The long shadow of 9/11 and the retreat of an independent New Zealand foreign policy
This analysis examines how the post-9/11 era has reshaped global geopolitics and impacted New Zealand's foreign policy. It argues that the erosion of the rules-based international order and the rise of power politics have challenged the influence of traditional superpowers.
Why it matters
Understanding the shift in global power dynamics is essential for assessing the future of international relations and the autonomy of smaller nations.
Twenty-five years ago today, the world's strongest military state found itself powerless to prevent attacks on its homeland by al Qaeda, a small transnational terrorist group.
Now, a quarter of the way into the 21st century, it's possible to identify the major trends that have shaped the world and New Zealand's place in it since that terrible day.
The response by the United States to the atrocities led eventually to a quagmire in Afghanistan, an illegal invasion of Iraq, and an ill-defined "war on terror" that arguably set in motion the forces shaping today's fraught geopolitical landscape.
The post-9/11 era has been marked by the clear erosion of an international rules-based order previously led by the US and enshrined in institutions like the United Nations.
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