The Same Hegemon – but Different

The same hegemon, but different.

Barrack Obama, the new tenant at the White House, will have to prove quickly that the rumors about the agony of the USA have been greatly exaggerated.

Indeed, the reputation of the USA on the international arena has been strained significantly during the last few years. The American economy has lost its aura of being the most powerful and liberal one. Bush’s presidency cannot be considered successful; however, it will probably be better assessed by history than it is now by leftist commentators.

All of that does not mean that the Yankee hegemony has passed irretrievably. Under the leadership of the new president, it will be simply another kind of hegemony.

As Bill Clinton used to say, the USA is “the indispensable country”. Its arrogance, military haughtiness, and ignorance of other cultures might irritate some Europeans, but none of the key problems of today’s world could be solved without American involvement. It is impossible to wage war against global terrorism and prevent North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons without the USA. Without Washington’s support, nobody will be able to protect themselves against the dangerous expansion of Russia. Still without America and its money, universities, ambitious scholars and obstinate businessmen, the progress of civilization is infeasible.

The problem is that it is the same America that has lost a lot of its credibility in the last few years. People from Lisbon to Karachi have stopped believing in its good intentions and unfortunately George Bush has greatly contributed to it. However, today the trust that Barrack Obama has is so enormous that he is able to rebuild American credibility within a short period of time. Just a couple of gestures would be enough. One of them could be the retreat from Iraq in a reasonable time and on reasonable conditions. Another one could involve the liquidation of the infamous prison in Guantanamo and ban on torturing people suspected of terrorism. Better planning of the operation in Afghanistan would be also necessary so as to hunt real criminals more effectively, and not to bomb wedding guests. A few flattering words about Europe’s geopolitical role or global warming would not hurt either.

Then all the critics of America will have a hard nut to crack, as it will turn out that Barrack Obama, the 44th president of the USA, will be still the leader of the free world anyway. But he will be a different leader- someone who is gentler and listens to his partners, but at the same time is more demanding. It is because he will expect support from his partners who will not have the excuse (“this horrible Bush”) anymore to refuse it.

The hegemon will not change. It is the world that will have to adjust itself to these new circumstances.