How did America become the ‘only superpower’?
WWII left America in a powerful position
Bipolar world – 2 superpowers – USA vs. USSR
Today – Lead or dominate?
The factors making America a superpower are being chief in the following fields:
- Economic – Strong economy. Sustainable one with many imports/exports. Oil in Alaska
- Military – Huge military force and arsenal
- Diplomatic – Very much involved in foreign affairs whether required or not
- Ideological – Ideas & resources to practise political & economic theories
- Technological – They have the advances in technology
- Cultural – They have a world-renowned culture
The US takes over countries key to its grasp on the world. Conflicts involving Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq. They can put a foot in the region and exploit the area. It represses countries without cultural commonalities: the major regional powers. The US has built military alliance with Japan in order to control the growth of China. A close bond with Britain prevents any uprising in Europe. USA with Ukraine prevents an expansion of Russian power. As Brazil becomes dominant in S. America, the US teams with Argentina. Also with Saudi Arabia to counter Iran in the Gulf.
Here is what America has done to achieve global hegemony and maintain it:
- Pressure other countries to adopt American values and practices regarding human rights and democracy
- Preventing other countries from acquiring military capabilities that could counter American conventional superiority
- Enforce American law extraterritorially in other societies
- Grade countries according to their adherence to American standards and human rights, drugs, terrorism, nuclear and missile proliferation and religious freedom
- Apply sanctions against countries that don’t meet US standards on these issues
- Promote American corporate interests under the slogans of free trade and open markets
- Shape World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies to serve those same corporate interests
- Intervene in local conflicts in which it has relatively little district interest
- Bludgeon other countries to adopt economic and social policies that will benefit US economic interests
- Promote American arms sales abroad while attempting to prevent comparable sales by other countries
- Force out one UN secretary-general and dictate the appointment of his successor
- Expand NATO initially to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic and no-one else
- Undertake military action against Iraq and later maintain harsh economic sanctions against the regime
- Categorise certain countries as ‘rouge states,’ excluding them from global institutions because they refuse to kowtow to American wishes.
