"Whether it was the Roman Empire, the Caliphates, the British Empire or, most recently, what has been called the American Century, history records long cycles when a dominant economic centre defined much about the world.
In such times, a hub-and-spoke pattern of trade develops, and from the hub a dominant business culture, even a dominant language, sets the norms to which others default.
But when looking back, we tend to pay less attention to what happens during the intervals between periods of hegemony, which is unfortunate on two counts. First, these interregnums can last a long time and, for those living in them, they are not an interregnum but simply the way the world is. Second, we are entering such a time."
'via Blog this'
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