American global supremacy - Essay Example

Walters, whom I interviewed for this project. I chose to interview him, my uncle who is going to be 75 in December, because he is a very knowledgeable and shrewd man. He was with the army as a doctor for his entire career until retirement. During his many appointments, he was posted in various countries all over the world and thus was an ideal candidate to elucidate on this topic. I took notes as we had a casual conversation. When I asked him whether he thought America was a ‘superpower’ right now, he explained to me what a superpower is.

He said: The superpower is the nation that has a say in the world events and decisions the most. There cannot be a superpower without there being nations who give it that status, just like there cannot be a leader without having followers who want him to lead… Before the 20th century, Great Britain provided tutelage to the world, as it had colonies and followers all over… Look up history, you know, books and biographies and you will see the superpowers the world has seen, rule and then disintegrate.

Soviet Union happened just a couple decades ago. However, the world has never been as global as it is now. America was building up to take this position when there was want of hope and optimism in the 17th, 18th centuries. It gained that position, and the acceptance from other nations in the 20th century. When I asked him how America came to be a superpower, he said it was through invention, progress and trade. Americans have always been very open, adventurous and have opted to set up work sites (Steingart) and joint ventures in countries all over the world.

American language, food and culture have precipitated world over. From McDonalds to Apple, email to ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’, American items have penetrated all the cultures of the world in some form. Another very important factor that established the position of the US in the global arena is the US dollar. It has become the global currency for trade in the