America Is not Over - Thesis Example

29 June 2009 Outline Introduction New economic and political relations Thesis Discussion section Unique national and international policies Events of September 11, 2001 and national idea Economic forms of interdependence Counter Argument Economic decline Refutation Conclusion "America Is not Over" The beginning of the 21st century brought new challenges and threats to the American superpower. Terrorist attacks and economic decline force many people to rethink position of America in the world and its global power. Globalization and integration are the main tendencies in the modern world. The concept of new economic and political relations is one of the most complex ones including all spheres of human activities and performance. New economic and political relations deal with economic and social changes in society, determines political and cultural life of the nations and geographical regions. In spite of the apparent benefits of the globalized world, some critics reject opportunities and strengths of globalization. Thesis The viewpoint that "America Is Over' is invented by American enemies and direct global competitors interested in fast decline and breakdown of the super nation; America is not over as it has excellent human capital, strong political and economic system able to resist global economic crisis and inside threats. America is not over as it is follows unique national and international policies which help it to remain profitable and support its citizens, both economically and politically. Positive effects of current economic situation include free trade and integrated economic relations, low barriers to trade and cultural communication, political unity and easy travel, technology transfer and labor turnover. Governments take measures to make their economies more or less attractive to global investors. In addition, nation-states have retained control over education, infrastructure, and, most importantly, population movements. Indeed, immigration control, together with population registration and monitoring, has often been cited as the most notable exception to the general trend towards global integration. Although only 2% of the world's population live outside their country of origin, immigration control has become a central issue in most advanced nations. "It can respect its friends and probe its enemies before it tries to shock and awe them. It can rediscover the commonwealth beyond the frenzied individualism that took down Wall Street" (Cohen 2009). Some critics suppose that the events of September 11, 2001 ruined the national identity and self-identification. The series of drastic national security measures that were implemented worldwide as a response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 reflect political dynamics that run counter to the hyperglobalizers' predictions of a borderless world. Some civil rights advocates even fear that the enormous resurgence of patriotism around the world might enable states to re-impose restrictions on the freedom of movement and assembly. At the same time, the activities of global terrorist networks have revealed the inadequacy of conventional national security structures based on the modern nation-state system, thus forcing national governments to engage in new forms of international cooperation. "Confronted with an act of war on American soil, our old assumptions about conflict between nation-states fell away. Civilization itself, and the international system, had come under attack by a ruthless and radical Islamist enemy" ("The Meaning of 9/11" 2007). In America, economic forms of interdependence are set into motion by political decisions, but these decisions are nonetheless made in particular economic contexts. The economic and political aspects of globalization are profoundly interconnected. There is no question that recent economic developments such as trade liberalization and deregulation have significantly constrained the set of political options open to states, particularly in the global South. In spite of benefits and opportunities proposed by integrated world, there are some weaknesses and threats of globalization. Globalization leads to exploitation of labor in third world countries, it ruins national identity and promotes international (American) values and traditions. Globalization prevents weak nations from development opportunities and allows developed nations to exploit their natural resources. In order to refute these arguments, it is possible to say that America faces decline because of low economic indexes and high unemployment's rates. "In 2004, Pat Buchanan said: "the decline and fall of the greatest industrial republic the world had ever seen." In 2007, Pierre Hassner of the Paris-based National Foundation for Political Science declared, "It will not be the New American Century" (Dowd 2008). These arguments are based on pessimistic views and forecasts aimed to diminish the role and power of the American nation. Globalization brings both opportunities and threats to modern countries caused by their economic and political stage of development. Te emerging structure of global governance is also shaped by 'global civil society', a realm populated by thousands of voluntary, non-governmental associations of worldwide access. A number of less optimistic commentators have challenged the idea that optical globalization is moving in the direction of cosmopolitian democracy. Most criticism boil down to the charge that such a vision indulges in an abstract idealism that fails to engage current political developments on the level of public policy. Skeptics have also expressed the suspicion that the proponents of cosmopolitanism do not consider in sufficient detail the cultural feasibility of global democracy. In other words, the worldwide intensification of cultural, political, and economic interaction makes the possibility of resistance and opposition just as real as the benign vision of mutual accommodation and tolerance of differences. Developed nations assure the public that the elimination or reduction of trade barriers among nations will enhance trade and economic integration, increase wealth of developing nations and secure peaceful international relations. In sum, "America is not Over" as considered by some pessimistic critics. There is no danger that the United States will break up, whereas it is entirely possible that the United Kingdom, Spain, or Canada will disintegrate. Even if the flag symbolizes military strengths of the nation, it is a n important element of social policies and political struggle. Foreign trade improved economic conditions of the United States and increased the state budget. The paramount need facing the infant nation was the strength to deal effectively with Europe's great imperial powers. In this situation, the fulfillment of this humane goal might call for an aggressive nationalism on the part of the new republic, however, if the fruits of the Revolution were to be enjoyed fully. A change in governments does not terminate the obligations assumed by its predecessors. For this reason, the executive of this government has no authority to suspend or hinder the operation of a treaty, when such a change has occurred. This conclusion is reinforced further by observing that private rights guaranteed by a treaty are subject to judicial cognizance no less than to executive agency here could be the contradictory spectacle of one branch of the American government holding a treaty to be in force and another one ruling to the contrary. September 11, 2001 transformed all spheres of life: political, social and economic and marked a formation of the new nation and the state. Every nation has a right to abolish an old government and to substitute a new one for it. The American ideology provides the lawful tenure which allows America hold its cultural and social existence. This ideal presupposes that a constitutional sharing of roles requires adherence to the rule of law in the conduct of foreign no less than domestic affairs. It does not serve as well, as the normal operational rule requiring the nation to speak to others with one authoritative voice after all of our diverse domestic interests have been consulted and reconciled in support of a national position. Works Cited Cohen, R. Perfecting the Union. The New York Times. November 05, 2008. Dowd, A.W. The Decline and Fall of Declinism. The American. August 28, 2007. The Meaning of 9/11. The New York Post. October 8, 2007 Draft The beginning of the 21st century brought new challenges and threats to the American superpower. Terrorist attacks and economic decline force many people to rethink position of America in the world and its global power. Globalization and integration are the main tendencies in the modern world. Thesis The viewpoint that "America Is Over' is invented by American enemies and direct global competitors interested in fast decline and breakdown of the super nation; America is not over as it has excellent human capital, strong political and economic system able to resist global economic crisis and inside threats. America is not over as it is follows unique national and international policies which help it to remain profitable and support its citizens, both economically and politically. Positive effects of current economic situation include free trade and integrated economic relations, low barriers to trade and cultural communication, political unity and easy travel, technology transfer and labor turnover. Although only 2% of the world's population live outside their country of origin, immigration control has become a central issue in most advanced nations. "It can respect its friends and probe its enemies before it tries to shock and awe them. It can rediscover the commonwealth beyond the frenzied individualism that took down Wall Street" (Cohen 2009). Some critics suppose that the events of September 11, 2001 ruined the national identity and self-identification. The series of drastic national security measures that were implemented worldwide as a response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 reflect political dynamics that run counter to the hyperglobalizers' predictions of a borderless world. Some civil rights advocates even fear that the enormous resurgence of patriotism around the world might enable states to re-impose restrictions on the freedom of movement and assembly. At the same time, the activities of global terrorist networks have revealed the inadequacy of conventional national security structures based on the modern nation-state system, thus forcing national governments to engage in new forms of international cooperation. In America, economic forms of interdependence are set into motion by political decisions, but these decisions are nonetheless made in particular economic contexts. The economic and political aspects of globalization are profoundly interconnected. There is no question that recent economic developments such as trade liberalization and deregulation have significantly constrained the set of political options open to states, particularly in the global South. In spite of benefits and opportunities proposed by integrated world, there are some weaknesses and threats of globalization. Globalization leads to exploitation of labor in third world countries, it ruins national identity and promotes international (American) values and traditions. "America's muscular economic output comes courtesy of the American worker, who is growing ever more productive. Matthew Slaughter of the National Bureau of Economic Research details in The Wall Street Journal how, beginning in 1995, U.S. worker productivity began to accelerate. "From 1996 through 2006 it doubled, to an average annual rate of 2.7 percent" (Dowd 2007). In order to oppose these arguments, it is possible to say that America faces decline because of low economic indexes and high unemployment's rates. "In 2004, Pat Buchanan said: "the decline and fall of the greatest industrial republic the world had ever seen." In 2007, Pierre Hassner of the Paris-based National Foundation for Political Science declared, "It will not be the New American Century" (Dowd 2008). These arguments are based on pessimistic views and forecasts aimed to diminish the role and power of the American nation. Globalization brings both opportunities and threats to modern countries caused by their economic and political stage of development. The emerging structure of global governance is also shaped by 'global civil society', a realm populated by thousands of voluntary, non-governmental associations of worldwide access. A change in governments does not terminate the obligations assumed by its predecessors. For this reason, the executive of this government has no authority to suspend or hinder the operation of a treaty, when such a change has occurred. This conclusion is reinforced further by observing that private rights guaranteed by a treaty are subject to judicial cognizance no less than to executive agency here could be the contradictory spectacle of one branch of the American government holding a treaty to be in force and another one ruling to the contrary. September 11, 2001 transformed all spheres of life: political, social and economic and marked a formation of the new nation and the state. Every nation has a right to abolish an old government and to substitute a new one for it. The American ideology provides the lawful tenure which allows America hold its cultural and social existence. This ideal presupposes that a constitutional sharing of roles requires adherence to the rule of law in the conduct of foreign no less than domestic affairs. It does not serve as well, as the normal operational rule requiring the nation to speak to others with one authoritative voice after all of our diverse domestic interests have been consulted and reconciled in support of a national position. "Obama will reinvest words with meaning. That is the basis of everything. And an American leader able to improvise a grammatical, even a moving, English sentence is no bad thing. Americans, in the inevitable recession ahead, will have a leader who can summon their better natures rather than speak, as Bush has, to their spite" (). In sum, "America is not Over" as considered by some pessimistic critics. There is no danger that the United States will break up, whereas it is entirely possible that the United Kingdom, Spain, or Canada will disintegrate. Even if the flag symbolizes military strengths of the nation, it is a n important element of social policies and political struggle. Foreign trade improved economic conditions of the United States and increased the state budget. The paramount need facing the infant nation was the strength to deal effectively with Europe's great imperial powers. In this situation, the fulfillment of this humane goal might call for an aggressive nationalism on the part of the new republic, however, if the fruits of the Revolution were to be enjoyed fully. Read More