India, Jan. 22 -- "The old world is dying, the new world struggles to be born and now is the time for monsters." This quote by Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci is frequently repeated in the political-policy world today. It is not off the mark. The year 2026 has brought more turmoil and disruption to the existing world order. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Canada's prime minister Mark Carney delivered some home truths: that this is a rupture of the old; that the rule-based global order is gone, and it is not coming back.

Let's get this clear: It is now an established strongman's world, in which each country must work out its own economic future, its alliances and its own road to prosperity. The subtext is even more crucial...