The true definition of a Hegemon is a leading or paramount power. Examples in this current day and age include the USA,China and Russia. However in the eyes of many their is only one hegemon and that is the USA. The US has been referred to as the global hegemon or even hyperpower in some cases since the end of the Cold War in 1991. The US however began its rise to the hyperpower that it is today right from the word get go as a Nation state. When it became independent from the British rule in 1776. Due it then being such a large nation (California is around 3 times bigger than the UK alone), it was then able to internally expand rather than externally. This then led to it being able to overtake the UK in most industrial methods just 100 hundred years after it had formed in the 1880's. Also the USA continues to be a receiver not a sender of people this therefore meaning that their population continues to grow as it always has done when everyone originally arrived on the east coast over 300 years ago. Which means their work force continues to grow and they can then grow economically. Also they can have the potential to grow an already large arm forces. The USA has tended to be the first or leading Nation in the last 100 years or so. For example first man on moon (American) first atomic bomb (American) and the leading military and economic power (America). It has however not been all plain sailing for the U.S.A in it continual place at the top of the hegemony tree. Not only were overseas problems a major factor in the weaking of the US's hegemony dip between the 60's and 80's but was experiencing major problems at home for the first time. For example the Civil rights movement and the continual rise of the anti establishment youth culture. This was only added to by the shock resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974 after the Watergate scandal. As for the overseas events the list is rather long so I have picked two. The US's defeat in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in which 58 thousand US troops lost there lives. The other is the holding of 66 US personnel in the US embassy in Tehran, Iran for 444 days. However as we know the U.S.A has remained as a hegemon and this is mainly down to Ronald Reagan coming in as President during the 80's and he then adopted an even more anti-communist policy which ultimately lead to the demise of the USA's main rival in the Soviet Union.
How has the War on Terror affected the U.S hegemony?
Before the September 11 attacks on the twin towers the USA was seen as this "indispensable nation". However the attacks showed that it was in fact able to be touched and threatened in a way no one had ever managed to do before. There are many different reasons and explanations for these attacks however Samuel Huntington's theory of a 'clash of civilizations' gives the best explanation. This then meaning that due to globalisation and therefore cultural homogenization there will inevitably be a back lash from groups of people who do not want to be the same as the rest of the world. So in this case it was and still is West vs Islam. After the attacks on September the 11th this subsequently lead to George Bush Jnr announcing the U.S war on terror. This then lead to the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. However both these Wars lead to a reduction in U.S hegemony as it was again proved that the use of Guerrilla tactics and suicide bombs could be a match for any military force now matter how large and how good there equipment is. Not only did the War on terror affect the U.S hegemony in terms of hard power but it also affected it in terms of soft power. This is due to the fact that it showed that in some cases the U.S and the west (lead by the USA) were not willing to use diplomatic measures to solve a problem this then showing the world that maybe they hadn't changed and that global politics was still based around military power. Due to the US showing that in some cases it was unwilling to use its soft power it lost a lot of respect from the middle east and the Muslim community in particular. This loss of respect is only just be reducing reduced today if at all and it has been 14 years since the first invasion of Afghanistan. Overall I believe that the War on Terror did affect the US hegemony to quite a large extent. This is because due to it focusing most of its efforts on these events other nations such as China have been able to catch up both economically and militarily therefore closing the gap on the US. Also due the the embarrassment of not doing that well in both Iraq and Afghanistan and finding it very difficult to implement democracy in both nations. This then showed that the USA could be defeated and that it could not just implement democracy on who ever it wanted to.
No comments:
Post a Comment