The Cold War: United States Politics Essay, Research Paper
Cold War vs. United States
The Cold War ended in 1991 after the Soviet Union fell apart. Since so,
Russia & # 8217 ; s economic system paralyzed, and the United States is three trillion dollars in
debt, and both counties were weakened by the Cold War because of military
disbursement. To hold universe peace does non intend that United States should increase
its military strength. The Realist theory would reason that military strength is
of import to keep peace both domestically and internationally. Even though
the United States as the lone world power remains in certain position, the U.S
can non be the peace keeper for the whole Earth and every province on it.
First of wholly, there are more than two 100 autonomous provinces in the
whole universe, and to hold universe peace requires every crowned head states & # 8217 ; attempt non
merely the United States but besides every other provinces. A good illustration was the
alliance force led by the United States under UN bid which defeated Iraq & # 8217 ; s
invasion ground forces in Kuwait City in 1991. But the United States still respected
Iraq & # 8217 ; s sovereignty under international regulations. That was likely the ground why
President Bush did non order the U.S ground forces to occupy Iraq after the U.S led
alliance force expelled Iraq & # 8217 ; s force in Kuwait. Another illustration would be when
Iraq & # 8217 ; s authorities massacred thousand of ethic minority Kurds when the Kurds
rebelled against Iraq authorities in northern Iraq. The United States did non make
a batch to assist the Kurds because United States and the remainder of the states
around the universe recognized Iraq as a autonomous province in the international
community even though that United States had a big military presence in the
Iranian gul f country during that clip.
More and more, non goverment organisations besides play really of import
functions in universe peace. Since 1945, the United Nations, a non authorities
organisation, has helped to convey cease-fire understandings to legion hot musca volitanss
around the Earth in topographic point like Cambodia or the Mid-East. Individual individuals besides
drama of import functions in universe peace. Such as former President Jimmy Carter, who
helped negociate the peace understanding that restored the democratic elected
President Aristide back to his office in Haiti and avoided a direct military
confrontation between the United States and the Haiti & # 8217 ; s military authorities in
the last minute.
Second, the cold war made former Soviet Unions bleed to white but
besides put the United States three trillion dollars in debt, and the debt is traveling
up excessively. Harmonizing to the IRS, the United States authorities is passing 15
per centum of gross one-year gross merely paying off the involvement of the three
millions shortages in 1996 ( 3 ) . So people in the United States wonder where did
all the shortage semen from? The reply is that during the Cold War, particularly
during the Reagan disposal, military disbursement skyrocketed because of the
fright and misgivings of a Soviet Union which would present a menace to universe peace.
That was the Realism & # 8217 ; s manner of thought, that in order to incorporate the menace of
the Communist Soviet Union, the United States spent one million millions ands one million millions of
dollars on new arms, such as the Star War plan to increase military
strength. Now it is such a large fiscal load that the issue of shortages made
the United States authorities shut down twice in 1996 and it continues to be one
of the subjects of the 1996 presidential election. Peoples could conceive of that the
United States authorities could travel bankrupt in the hereafter if it keeps on disbursement
and wastes its moneys without certain bounds. Another issue here is the
environment. Because the United States authorities built 1000s of atomic
bombs to increase its military strength during the cold war, it costs more
money now to take the bombs apart and safely hive away all the risky stuff
without fouling the environment. It seems to makes perfectly no sense at all
to pass money on something and turn around and pass more money to take it
apart. the United States should wake up from its Cold War dream and start to
face the R
eality of the 20 first century. Increasing military strength
ever leads to a fright and misgiving by other states and an weaponries race by
Realism & # 8217 ; s manner of thought. There is no existent victor or also-ran in an weaponries race. At
the Begin of the Cold War right after World War II, the United States was the
strongest province in the universe by far. It manufactured about 50 per centum of
goods and had about 70 per centum of the gold militias in the universe at the
clip. ( 1 ) But 50 old ages subsequently in 1996, the United States has the biggest
national shortage of all time seen in the whole universe.
When we walked in to twenty first century, there are more ways to maintain
the universe in peace than merely military strength, and economic strength besides plays
of import function in universe environment. It was Japan and Germany, the two economic
giants, helped to pay for the gulf war. Without them paying the measure ( 2 ) , United
States could non manage the fiscal load from the war by itself.
Third, the U. S military force is trained to support America and non to
be a planetary police officer. I frequently heard the ailments from fellow soldiers who got
deployed overseas on such peace-keeping missions because they were traveling to be
off from their household and lesson of the military personnels was non excessively high when I was in
the ground forces. Sometimes, such planetary constabulary action does non work out as it has
planned, for illustration the state has a major cultural struggle such as in Somalia,
the U. S military was supposed to convey peace to the people of Somalia and provender
the hungry in 1993. A twelvemonth subsequently, the U. S military did non convey peace to this
helter-skelter province, but alternatively to a great extent engaged in contending with the warlord in its
civil war. It is possible to remember the graphic image of a dead U.S service adult male & # 8217 ; s
organic structure which was dragged by the warlord & # 8217 ; s soldier across the street of Mogadishu
on CNN. Then United States rapidly took all of its military forces out of
Somalia in 1994 and the combat is still traveling on to this twenty-four hours.
Finally, the United States should utilize its other influences than its
military strength to maintain the universe in peace. Every state in the universe looked
at the U.S as the leader of democracy, and today U.S is still the most powerful
state in footings of economic. All the international trade is calculated in the
demontion of U.S dollars and the United States manufactures about 25 per centum of
goods in planetary trade. Sometimes economic strengths are more powerful and work
better in covering with other states. A good illustration was the planetary articulation
attempt of economic countenances against the South African authorities which
later gave up its know aparting racial policies and released it taking
civil right leader, Mr. Nelson Mandla, who was elected as the first black
President in South Africa & # 8217 ; s history in 1995. Another illustration was when by
maintaining the communicating channels gap, and with its influences, the United
States helped Israel and Palestine to subscribe the historic peace understanding
between th ese two provinces at the white House in 1995. This ended the 40 old ages
of contending between these two provinces. The understanding brought peace to the mid-
east country at last and ended the cultural combat for good. Another good illustration
was the joint attempts from United States, Russia and China, to convey about a
free election in the little South-East Asia state of Cambodia after 30
old ages of civil war. Democracy was back to camblia and the people of Cambodia
could bask their peaceable lives eventually.
Having universe peace does non intend that the United States must beckon a large
stick at other states so everybody else in the international community
behaves harmonizing to the criterion of the United States. Realism thinks that by
holding larger military with greater strength entirely will keep universe peace,
but planetary cooperation and communicating are likely more of import than
military strength. Alternatively of military confrontation, the United States should
presume its duties as the leader of democracy by maintaining cooperation
and communicating channels open with other states so that universe peace will
and can be preserved.