WHAT IS THE PROSPECT FOR AMERICAN POWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY?.
At some point in everyone's life we have encountered the preverbal playground bully. Whether they are the biggest kid in the sixth grade, out towering all of their classmates, or the arrogant all-American jock, born worthy, let's face it we've all experienced the underdog persona. But did we cover and hide? Or did we size up our opponent and stand tall? Each side a contrasting view of the other. Each has different motives. Each has their own agenda. But behind all that, each has a weakness and finding that weakness and learning to use it as an advantage make the victor.
It seems that ever since this nation was founded, we have developed a "holier-than-thou" attitude that has become synonymous in discussing our country with others. Our independence ran ramped through two (plus) centuries and now the entire worldviews America as the bully on the playground. And it is our own arrogance that has turned most of our allies into walking anti-American billboards. .
Noel Mamere in his book No Thanks, Uncle Sam writes "it is appropriate to be downright anti-American". He argues that "the United States throws its weight around and would have the entire world follow in its footsteps". So how have we created this image for ourselves? How have we gone from having an admired reputation to that of a tarnished one? Was it so bad that our capitalistic genre became a model for other countries? Is it such a crime to enjoy fast food in France? Was it so wrong to help our allies with the backing of America's unchallenged military even when we had no initial reason to be involved? As David Sanger puts it in is article America Finds it's Lonely at the top "It may be a case of being too powerful for one's own good". He continues to reinforce this theory by writing "if you are the 800-pound gorilla, you"re concentrating on your bananas, and everyone else is concentrating on you.
