Geopolitics: It is all business now

What happened? I thought the Philippines consider China a bully and adversary to the point that she has tried to haul her to the UN's court. We were even afraid they might fire on each other at sea.

Strategists who had tried to use the tools they are familiar with to understand the present geopolitics could not make any progress. I think everything is clearer if we appreciate how priorities have changed. Time will make it increasingly clear that the business of geopolitics is neither geography nor politics but business. It is all about getting rich now. Nobody except the North Koreans and Islamic terrorists want to go to war if there is a buck to be made. In fact I think the North Koreans have decided they want to be rich as well but they have to go about it more carefully.

The big loser in this game could be Russia which has chosen to act against its own economic interests but that is another story.

Update: 4:50pm

Francis Fukuyama is a creative thinker. Earlier I had read Khong Yuen Fong from the LKYSPP in the ST today. What a contrast. Khong was basically spouting LKY ideas but Fukuyama is a far more interesting read. I think Fukuyama will if not already also think the business of geopolitics is mostly business now. This is easy because China has the power of initiative and has chosen the business path into the world and also tomorrow. After all the wise always leverage their strengths and that would be business for the Chinese. Afterward they can grow strong in other aspects of power. By then geopolitics will revert to its familiar historical norms.