The West Remains Unchanged

Despite continual predictions of the American domination era coming to an end, the United States is still the most powerful country in the world. With wise policies and a bit of luck, they can hold that title for a long time.

Experts have been writing about U.S. power decaying, since the end of World War II. Even after the Cold War, some even raced to voice their opinion that it was the end of American hegemony. Years have passed by and the end is nowhere in sight. As for Russia today, it is a pale shadow of the former Soviet Union, Europe has lost its importance and although Japan and the United States are heavily battered economically, somehow they still hold themselves well. It is a solitary power in every aspect and even those who foretold until recently the end of its empire had to admit that no country has such potential as the United States.

The predictions of the American cycle coming to an end professed by luminaries such as Alvin Toffler and Arthur Stein did not come true. George Modelski and Immanuel Wallerstein were also incorrect. Even the international relations expert Paul Kennedy, who predicted the end of Pax Americana, admitted that he was forced to “recalculate” his earlier predictions and “the overwhelming impression that emerged was of how far this single nation stood above all possible contenders as the global hegemon … True, America contains only about 4.5 percent of the world’s total population, … [but] it possesses approximately 30 percent of total world product.”

Who could replace America as the global hegemonic leader? There must be someone because there is always a country that is more powerful. Russia is definitely not a contender for world leadership; it is at most a regional power. Maybe China? It is an economic power, but not a leader in the field of modern technology, it does not influence the world economically and culturally and it does not have a modern army. The European Union? At the most in economic matters. Africa? It is as absurd as betting on Brazil, Turkey or exotic alliances: Japanese-American, Sino-American or Sino-Russian.

The United States is still the only country that has military, diplomatic, political and economic advantages which allow them to play the role of a decisive player in every corner of the world. Although potential adversaries appear on the horizon, American dominance does not seem to be endangered.