Geopolitical Chess

Immanuel Wallerstein has written an illuminating column arguing that since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the United States has misunderstood the new rules of geopolitical chess:

[The U.S.] proclaimed itself, and was proclaimed by many others, the lone superpower. In terms of chess rules, this was interpreted to mean that the United States was free to move about the chessboard as it saw fit, and in particular to transfer former Soviet pawns to its sphere of influence. Under Clinton, and even more spectacularly under George W. Bush, the United States proceeded to play the game this way.

Playing by the wrong rules has caused the U.S. to be outmaneuvered, most recently in the fracas between Russia and Georgia.

A fascinating article. Reading it made me smarter.