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Diplomacy
OpinionComment
Andrew Sheng
Andrew Sheng

Opinion | Why the Global South are falling out of love with the West and the liberal order

  • Shifting balances of power, the West’s intransigence over Ukraine and the poor outcomes of its foreign interventions have left the Rest wary
  • The South will not take sides with the East or West without making sure their interests are looked after. The romance with the West is well and truly over

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Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar welcomes his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang to the G20 meeting in New Delhi on March 2. China refused to sign a joint communique condemning Russia’s war. Photo: Handout/EPA-EFE
Andrew Sheng

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a 1962 Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical based on a Roman farce by Plautus (254–184 BC), that became a 1966 musical film. It’s about Roman slave Pseudolus who tried to win his freedom by persuading his owner Hero to win the heart of Philia next door, who is promised to soldier Miles Gloriosus.

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The show became a success when Sondheim changed the opening song, Love is in the Air, to Comedy Tonight, showing how romance is better sold as comedy.

The musical enjoyed various reruns, including a Cantonese version in Hong Kong in 2009.

I was reminded of this raunchy farce when watching a video of the latest Group of 20 foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone by reiterating the G20 theme: “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. He said: “No group can claim global leadership without listening to those most affected by its decisions.”
Nato’s G20 members were clearly not listening, because there was no agreement on a joint communique that demanded a condemnation of the Russian invasion. Western G20 members were so indignant and took such a righteous stance that they broke the first rule of being a gracious guest.
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Gracious guests do not go to parties openly condemning other guests. The Rest are coming to realise that after the West disposes of its identified existential threats, they will be probably be next.

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