Nadir

This is my most unapologetically political scenario so far, and so it has many ASB elements. It draws influence from C&C and is a subversion of the Eurabia myth, and it's intended as an exacerbation of the trends of the last years.

Twelve years have passed since what would be known as the Second Depression began. Twelve years since the democratic primaries gave victory to Hillary Clinton, who became the 44th President of the United States. Eleven years have passed since the Tea Party movement began.

Nine years have passed since the United States congress failed to reach an agreement on government spending, and the ongoing global crisis reached dramatic dimensions. Nine years since U.S. troops left Iraq and Afghanistan. Nine years since the protests in Egypt reached first Tunisia and Syria, then Libya, Sudan and Yemen, and then Morocco, Algeria, Bahrain and Iran. Nine years since the protests in Greece spread to Spain, to Portugal, To France and Germany, to the United States and England. Nine years since the Global Spring.

Eight years have passed since Al-Qaeda tried to consolidate its position in Iraq and the Sahel, and from Yemen spread to Saudi Arabia, taking an advantage of the global chaos and trying to recover from recent failures. Eight years since the breakup of Iraq. Eight years since the civil wars in Iran, Sudan, Syria and Libya ended with a Rebel Victory. Eight years since Catalonia and the Veneto unilaterally declared independence from Spain and Italy, turning the protests into an outright revolution. Eight years since the collapse of Belgium. Eight years since Rick Santorum became the 45th President of the United States.

Seven years have passed since the corrective revolutions in Egypt and Syria left Islamism out of the new political processes. Seven years sice the Authoritarian turn of the United States, and since both Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban assumed effective dictatorial powers in their respective countries. Seven years since the new constitional process in Chile, and the death of Hugo Chávez. Seven years since the Sixth French Republic, and since the refusal of the post-revolutionary European nations to pay their debts prompted the dissolution of the old European Union.

Six years have passed since the new, Citizenist European nations (originally a derogatory term from the far left, those countries recognize rebellion and activism as a normal part of the political process, have forms of direct democracy and mechanisms to avoid the political sphere to be financed by economic interests) proposed a refunding of the European Union on different terms, and since an Alliance of Civilizations between the new, representative democratic Arab states and the Direct democratic European nations was born against a United States with a strong anti-European discourse, and that would often refer to the AoC as Eurabia.

Five years have passed since Russia, China and the United States warmed their mutual relations and signed the Coalition For Peace against the new world menaces. Five years since the ALBA nations launched the Fifth International, prompted by the European events, and Cuba and an authoritarian Venezuela left the union due to doctrinal differences. Five years since the Zetas became the dominant crime Syndicate in northern Mexico. Five years since The East African Federation was born.

Four years have passed since Osama Bin Laden, facing an advantageous but very unstable position in long term, changed his strategy and envisioned a third global path, uniting the Salafist struggle to those of the rebel groups, narcos and Rogue States that could become a well financed logistical net without a definite center, against the hegemonic powers and the new Reformist aberrations of the Old World. He did so arguing that there was nothing wrong in using kafir like cattle to ultimately help Islam prevail, as long as they shared an anti-Western ideal and were not Shia nor Jews. Four years have passed since the New Dawn Front was born.

Two years have passed sice the borders of the war-torn Africa started to stabilize. Two years since a new European Confederation, the United Nations of Europe, was born.

One year has passed since Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek released his theory of the three worlds. According to him, the new three blocs represent opposite philosophical stances about the nature of Truth. The Authoritarian CFP represents Pragmatism. Truth is what works, what creates effective results, and it is proven by faits accomplis. In other words, for the CFP, might makes right. The NDF, as strange as it may sound, represents Postmodernism. It's the idea that every culture and given society can create its own independent reality where conventions dictate what is right and what is wrong. Finally, the AoC represents the Modernist ideal. Thruth doesn't depend on our perceptions, and realities exist outside the Human space. There is right and there is wrong, independently of our customs and cultural conventions, and political structures must try to reflex an universal ideal of justice. Thus, the 21st century could be read in terms of a philosophical war.

Some years have a particular cultural significance. 1848 was the Spring of Nations, 1967 was the Summer of Love, 2011 was the Global Spring. This year will be remembered as the Year of the Nadir, at the gates of the darkest moment before breaking dawn.