Since 1945, the world has moved, haltingly but relentlessly, toward internationalism. And with the end of the Cold War and the apparent dominance of the West and its democratic and free-market systems, that march toward internationalism has proceeded apace, seemingly unstoppable. Or is it? With the Asian financial contagion spreading worldwide, the Russian democratic experiment coming undone, and cultural-ethnic violence flaring up around the world, one wonders.

Ambassador M DEGREESD/oller examines some of the major trends in the world system as we approach the new millennium:...