Good Essay About The United States Of Amercia: A Super Power Or Not

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: A SUPER POWER OR NOT

The biggest super powers in the world including the United States, China, United Kingdom, France etc. hold a lot of influence over the other countries in the world. Their power goes beyond their own territories. This makes them a dominant friend and a dangerous enemy to the neighboring countries. Their political, economic and military strength gives them an upper hand over the poorer regions. Their advancement in the field of technology, education and finance grants them the ability to change the dynamics of the world whenever they feel the need to do so which makes them a force to reckon with.
Countries like the United States, China and Japan have emerged as super powers due to their military competency, valuable resources and financial strength. It has taken them decades to establish a foothold among the influential countries of the world. One of the most important factors which have led to the progress of these countries is their monetary supremacy. Being financially strong, these countries can not only attain and store resources but also impact the overall world economy. Money gives them the power to influence poor states into taking decisions which would eventually be beneficial for the superpowers. In addition to wealth, technological advancement and natural resources also play a crucial role in elevating the status of a country. But an important factor to keep in mind is that a country needs be strong in terms of its military, economy, natural resources and technology to be able to progress to reach the stature of being a superpower. There are many countries in the world which rank high in one or two of these factors; therefore, they are not able to attain the status of being a superpower.
The United States of America enjoys the position of being one of the most idolized and sought after countries of the world. To a person living in a third world country, the US seems like the ultimate green pasture where all his dreams could come true. This country has a pull which forces people to consider it as the only place where they can achieve big goals and achievements. No other country excels in the field of socio-economic development more than this land of opportunities. However, for quite some time now the debate of America’s downfall as a superpower has been trending. According to many studies, China will soon supersede America as the biggest economy of the world after the weak post-depression economic recovery of the US. The analysts have many reasons to believe so other than the weak monetary standing. In a study, Americans ranked a discouraging 24th in economy and 11th in happiness. Also, as per a research conducted by Forbes, Vladimir Putin was considered more powerful than the American President. However, despite all these challenges the US keeps on progressing and making its mark on the map of the world. Apart from being an economic and military giant, the US also surpasses other countries in terms of being a soft power as the number of immigrants entering the United States each year is almost 1 million which is greater than any other country. This leads to the Americans having an immense pool of human resource with diversified talents and skills. As America benefits, other countries face a severe case of brain drain as their younger generation prefers the American lifestyle and wishes to settle there for good. Even though a study showed that only 7 percent of American students are competent in advanced level mathematics, it has the highest number of top-notch educational institutions with almost 17 of the top 20 universities in the world being located in America.
Even though economically, in 2014, China was stated to have surpassed America as being the biggest economy of the world with a total worth of $17.6 trillion as compared to the American $17.4 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund. For the first time in over 140 years, America lost its title of being the biggest economy of the world, however, the American economy also hiked up in the last quarter of 2014 with the GDP rising by 5 percent which was the strongest quarterly growth after 2003. This was positive news for the investors as the stock market reached a record breaking high with DOW crossing 18,000. With their faith restored to some extent, the consumers also increased their spending to 3.2 percent which is likely to go higher as the gas prices keep on decreasing. As the growth rate is more than the expected 3.9percent, 2014 also proved to be the strongest year in terms of jobs after 1999 with employers adding 321,000 jobs to the market. Also, despite all the challenges and recessions, the United States still boasts being the world leader for FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) with 180 billion dollars.
When it comes to military supremacy, the United States by far remains the leader. In 2014, the military budget stood at $600 billion with the share of overseas contingency operations being a staggering $84 billion. Even if we combine the military budgets of China and Russia, they account to less than half of what America spends. This shows the vastness of its military’s reach and proficiency. Even with the blowback of Iraq war and Afghanistan invasion, the military budget still remains to be 35 percent of the world total. This is way higher than any other superpower. Because of having an upper hand in every military intervention, America has made many allies around the world who are ready to serve whenever the need arises. Additionally, the American military is far experienced and skilled when it comes to warfare and defense strategies. It will take other countries like Russia and China decades to reach the status America has attained. The American troops are extremely flexible and have no rivals when it comes to their global reach. The assets, equipments and intelligence which its air, ground and naval forces possess are more advanced than any other country.
Despite all the recessions and fallbacks, the United States continues to enjoy the power of being one of the most influential countries of the world. Its consistent supremacy is a result of not only its internal strength but also the hesitancy of other countries to challenge it. For example, the European Union is in no state to start any dispute with the United States as its economic standing does not rise up to meet America’s. With the unemployment going as high as 26 percent in Spain and Greece, the EU has more to lose than to gain in a battle of leadership against the United States. Similarly, many believe India to emerge as the next superpower and pose threat to the supremacy of America, however, India has a long way to go and many internal hurdles to overcome before it emerges as a competitor. With almost 70 percent of its population (830.3 million) living in rural areas where the basic necessities of life are missing, India has to overcome many challenges within itself. Over 160 million people in India are deprived of proper food, water, shelter and sanitation. Illiteracy is high and standard of living is low. India ranks at number 138th in terms of GDP/capita which shows the widespread poverty in the country. With all these issues, India is not an immediate threat to the United States.
When it comes to China, undoubtedly it has outdone other countries in terms of growth rate; however there are many factors which still put it behind the United States. According to a study, the average household income in China is $10,220 whereas it is $84,300 in the US. Also, China has more than 650 million people living in the underprivileged and impoverished countryside. Additionally, while the Americans have been choosing a democratic leader for decades, the Chinese have been under the Communist rule. Likewise, in Japan, the problems of aging population, declining immigrations, hiking debts and weakening economy, make it less of a challenger to the United States.
With its economy coming back on track, the United States of America still enjoys and will continue to enjoy the authority of being a superpower for decades to come. It has allies spread around the globe and has a strong foothold in many regions, its technological advancement is unsurpassed and its military supremacy is unrivaled. Therefore, it is suffice to say that the United States will remain unmatched and unchallenged for many decades to come.