Sri Lanka provides an important lesson for Washington policymakers. The very symbolic switching of Great Power friends by a small country following changes of government is something not seen in the region since the Cold War. Back then elections and revolutions in small states often equated to gains and losses by superpowers playing the Great Game.
The "geopolitical vacation" of the post-Cold War era is over. The game is opening up. Traditional spheres of influence of regional powers like India are no longer sacrosanct. In future, small states, particularly those around Indian Ocean and the Middle East with strategic relevance, will have more options to switch between multiple poles. Great Powers will have less leverage. This is furthered by the decreased control Western states have over their private corporations, reducing the levers of influence over other states -- a challenge China does not face.
Read Full Article »