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.