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BERMAN: The end of the American Century

The next hundred years won’t be characterized by American dominance

“A New American Century” is what Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio hopes to achieve if he were to become the 45th president of the United States. While the many other candidates running in this year’s race surely would love to achieve the same goal, I am skeptical that anyone will be able to turn the 21st century into a truly “American” century in the same way the 20th century was. Yet there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, because the United States has already achieved a global status unmatched by any nation in the world, despite what some might proclaim as the “Rise of the Rest.”

The phrase “American Century” was coined by Henry Luce in early 1941 in a LIFE Magazine article. And without a doubt, the 20th century was an “American Century,” far more so than Luce could have ever imagined. Yet, there are many distinct factors that made the United States able to assert itself globally and become the hegemonic power it became.

Two years prior to the turn of the 20th century, the United States won what was called a “splendid little war” with Spain, in which Uncle Sam annexed Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. This gave the United States the ability to call itself a true world power that could compete with the imperial European nations, both economically and militarily.

Economically, the turn of the 20th century was one of the most prosperous and exciting times in history. Thanks to the work of Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers, America led the global transportation revolution and profited handsomely as a result. Simultaneously, the American military established itself as one of the greatest in the world due to the increased value of the Navy in protecting new, indispensible imperial acquisitions.

Clearly, the 20th century commenced with a bang for the United States, and more so than any other nation in the world, its preeminence in global affairs only increased as the century wore on. This was simultaneously aided by the fact that the once-dominant European powers were ravished by two devastating world wars, and likewise, were unable to hold on to their numerous colonial holdings following World War II.

What is different here in the 21st century? For starters, this century commenced with a status quo shattering terrorist attack in 2001 that engulfed the United States in two extremely costly wars, neither of which anyone would say United States clearly won. Whereas in the 20th century the United States economy was globally dominant, it must now compete with a surging China which slowly has been swallowing up global markets traditionally dominated by Americans. Likewise, whereas the early 20th century economy was marked by rapid growth, the early 21st century economy has been marred by bank bailouts, housing bubbles and foreclosures, not to mention a heightened rate of income inequality. From the onset, both centuries commenced with drastically different tones.

Nevertheless, 20th century America constantly faced and tackled challenges, be they economic or military, and there is no reason to think 21st century America won’t be able to do the same in the long run. Yet, I predict 100 years from now, people will not call the 21st century an “American Century” for the simple reason that we are already a superpower with global expectations. Contrarily, at the beginning of last century, the international community did not expect the United States to flourish; now, it expects nothing less.

Despite the fact that the United States still maintains the largest military in the world by an enormous margin, nearly eight times the size of its closest competitor, it nonetheless might seem to some that Uncle Sam is in decline. For instance, Bollywood, not Hollywood, has emerged as the predominant global film producer, the world’s largest passenger planes are now built by Europe’s Airbus, not America’s Boeing, and the world’s largest casino is now in Macao, not Las Vegas. Some of the key defining features of American life in the 20th century — film, flight and flashy lights — seem under siege.

While this competition from seemingly unlikely places might seem to threaten America’s long-enjoyed hegemonic status in these arenas, the world nonetheless still expects the United States to make films, build jumbo jets and provide tourists with gaudy sources of entertainment. It is no longer the monolith in these industries, yet that does not change the fact that it has an enormous presence that is only becoming challenged as of late.

It is my earnest hope that whoever gets sworn into office next January will dedicate his heart and soul to turning the 21st century into “A New American Century.” Yet, America is not an isolated country in the way it was in 1900. The world looks to the United States to maintain a prominent status in various arenas, and although that is what this country will do, it will not receive the same type of credit it received for its accomplishments in the 20th century. But that doesn’t mean we won’t stop in our quest to achieve.

Jesse Berman is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.

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