Europe and America: America's Modern Role


Figure 1.--

America serves a vital role in the modern role. Many object to this role, including many Americans. The European demonstrations against the War in Iraq would seem to be bubling resentment about this role, than support for Saddam Hussein and his Bathist regime. No other country, however, and ceratinly not the United Nations can play the same role in world affairs. And on ballance, the American role has been a tremendous force for good and stability in world affairs. The United States provides a world police, a global market place, a global currency, and a global example of how people of different natioanlaities, religions, and ethnic backgrounds can live and work in a democratic society. The later of course is why fundamentalist Islam has targetted America as it is an antethesis of their goals and objectives.

World Police Force

Europeans ask, "Who appointed America as the world policeman?" Many think that America is eager to enter foreign conflicts and unrestrained in its use of force. What might surprise many Europeans is that many Americans agrree. [Samuelson] Polls show that Americans reject the role of world policeman. The general question Americans ask is a little different than the question asked in Europe, "Why us?". These are all fair questions. But equally pertinent is what would have happened to the Kosovars had America not acted. The best example of what happens when Americans do not act is the genocide in Rhwanda where about 1 million Tutsis were murdered. If the Euroopeans or the United Nations was prepared to act, then the question of who appointed America would be much more important. It is all to clear, however, from recent history that unless America acts, terrible consequences occur. Rather than too anxious to use force, the general pattern has been that America has been too reluctant to intervene. Of course the 9-11 terrorist attack has changed the attitudes of many Americans.

World Market

America has been the world's largest market. The expansion of the European Union (EU) has created an even larger market. It is the American market that has been the primary engine for world economic growth. This is primarily because the American market is the most open in the world. [Samuelson] That is not to say there is not some restrictions and prtectionoist actions, but in commparitive terms the American market is more open than that of the EU or Japan, the two other important world markets. The best example of this is that the United Sates in 2002 had a trade defecit in goods of $484 billion. The EU and Japan are of course also important world markets, but cleveraly mercantilist policies prevent either market from playing the same role as the U.S. market.

World Currency

It is the U.S. that has become a defacto world currency. Some reports estimate that more U.S. dollars are in circulation outside than within the United States. In addition, foreign investors own over $3 trillion in U.S. dollar demoninated securities. The Japanese Yen and increasingly the Euroopean Euro also play an important role in European finance, but for a variety of reasons, neither approaches the importance of the dollar. [Samuelson]

Democratic Pluralism

The United States provides a global example of how people of different natioanlaities, religions, and ethnic backgrounds can live and work in a democratic society. America was in the mid-20th century a country popukated by people of Europdean ancestry. Changes made in the U.S. immigratiin code during the Johnson Administration have had a major impact on the American population. America has always had an important Black population. Since the Mexican War and admission of Texas into the Union, there has been an important Hispanic population which has geown enormously in recent years. The changes in immigration policy, however, has greatly widened the ethnic make up. There are now increasing numbers of Asian Americans and Moslem mericans. For the most part these diverse peoples are being integrated into the American mosaic. No other country in the world offers the same kind of diversity. American in fact is a grand xperiment. In the 19th centurty, America was an expeiment with bith democratic and republican government. This was eloquently expressed by President Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. In the 21st century the American experiment will test the ability of diverse peoples to libe and work harmoniously with all their national, ethnic, and religious differences. The later of course is why fundamentalist Islam has targetted America as it is an antethesis of their goals and objectives and is important in the developing realtionship between America and Islam.

Sources

Samuelson, Robert J. "Earning Americans' resentment," Washington Post (February 26, 2003), p. A23.






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Created: April 9, 2003
Last updated: April 9, 2003