The Same Hegemon – but Different

Published in Rzeczpospolita
(Poland) on 05 November 2008
by Marek Magierowski (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Julita Kwapinska. Edited by .
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.


Hegemon ten sam, ale nie taki sam
Marek Magierowski 05-11-2008, ostatnia aktualizacja 05-11-2008 05:08
Barack Obama, nowy lokator Bia?ego Domu, b?dzie musia? rych?o udowodni?, ?e pog?oski o agonii Stanów Zjednoczonych s? grubo przesadzone.

Prezydent Obama
Owszem, reputacja USA na arenie mi?dzynarodowej zosta?a w ostatnich latach powa?nie nadwyr??ona. Ameryka?ska gospodarka straci?a nimb najpr??niejszej i najbardziej liberalnej. Prezydentur? George’a W. Busha za? trudno zaliczy? do udanych (cho? zapewne zostanie ona oceniona przez histori? lepiej, ni? oceniaj? j? dzisiaj lewicowi komentatorzy).

To wszystko nie oznacza jednak, ?e czasy jankeskiej hegemonii min??y bezpowrotnie. Pod wodz? nowego prezydenta b?dzie to po prostu hegemonia... innego rodzaju.

Jak zwyk? mawia? Bill Clinton, Stany Zjednoczone s? „pa?stwem niezb?dnym”. Mog? niektórych Europejczyków irytowa? swoj? arogancj?, militarn? but? i niezrozumieniem innych kultur, lecz nie mo?na bez ich udzia?u rozwi?za? ?adnego istotnego dla ?wiata problemu. Nie da si? prowadzi? wojny z globalnym terroryzmem bez Ameryki. Nie da si? bez niej powstrzyma? Korei Pó?nocnej i Iranu przed zdobyciem broni nuklearnej. Bez wsparcia Waszyngtonu nikt nie zdo?a si? uchroni? przed gro?n? ekspansj? Rosji. Bez Ameryki wreszcie, bez jej pieni?dzy, uniwersytetów, ambitnych naukowców i upartych biznesmenów nie jest mo?liwy post?p cywilizacyjny.

Problem w tym, ?e ta sama Ameryka straci?a w ostatnich latach wiarygodno??. Ludzie od Lizbony po Karaczi przestali wierzy? w jej dobre intencje, a George W. Bush – niestety – mocno si? do tego przyczyni?. Jednak Barack Obama ma dzisiaj tak ogromny kapita? zaufania, ?e jest w stanie w krótkim czasie t? wiarygodno?? odbudowa?. Wystarczy kilka gestów. Rozpocz?cie odwrotu z Iraku, w rozs?dnym terminie i na rozs?dnych warunkach, mog?oby by? jednym z nich. Kolejnym – zlikwidowanie nies?awnego wi?zienia w Guantanamo i zakaz torturowania osób podejrzanych o terroryzm. Przyda?oby si? równie? lepsze planowanie operacji w Afganistanie, tak by skutecznie ?ciga? prawdziwych z?oczy?ców, a nie bombardowa? go?ci weselnych. Nie zaszkodzi te? kilka pochlebnych s?ów o geopolitycznej roli Europy czy o walce z globalnym ociepleniem.

A wówczas wszyscy krytycy Ameryki b?d? mieli ci??ki orzech do zgryzienia. Bo oka?e si?, ?e Barack Obama, 44. prezydent USA, tak czy inaczej wci?? jest przywódc? wolnego ?wiata. Innym, s?uchaj?cym swoich partnerów, ?agodniejszym, ale jednocze?nie bardziej wymagaj?cym. B?dzie bowiem oczekiwa? wsparcia od swoich partnerów, a ci nie b?d? ju? mieli wymówki („ten wstr?tny Bush”), by mu odmówi?.

Hegemon si? nie zmieni. To ?wiat b?dzie musia? si? dostosowa? do nowych okoliczno?ci.

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