History rhymes. Over the past week, we’ve seen many analogies drawn between the Monroe Doctrine and President Donald Trump’s new imperialism — and rightly so, given that the administration itself is making them (just read the recent national security strategy).
But what’s happening in Venezuela today, and what may yet happen in Greenland, or in Ukraine or Taiwan (where Russia and China could well take counteraction as a response to what the White House is doing), isn’t only about the protection of America’s backyard, as in the Monroe Doctrine. It is about a messier and much more global conflict.
For this reason, the historical comparison I’ve been thinking about lately is the “great game” between Russia and Britain in the 19th century. That conflict roped in adversaries and allies alike, many of whom changed sides multiple times during a decades-long struggle for supremacy in Central Asia. This time around, it is the US and China that are locked in a new great game. There are three areas where we can see especially strong similarities between power struggles two centuries ago and those of today: mining, mapping and mercantilism.