Certainly, history did not ‘end’ with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The illusion held by some political scientists and politicians at the end of the last century has proven dramatically incorrect. In fact, as early as the dawn of the 21st century, this was evidenced by the ‘unthinkable’ event of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, which served as a stark awakening for those who dreamed of an era of global stability marked by liberal economics. Over the past 30-plus years since the historic fall of the Wall — taking with it one of history’s most oppressive totalitarian systems — humanity has been subjected to an ever-increasing number of conflicts, evolving from local crises to regional ones, culminating in what Pope Francis has prophetically termed the ‘Third World War fought piecemeal.’ Thus, history is far from over. Over this quarter-century period, which the Pope describes as marking a ‘change of era’ rather than ‘an era of change,’ the economic, political, and military forces of the world’s major powers have been reshaped. Today, we live in a multipolar world, making the pursuit of agreements — particularly in times of crisis — more complex and less straightforward. Yet, this is the world we inhabit, and the principle of realism necessitates that all leaders — especially those with the most power — recognize that the great challenges of our time demand new paradigms and creativity that reject the mindset of ‘this is how it’s always been done.’
