Mike's Minute: The West is losing to Russia and China

Liz Truss has a book out.  It's what you do when you have been Prime Minister, even though she was only Prime Minister for about three and a half minutes.  Slight digression - I am going to be fascinated to see how they promote Jacinda Ardern's book when it finally arrives.  My assessment of her legacy is that it is increasingly dark and as the cold, hard economic reality of what she left behind is heaped upon us, more and more New Zealanders have realised how badly she duped us.  In a Meghan Markle-esque kind of way she is not to be seen anywhere, just heard from occasionally through reports of speeches at conferences as she is adored by the luvvies offshore.  I find it hard to believe the publicists would place her in Whitcoulls for a signing.  Anyway, back to Liz. The sad thing for Liz is she makes a very, very good point when she suggests the West has about a decade to reassert itself and grab back everything it has lost of late.  Whether it’s a decade, who knows. But in a very short space of time China has become something we didn’t really see coming. They are not the world's friend, unless of course you do things their way.  They need to engage with us, but don’t like or trust us. They spy, they infiltrate, and they exert influence in increasing areas by way of money in pockets. Look at Africa or, increasingly, the Pacific.    They are helping Russia in the war.  Speaking of Russia, they're another problem. The International Monetary Fund this week tells us they will grow economically this year more than any other major economy on Earth. Pick any country you like in Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, Britain, the U.S, they will beat everyone.  How? Domestic consumption and oil. Who are they selling oil to? The Chinese and the Indians. While the West has talked tough and rolled out sanctions Russia has kept growing and China has kept growing. BRICS is another grouping that’s growing and is one to watch.  Liz Truss is seen as a failure of a Prime Minister but on this she is worth listening to. She is more productive out of the office than in it and, most importantly, she is right.  The West are losing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.