Decline Of The American Empire
In any era there are different protagonists, playing the same game on a similar board. Like a game of Risk, there are nations competing to become the foremost leaders of their time. They amass great wealth, powerful armies, and political sway. When the influence and might of these countries transcends the confines of their boundaries, so that they become a presence throughout the world, they become empires. At times, it seems as though one of these empires wins the game, becoming the undisputed superpower in the world. Today, there is one such nation that has outlived all of its rivals in the great game, it is the United States of America.
This vast empire of political power, economic ...
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extent preoccupies the world.
America has become eponymous with the 20th century, we live in the American Century1 in a state of "American Peace". By the might of its armies and wealth of its economy America has created an imperial peace, ensuring that threats to world peace are put in check. The "American Peace" has also been a justification to impose American will on almost every part of the world, from Vietnam to Haiti. In order to exert such power, the United States has created a massive military apparatus, and has undertaken numerous foreign obligations. But as the American Empire grew more powerful, it also became more complicated, and eventually over-extended in its obligations; and hence, more difficult to sustain. It suffers from the ailments that inflict empires when they age: a loss of direction, fiscal excess, cultural degradation and a bloated military.
When a dominant empire declines, another empire emerges to replace it. It is a cycle that has held true ...
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chance, and thanks to the opportunity created by the implosion of Europe, only the United States emerged stronger after the war. It had not endured fighting on its soil and its industries and infrastructure were undamaged. America, rejuvenated and inspired by its heroic feats, took up the duty of nursing Europe back to health. While Europe was convalescing, the United States was substituting for Europe throughout the post-war world. Thus, the Eurocentric world gave way to the American hegemony.
The United States inherited the bi-polar world that emerged after the Second World War. Countries aligned themselves either to United States or to the Soviet Union in a tense Cold War. ...
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Decline Of The American Empire. (2007, January 31). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Decline-Of-The-American-Empire/59583
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"Decline Of The American Empire." Essayworld.com. January 31, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Decline-Of-The-American-Empire/59583.
"Decline Of The American Empire." Essayworld.com. January 31, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Decline-Of-The-American-Empire/59583.
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