This world no balance!

Global imbalance depicted by a drawing of a tilted seesaw with the globe as the centre

Photo: WSJ

The United Kingdom is set to increase its nuclear weapons stockpile by raising the number of warheads from 180 to 260 by the middle of the decade. The move is part of strategic reforms meant to better position Britain in a rapidly evolving international political landscape that is seeing the tectonic plates of global power realigning and shifting towards the East.

The hypocrisy of the Western nations in this regard is astonishing considering the severity with which they pursue programs aimed at stifling and dismantling the nuclear programs of nations seeking to develop one. How is the West morally justified to impose heavy sanctions on countries like Iran and North Korea for daring to develop nuclear warfare capabilities, when they are in fact adding to their dangerously over bloated arsenal? Such irresponsible behaviour is immoral on so many levels.

This double standard characterises the relationship much of the developed world has had with everyone else. The world is lopsided with different sets of rules for the different players, little wonder why China for instance is making its own rules. It is instructive for Africa as an economic block to get its act together, looking inwards and less to the West. Africa’s relationship with the West has for centuries been characterised by exploitation and imbalance, despite the optics this is not likely to change.

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