What neither faction realized is that there is another path—regionalism. A region is a continent-sized land mass, containing several proximate nations. Regionalism occurs when nations within a region form closer economic ties for mutual benefit. The European Union is an early example of this. Regionalism rejects the zero-sum thinking that would have kept humankind as hunter-gatherers yet acknowledges that there is more economic synergy between two close nations than two far ones.
Regionalism is perhaps the most overlooked, yet most powerful trend in our world today. While some may see the recent trend toward nationalism in Europe as a harbinger of things to come, I would argue that greater forces, such as economics and technology, are driving the world toward regionalism.
Because of its central importance, the next series of articles will explore this concept in detail. We will examine events that have occurred during the 18 months since World Leadership was published. These will become a foundation for understanding other concepts in the book and how they are playing-out in our world today.