Finnish owned company. They and France are reverting to nuclear energy. India, China, and Russia are ratcheting up coal production and use. The US has already released its hitherto zealously guarded shale oil reserves.
One wonders what purpose the following on COP 27 will achieve. All of this comes at a massive cost. The first point of impact is the scaling back on development aid, and a stab in the back for countries looking for bailouts and budget support. Either there won’t be enough money to go round, or interest on such loans are bound to go up.
The change was predictable. It’s just happening too fast for comfort. Exit G-7. Enter G-20.
Mahmudur Rahman is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, and communications specialist.
