The United States as an Empire - Research Paper Example

 UNITED STATES AS AN EMPIRE Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Bibliography 10 Introduction An empire is defined as an extensive group of countries under the umbrella of a single supreme authority and mainly controlled by an emperor or an empress. An empire exercises control and influence over an expanded territory beyond its original boundaries while maintaining military posts or bases throughout the world. To maintain the control, an empire conducts wars of aggression on foreign lands and goes to an extent of offering protection to other countries as well. As a way of serving the less fortunate people from other countries, an empire accepts them into its realm as unskilled labourers. A discussion will be made on how the United States has exhibited the strengths and weaknesses of an empire. Strengths of the United States The United States is well endowed with powers that do not match any other nation. The absence of serious threats to the American security that gives the United States control over foreign policy choices. Lack of military threat gives the U.S opportunities for the global outreach. The military capabilities enable the U.S to support its outreach ends. The U.S military has never been challenged by any country. For instance, in the year 2012, the U.S military spending was bigger than any other spending of other influential military powers like China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, Italy, and Brazil all combined. This is why the U.S dominates military globally, keeping international deployment at the present level, and tackling international missions successfully (Buzan 2004, p.9). Even before the Americans were free, they already had intimations of greatness. The French and the Indian War demonstrated that the U.S forces were of significant size as per the eighteenth century standards, especially their armies on the North American continent. The Anglo-American victory determined their western boundaries and further gave them the confidence of rendering super powers over other governments. The American leaders of the 1760s asserted their authority, something that rendered intimidation over the other states and governments. Men like Washington and Franklin were determined to pursue honour, wealth, and power within their capacity as rulers. The U.S founders understood the need to create a government that both recognized natural political rights but was an effective means of securing them (Sraders 2014, para 3 ). The U.S military policies are very strong such that not even policymakers like Europe or Russia can stand on its way. In addition to military power, the U.S leads NATO and uses bilateral ties with non-NATO states as a tool to increase political and military impact in the world. However, even without NATO, the U.S has capabilities to act successfully and wage military operations on its own. The United States enjoys the highest influence in the NATO, making it an international superpower. The US has made good use of its military strength to control other states such as Syria, even though this has come with the risk of retaliation from the targeted states. The US military has also been deployed in the Middle East, and in particular Iraq and Afghanistan to keep the peace. The involvement of the US, however, comes with the risk of regional instability. For instance, the invasion of Syria can create rebellion risk effect in other states. Military power normally has two important aspects. The first aspect is problem-solving and moderating. The second aspect is the creation of the risk of potential opposition to counter fragile regional conflicts (Howe 2003, para. 11). The US also has more options of dominating in international organizations. This adds more political weight to the United States foreign policy as compared to other rising powers. Its control of organizations like the UN and NATO gives the United States leverage over major political and economic affairs (Panitch & Gindin 2009, p.40). Moreover, the US controls a large territory size, mass, and GDP per capita characterize the weight of the state or region as an economic power globally. The US takes the lead in terms of per capita. Only Japan has been able to replace the United States as a giant economic power in terms of per capita income since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even though there are many other countries that could face off United States in the kGDP per capita, from the EU or NATO, none could match the US in terms of economic muscle. In 2012, the United States had a GDP of 15.68 USD trillion. The EU was ahead with 16.63 USD trillion placing them both at approximately the same economic position (Panitch & Gindin 2009, p.40). Following the Iraq war, the image of the United States has faced a major blow. Comparatively, the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War became obsessed with the United States, especially in the field of ideas and culture. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there have been many changes making the world more condensed, mobile and dynamic. The countries that followed and adapted to changes in international level gained. The others that lagged behind suffered from image degradation. The United States, in particular, has continually improved its strategic influence thereby improving its smart power (Dimitrova & Strömbäck 2005, p. 399-417). The advancement in information technology and use of electronic media outlets levelled the ground between the U.S and small powers, NGOs, and even individuals. This has helped the U.S to avoid any opposition. This means every other government with the intentions of supporting the United States has to justify the actions of the United States to the society (Sraders 2014, para 6). NATO forms a strong military bond with the E-34. It is not, however, NATO that keeps the United States and Europe together but a compatibility of values and identity making the two partners the best fit for each other. The space of improvement in the form of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is another strong trade deal binding America and the European Commission together. When the TTIP finally comes to power, the EU and the United States will become unchallenged in terms of economy and will fully transform their trade environment. This will also be a great additional to NATO and an opportunity for the West to improve their performance and credibility. Countries like India continue to look upon the United States for advice, model, and leadership needed for its growth. They believe that the United States has the potential to provide all that inspiration. India has been growing though and looking for recognition that it believes will most likely come from the United States ((Sraders 2014, para 7-11). The United State now plays the role of a sole superpower, controlling the globe with its military forces, economy, political ideas, and culture. The United States possesses unequalled strength and influence in the world. The US has tried to preserve and extend the current international order, the Pax Americana. The Americans regard the exercise of power as the best guarantee of their liberal principles and their interests. The Americans use power and specifically military force to conquer their limits of liberty and to protect themselves from those who threaten their liberty. Jefferson was a colonialist who considered the US a republican empire. He contemplated on how to change the Constitution so that the United States could become both free and great. Alexander Hamilton on his part described the country as an empire in various respects, and America as the most interesting county in the world (Onuf 2000, p.1). America’s ratification of the Constitution confirmed that the people of America loved liberty and were seeking power. There was going to be a bill of rights and a powerful national executive governing an increasingly diverse society. One century later, Theodore Roosevelt saw in the Federalist founders an impulse toward a great America that was going to be vigorous, generous, and a continued spirit embracing both the society and the government as well. Roosevelt closely associated liberty with strength and weakness as an invitation to tyrants. Even though the founders were worried about America’s weakness, they were consoled by the vision of America’s greatness. America’s greatness was exhibited by an increased growth in the nineteenth century, which could not be stopped even by the Civil War then. By the 1880s, the United States had already begun to place itself as an emerging great power, equal to and potentially superior to the traditional European great powers of the Pacific and the Atlantic (Kagan 2002, para ). Weaknesses The United States contains a two-party political system that creates obstacles for many of decision- making procedures. The American system involves sharing of power, overlapping functions, requiring the broad coalitions to be made between the two parties for progress to be made. Resulting from internal political dialogue dilemma, the government of the US was unable to decide global economic and financial system stability. The complicated decision-making structure creates risks particularly when important decisions need to be made in order to solve short term problems. It is hard for a big states to adjust to urgent domestic or external challenges (Wallerstein 2003, para. 2). The United States’ invasion of Iraq and the failure to counter arguments about the fair war resulted in a decrease of the credibility of the US by other countries. The US has been blamed of taking actions without consulting other parties especially the E-34 partners and other regional Western derivatives. This has resulted in many anti-American movements across the globe especially within the E-34 partners. The democracy of the US has been questioned, as a result of ignoring other players. That is why it is now difficult to win wide coalitions and to act with a wide global support in the name of democracy alone. However, nobody has dared stand against the US. This has given it confidence for it to continue controlling stable coalitions. No government would like to lose the sympathy of the US as a result of destroyed image, and that is why most governments will always support the US out of the benefits they get in terms of support. The US has been drawn as the most powerful, most successful, the most learned and the most popular in the world. Moreover, the United States has succeeded in making use of information instruments such as propaganda, political action, and psychological warfare to maintain its superpower (Wallerstein 2003, para 3-6). The United States has been unable to establish lasting solutions with Russia. With the poor cooperation, the potential to improve their relations looks even dimmer. The Americans have been unable to prioritize their core interests and concerns with Russia. They find it hard to establish constructive fields of cooperation with the Russian Federation. The economic performance of the United States has recorded a decline. The decline has been attributed to the heavy investment in the military which has been described as an imperial overstretch, in an attempt to maintain commitments abroad. This has seen the United States decline economically compared to other market economy countries such as Japan and the Europe continent. This is a bad sign since economic power is the central element of a nation’s strength. An economic decline will, therefore, affect all the other dimensions of national power (Hiro 2010, p.274; Kagan 2002, p 3-28). The United States is less patient with diplomacy. The Americans see the world as divided between good and evil, and between friends and enemies. The Americans favour policies geared towards coercion rather than persuasion, thus emphasizing punitive sanctions over inducements to better behaviour. They want to see problems solved, and threats eliminated. In addition, the Americans seek finality in the international affairs, and that is why they embrace unilateralism in the international affairs. They do not rely much on international institutions such as the United Nations and are less inclined to work cooperatively with other nations in pursuit of common goals. They are more sceptical about the international law, and that is why they prefer not to operate outside its strictures (Kagan 2002, p 3-28). There was also the military weakness of the Continental Army and the failures of the Articles of Confederation which underestimated the anarchy. The anarchy was a great threat to the individual political rights as tyranny, which was demanded by the American rulers for the continued growth of America (Lundestad 2012, p.274). Conclusion The United States has maintained its status a successful empire, highly desired by many governments. Despite its weaknesses as an empire, it has continually grown to acquire and maintain the status of a super power. It has all the options of being a pacesetter. From the above discussion, the United States has crafted its weaknesses into strengths. The United States is and remains a dominant global military giant, with a lot of its finances going to the military. The financial investment transfer to the military capacities and investment efficient can always be improved. Comparing the US with its competitors in terms of military might, there is none coming closer to it. A study conducted in 2012 showed that not even the twelve next mightiest powers combined could be compared to the power of the military of the United States. The United States also possesses unique tools that influence the international system through international organizations. The US has successfully founded most of the influential international security and economic institutions. Thus has helped the United States to form necessary alliances, and coalitions resulting in necessary outputs to the most challenging security and economic issues. Economically, the United States has been challenged. Countries like China, India, and Brazil have grown tremendously as compared to the United States. This has seen America face stiff competition from the rising economic powers. Markets have become more dynamic resulting in increased competitiveness of the market participants. Failure by the United States to exercise power in a more responsible manner has been a major weakness. The Iraq case served as a major blow on the image and credibility of the United States. The United States is a member of E-34. The United States has power in the E-34 and the power is not limited to Europe alone but beyond its borders where common interests overlap for both allies. The United States will, however, remain a dominant military power globally. The weakness of financial investment in the military can always be improved. The broader coalitions of the United States with the major one being the E-34 will always allow the United States to make important reforms suit itself as a super power empire. The international impact of the United States has been felt all over the globe. It, therefore, suffices to conclude that the United States has successfully utilized its strengths and improved its weaknesses to maintain its position as an empire. Bibliography BUZAN, B. (2004). The United States and the great powers: world politics in the twenty-first century. Cambridge [u.a.], Polity. DIMITROVA, D. V., & STRÖMBÄCK, J. (2005). Mission accomplished? Framing of the Iraq War in the elite newspapers in Sweden and the United States. Gazette, 67(5), 399-417. HIRO, D. (2010). After Empire the Birth of a Multipolar World. New York, Perseus Books Group. http://www.contentreserve.com/TitleInfo.asp?ID={4E2B9253-B809-48FC-A7EF-2C72E61B6F21}&Format=50. HOWE, S. (2003, June 12). American Empire: History and future of an idea. Retrieved April 11, 2015. From https://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-americanpower/article_1279.jsp KAGAN, R. (2002). Power and weakness (pp. 3-28). Hoover Institution. LUNDESTAD, G. (2012). The rise and decline of the American "empire": power and its limits in comparative perspective. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ONUF, P. S. (2000). Jefferson's Empire: The Language of American Nationhood. University of Virginia Press. PANITCH, L., & GINDIN, S. (2009). Global capitalism and American empire. Socialist Register, 40(40). SRADERS, S. (2014). Strengths and Weakness in American Foreign Policy: Options for Reversal. Latvian Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://liia.lv/en/blogs/strengths-and-weaknesses-in-american-foreign-polic/ WALLERSTEIN, I. (2003, July 1). Hegemony. Retrieved April 11,2015, from http://nonthlyreview.org/2003/07/01/u-s-weakness-and-the-struggle-for-hegemony/ Read More