How much does the idea of the “American Century” owe to the notion of the “American Empire”?
In 1938, Time publisher Henry Luce coined the term the ‘American century’ to refer to America’s influence over the world in the 20th century. This was done during the beginning of World War II in which Luce urged America to defend democracy in an influential editorial of the ‘Time’. America’s foreign policies still today are based on the idea of spreading democracy in the other less powerful countries.
In this essay we would analyze how far this approach of being a dutiful Samaritan has been effective for American foreign policies analyzing the role of the notion of American Empire and the contributions of the US in maintaining and restoring democracy around the world, one of its primary objectives. In this context any underlying motivations for empire building would also be analyzed.
American Century and American Empire
From the beginning of the World War II until the end of the 20th century, the prediction and call for rise and prosperity of America and 21st century being America’s century seems to have materialized. The term ‘American century’ however now refers to a completely different concept. It refers to the American dominance on all other countries, for much of the 20th century beginning with the World War II continuing through to the Cold War period in which the United States was one of world’s two major superpowers (also McGrew, 1994). This phase however ended with the 1980s when America gradually acquired the position of the world’s only superpower by the 1990s. The notion of the American Century has often been exaggerated or rebuked by terms such as ‘hyperpower’ or ‘hegemon’ to denote considerable opposition of American dominance in many regions of the world (Agnew, 2005).
Promoting political ideals of democracy, and economic policies for growth, tax reforms and foreign direct investments seems to have been the major emphases of the concept of the American Century (also see Maidment, 1994). However critics point out that the term overemphasizes the role of the American policies, and domination on a global stage.
As of today, ‘American Century’ denotes the overall American dominance and its political, social, economic and cultural influence on states around the world, a phenomenon quite sweeping and conspicuous in the 20th century (Bacevich, 2002). Over the period of the 20th century, many countries followed and adopted the economic policies of America stated in the Washington Consensus presented in 1989 as a policy of economic growth.
The concept of American domination over the world is closely related to the notion of the American Empire that suggests America’s historical position as a major power and cultural influence either on direct colonies under its control or countries to which it offered financial or political aid. The term ‘American Empire’ is thus a politically loaded phrase like the term ‘American Century’ and is used informally to describe the present or 20th century economic, cultural and political influence of the United States on the rest of the world. However the term may or may not be used negatively but refers to American power on a global level (Hardt, 2000).
Two basic issues are considered when examining or analyzing American dominance:
1. How far is the concept of the ‘American Empire’ tenable? Is there an American Empire at all or is this merely a theoretical concept?
2. Is the concept of American dominance one of hegemony or is the American influence positive? What is the extent to which the concept of the American Empire can be positive or negative?
The first question is answered by critics who claim that the term American Empire is definitely valid and feasible based on the fact that America is the only superpower now since the end of the Cold War and the fall of the USSR. Thus America’s superpower status is highly uncontroversial and unrivalled. The United States have been claimed to have a history of imperialism and hegemony as America is not just an economic superpower but also politically the strongest with complete influence on the United Nations. American control however has been accepted using the arguments from American exceptionalism that claims special position of America and its people in the world (Jervis, 2005; Buchanan, 1999).
America’s beginning as a unified nation began with the Independence following the American Revolution against British Colonization. Yet the British policies of expansion and control seem to have infused into American culture and were practiced to the hilt by the new American politics. The focus initially was on expansion within North America and on development of agricultural and industrial sectors. However the period of ‘empire building’ so to speak in which there was a tendency to control foreign land held by external foreign governments began with the Spanish American War more than a century after American Independence. After the Spanish American war, many of the states under Spanish possession such as Puerto Rico and Philippines came under US control.
Some of the areas that have been in US control at some point of time during its empire building phase are: Cuba, Guam, Haiti, Panama Canal, US Samoa, Virgin islands, Puerto Rico and Philippines.
In some of the analyses of the influence of the concept of American Empire Bacevich (2002) argues that there was little or no change in American foreign policies after the cold war. Like many other critics Bacevich claimed that American foreign policies have always been made in such a way so as to justify expansion and access to foreign markets for the benefits of domestic economy. This is seen in cases of US control of Iraq which many claim has been motivated by US’ desire to control the oil markets in the middle east. Bacevich like many other modern critics argues that America’s main economic reasons of foreign interventions are masked by moralistic reasons of restoring democracy and America’s foreign policies are shaped to take such advantages that would fulfill both its hidden agenda of economic control and manifest agenda of restoring democracy. Bacevich (2002) has warned that economic imperialism as practiced through American foreign policies may actually be the major cause of America’s ultimate downfall. Here the question arises whether America’s fall has already begun and whether this century would give way to new superpowers with more accommodating and advanced, adaptive or agreeable foreign policies. Critics point out that present American policies may not be in its best interest and will lead to its political, economic and cultural isolation (in Jervis, 2005; Bacevich 2002).
Analysis of terms such as ‘American Empire’ and ‘American Century’ have been related to concepts such as American Hegemony and American Imperialism and there has been in recent times, growing opposition to American foreign policies. One of the prominent critics of American policies Buchanan (1999) has argued that from the late 20th century, America has engaged itself in too many turmoils, controversies and has intervened in too many unnecessary foreign affairs and regions. Examples are Afghanistan, Middle East and Iraq. According to critics, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the twin towers seems to have been a direct result of American policies and unnecessary intervention. Buchanan seems to have led the increasing opposition to American foreign policies of intervention and control and have added to voices in favour of American Isolationism which counters American foreign policy decisions (also in Jervis, 2005; Agnew 2005).
Conclusions:
On the other hand Hardt (2000) suggests that the US lies in the center of development and formation of a global regime of international power that should be capable of overseeing problems in all spheres of the world. In what has been termed as an ‘Empire’ Hardt and Negri discuss the concept of an empire not only from an American perspective but from a global, centralized perspective. The relevance of the book in this article is that the authors stress on the need for such control which can be centralized and implemented at an international level. Maybe the role of the UN needs to be revamped for achieving such objectives.
Comparisons could be drawn and have been drawn with American foreign policy of control and dominance to benefit the American country with the British expansion strategies in the 18th and 19th centuries. American imperialism of present times that seeks to intervene in foreign lands for political or economic control can be compared to British policies of expansion in which riches of foreign lands were brought to Britain through colonization. This definitely suggests that the concept of the American century is closely related to that of the American Empire as American imperialism is comparable to the policies of the British Empire (see Hardt, 2000, McGrew, 1994). The term ‘Empire’ can have both positive and negative connotations and can represent or refer to the powerful status of a country or the opposition of hegemony as imposed by the country on other lands.
Tags: control, democracy, empire, foreign policy, hyperpower, US
