The Age of Nonpolarity Essay Example

concentrated within various actors such as NGO’s, political leaders, corporations, etc. Also, the power that each individual actor can leverage varies. This differs from multipolarity, a system where several states are in power and is defined as the control of various superpowers (Pre-WWI).

Bipolarity is the presence of two superpowers heavily influencing the system (Cold War Era).The most apparent difference is with realism. While realist see short-term gain and constant conflict as the norm, nonpolarity looks to forego short-term gain for the sake of long-term benefit. Haass stated that cooperation between nations, reinforced by increased trade, should be the norm.

Haass identified what he saw as being the negative consequences of nonpolarity to the US and how the US should attempt to combat these problems. Some of these problems have to do with the current trend to globalize.This trend was analyzed by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, using a “human security perspective. ” He stated that because of globalization, people are constantly faced with threats that emerge due to: easier dissemination of information, increased movement in labor and capital, and the ease in regulation of various marketplaces, among other factors.

The threats that Fukuda-Parr mentioned, directly relate to what Haass explained were the problems faced by the US. Haass touched on the issues of security and called on improving Homeland Security to address this issue.Combating terrorism is one of the threats the US will continue to face in a nonpolar world. Another threat Haass noticed was the rise in the power of oil producing nations.

Because of this threat, Haass called for a reduction in oil consumption and in the introduction of US energy initiatives to reduce the

growing power that oil producers have. Going along with security, Haass denounced the use of Preventive strikes (attacks on capabilities when there is no indication of imminent use) since this could make the system unstable.Finally, integration through increased trade was also one of the solutions, since attacking a trading partner can do more harm than benefit. Haass, in my opinion, makes a great point that US dominance and influence is being corroded and the unipolar system is changing. However, US hegemony is still present. The manifestation of US power is not explicitly noticeable, but that is not to say that it is non-existent; this is defined as soft power.

An example, English continues to be the language of business and it is commonly used worldwide.Also, the US’s influence can be seen through the subtle demonstration of economic power. Although corporations are becoming highly global and can’t be exactly associated with a country, the images that some American corporations portray can be directly associated to some aspect of American culture. For this reason, the presence of corporations such as Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, etc. are seen as the extent to which American economic power can reach.

More importantly, however, is the influence the US has on world trade.The financial crisis in the US had a worldwide effect, demonstrating the importance of the US economy in international relations. All these factors contribute to keeping the US as a dominant nation. However, US influence continues to diminish.

The US no longer has the influence that it did in the past, and it will continue to diminish as other actors gain more importance. Again, whether or not the

current state of affairs points to a shift towards a nonpolar world is debatable. However, there is consensus that US influence is not as strong as in previous years.