THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: A DECLINING SUPERPOWER?
In the twentieth century, the USA, a fifty states' coalition, differ from other countries as a superpower and then as a hyperpower after the Cold War. But 2001, under Bush authority, has disrupt the states' balance. Indeed, the events of the 11th September of 2001 have announced the beginning of the conflict with terrorism therefore the one of the Afghanistan war. They have also challenged the American hyperpower. To what extent can we say the American Empire has been weakened and challenged since 2001 ? It's true the USA are still a superpower with a cultural, military and economic influence in the whole world. However, they are also a declining superpower, into conflicts with other countries and competed.
I- THE USA- Still a superpower
A- Americanization
The USA are also known as the promised land, the second chance land, the freedom state where anyone is free to think or have the religion he wants and can succeed to become wealthy. Prosperity is shown through enrichment. The statue of the Liberty, declared national monument in 1924, celebrates freedom and is the best symbol of the American dream. This last is one of the main driver of migrant couratoires in the USA. Indeed, in 2000 more than a million of immigrants have settled down, mainly from South America and Asia. Otherwise, the American dream is diffused all over the world by entertainment industries such as cinema, music, TV shows and protestants churches. These ones are gathered in Hollywood, the seat of most of the american cinema companies. They produce movies or songs which have a huge impact on the world. For exemple, Avatar has become the biggest success in cinema history and has been seen from Europe to North Korea. Walt Disney company is multibillionaire and owns six movie studios, eleven TV networks, eleven parks, ... Bruce Springsteen embodies the American mythology with songs like Born in the USA, American land,... Besides, american values can be transmitted by politicians who personify the state and its ideas. Incidentally , Barack Obama, the first black president, has become an exemple of tolerance and is really popular. The influence the USA have all over the world is called Soft power, which is a state capacity to influence other countries by diffusing its culture et values.
The America, way of life is based on a consumerism culture that we can find in advertisings and TV shows for example. Indeed, they give an idea of how the life is in America, and it souns perfect. They also entice people ton consume by that way, and make them think that it's going to make them happier, as the life in TV. This way of life has expended in the whole world, especially in Europe after the World war II during the thirty years of Post-War economic growth. Indeed, the Americans who have helped for the Liberation in disembarkment have benefited of a huge consideration from French. That helped them to spread some products such as chewing-gum, Coca-Cola, Lucky Strike's cigarettes, Jeep cars, Levi's jeans, Lippo lighters, Colgate toothpastes,... who were unknown in Europe. They were even allowed to show some American movies. All these things had much success and conquered the world really fast. This is how the americanization started. Nowadays, almost the entire world live in the American way, at least everybody knows trademarks as MacDonald's and americanization has been developed even more with the appearance of the Internet.
B) Influence all over the world
1.) Military power
After the Cold war, the USA are declared winners and it marks their desire to control world's business, mostly by having military bases everywhere. Also, they have inherited a network of alliances in the whole world with organizations such as the OTAN or the ONU in which their point of view is one of the most important and often crucial. Indeed, the USA want to defend their own interests and don't hesitate to act in another country when they feel threatened thanks to their powerful and large army. Since 2001, there were a lot of military interventions in the world, mainly against terrorism. That's why they are considered as an interventionist State, even if it has changed a little since Barack Obama has been elected. The military power of the USA could be related to the notion of Hard power. Indeed, it is the ability of having influence on behaviours of other countries by using coercion, force.
In 2001: The War against terrorism is declared following September 11 attacks and there is an intervention in Afghanistan.
In 2002: USA operate in Philippines in the context of the war against terrorism, helping the government against guerrilla warfare.
In 2003-2011: The United States invade Iraq with the support of the United Kingdom and other nations.
In 2004: There are American Air attacks in Pakistan in order to help the Pakistani government in the armed conflict of the Northwest of Pakistan.
In 2004: In Haïti, USA chase the president away with financial help from France.
In 2006: There are air strikes in Somalia againt the terrorism.
In 2014: The USA try to fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Also, they have developped high-technology such as drones and they were the first one to have the nuclear weapon.
Moreover, in 2006, the USA represented 46% of the worldwide military expense, mostly because of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. An economic power
The USA, with only 4,5% of the world population, have the highest GPD. They have a huge economic power, thanks to four facilities :
- Science is really developped with organizations such as NASA or Office of Science Technology. They both try to encourage and help scientific discoveries.
- Innovation is promoted in firms.
- financials markets are very developed and finance and control firms.
-the labour market employ workforce, especially immigrants, because this is less expensive.
Their exchanges with countries in the whole world represent a few billion dollars.
Therefore, as the third touristic country, they have managed to receive millions of them each year.
In all History, no country exceeded the USA, economically speaking.
II- The USA: A weakened and challenged superpower
A- a weakened superpower
On September 11th 2001, four suicide terrorists attacks were commited on the American soil. Four planes were diverted above the United States to be thrown on symbolic buildings by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda. This attack happened at few hours apart and made 2 973 victims.
Two planes were thrown into the World Trade Center in Manhattan and then a third plane has crashed into the Pentagon. All these buildings symbolized the power of America. The last plane was supposed to target Washington D.C. but crashed in an open field because the crew had tried to regain control of the device.
These attacks were a very traumatizing event for USA but also for all the world. Indeed, the leading world power was touched in its country for the first time. Moreover, the events were mediatizated in live everywhere and during several weeks. The danger emanating from the terrorism was real for the first time. It created a paranoia and every country felt there was a risk.
Nowadays, these events really stay present in every mind and each year, there are huge commemorations where the planes have crashed in order to pay tribute to the victims. This place is now known as Ground zero, although new yorkers still call it World Trade Center site and there's a memorial inside.
2. Antiamericanism
Although the attacks of 11 September, 2001 had provoked a wave of sympathy toward Americans, it also marked the beginning of the war against terrorism lead by Bush's government which created flounce. Indeed, after the attacks, the American Government decided to track the author of this crime; Oussama Ben Laden. They suspected him to hide in Afhganistan and tried to trace him, but the Mullah refused to report the place where he was. Therefore, the US forces invaded Afghanistan in order to destroy Al-Qaeda and its leader on October 7, 2001. Besides, Iraq war can also be considered as a result of the attacks of Twin Towers. Americans thought Iraq government had links with Al Quaeda. In these two wars, hideous crimes were committed and had caused protests in the whole world which had gathered a lot of European, Canadian and Arab people. As a matter of fact, Bush strategy face to the terrorism was deeply criticized and has enhanced the antiamericanism feeling all over the world and particularly in the Arab world, where there was already resentment and hatred. Current events with the Islamic State show antiamericanism exists more than ever in the Arab world. Moreover, this anger toward Americans has multiplied attacks just as in Boston during the marathon in 2013. Otherwise, the USA are not just criticized because of their interventionism, but also because of their cultural influence on the world such as their cinema and the predominance of the English language or even because of their economy, blamed by anticapitalists and communists.
Five years ago, the US housing market has collapsed suddenly because of the household debts and has forced banks to sell all their shares, provoking a crisis in the banking system in America first and then an economic crisis in the entire world. The consequences of the Subprime crisis have truly weakened the USA by making a lot of households poorer but it has also led to credit contraction, repatriation of funds of OCDE's countries. It has resulted in slowed production and rising unemployment too. Therefore, this crisis has weakened banking and economic systems in the USA.
B- a challenged superpower
1- An economic and financial power who's challenged
The American's GDP represents as much as all of the GDP of the others countries in the G8 ( France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and UK ). But it was not always the case, because of the Afghanistan war for example. Indeed, the cost was huge and the country began to get into debt. In 2006, these debts represented 70% of the GPD. The only choice for the hyperpower was to ask some help to other countries. The principal help came from China. Thus, to stay the economic leader it was, America can't be dependant anymore and needs financial helps. And that brings Asia to be the key of the American prosperity. But this situation can be a little bit ironical because Asian countries such as China are powers who are willing to challenge America.
Also, the dollar, which has been the first currency for long in the world, is challenging by others currencies such as the Euro. He depreciated of its value which helped some emerging countries to impose themselves economically speaking. For example, China became an important financial market with Shanghai, who illustrates very well this development.
2- A politic power who's challenged
Russia fighted slowly against the American's invasion, the closure of twenty Macdonald's fast foods in the summer 2014 for "healthy problems", proves this competition between these superpowers. Indeed, it's a clear refusal of americanization. The civil Ukraine war is another proof about geopolitical problem between USA and Russia, and makes us consider the possibility of a US/Russia war(theirs armies are frequently compared). Also, the European Union has a transatlantic agreement with the USA through the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) to reduce rights customs and try to decrease the China's economic evolution. China has transformed itself to become a gigantic market for raw materials, consumer products and technologies. There is a cyberwarfare between the USA and China, which have trained a cyberarmy against the America. China is frequently accused for informatic attacks toward the US Secretary of Defense. This kind of war consists to attempt to damage another nation's computers or information networks and to conduct sabotage and spying. China banned americans website like YouTube, Facebook or Twitter and has created a social network competition with QQ or RenRen (chinese social networks).
The Chinese external business overtakes the USA's one in 2013 and China became the world largest economy from the FMI.
The events of September 11, 2001 have been a trigger in the American “falls”. Indeed, even if they are still a hyperpower with a huge cultural influence with the export of the American Dream and the American way of life, an important military and economic power, the USA hyperpower is declining without any doubt. They are challenged by the economic growth of the emerging countries like China for exemple who's becoming the leading world power. Also, they have been weakened by events such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and by Twin towers attacks of course. Their interventionism has led the feeling of antiamericanism to develop all over the world, especially in the Arab world. Indeed, terrorism movement have grown since 2001 provoking the war against terrorism. Consequently the American hyperpower is really controversial.