If the twentieth century was the American century, the start of the twenty first is giving us lots of cause for predicting its' demise. Bacevich's 'The Limits of Power' is a very clear example of the debate on the position America is in. I think we can see much evidence for both domestic and foreign over-stretch. I believe that the problems with the current popular belief in America's purpose is shown clearly in his arguments around the use of the word 'freedom'.
By contrast, Simms' 'Three Victories and a Defeat' on the rise and fall of the first British Empire in the C18 gives some food for thought on the position the dominant power finds itself in. After the victory of the 7 years war, Britain failed to secure the peace, due to infatuation in its own naval power and belief that it did not need allies or to worry about the balance of power between other powerful states. It soon found itself isolated, and defeated.
Having said that, the C19 proved even more imperial for the British. So in today's world, I find it very hard to see immediate decline. But, America does need to admit and address its own imperial mission, as well as the role of its citizenry. America remains more than the economic and social powerhouse; it is the cultural one. But 'I want' doesn't get in an increasingly resource constrained world.
British, American and all other countries' development has been about expansion - land, people, ideas, money - that give its people the space to develop. But when physical land and resources are all taken up, we have the option of fighting over them, or taking on a different sort of leadership, a moral and cultural one. Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia - two most obviously bad examples of this. America must reassert the true meaning of freedom with responsibility.
(Thinking about the possessions lost by Britain in the late C18, there was much more to the loss of the colonies than hubris and isolation. The colonies were a unique development, blessed with strong people & resources. There is no way that Britain could have kept the colonies very much longer without a very different political structure - probably one no independent country has ever allowed of its own accord.)
By contrast, Simms' 'Three Victories and a Defeat' on the rise and fall of the first British Empire in the C18 gives some food for thought on the position the dominant power finds itself in. After the victory of the 7 years war, Britain failed to secure the peace, due to infatuation in its own naval power and belief that it did not need allies or to worry about the balance of power between other powerful states. It soon found itself isolated, and defeated.
Having said that, the C19 proved even more imperial for the British. So in today's world, I find it very hard to see immediate decline. But, America does need to admit and address its own imperial mission, as well as the role of its citizenry. America remains more than the economic and social powerhouse; it is the cultural one. But 'I want' doesn't get in an increasingly resource constrained world.
British, American and all other countries' development has been about expansion - land, people, ideas, money - that give its people the space to develop. But when physical land and resources are all taken up, we have the option of fighting over them, or taking on a different sort of leadership, a moral and cultural one. Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia - two most obviously bad examples of this. America must reassert the true meaning of freedom with responsibility.
(Thinking about the possessions lost by Britain in the late C18, there was much more to the loss of the colonies than hubris and isolation. The colonies were a unique development, blessed with strong people & resources. There is no way that Britain could have kept the colonies very much longer without a very different political structure - probably one no independent country has ever allowed of its own accord.)
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