Landmark Events In Establishing US Hegemony

Landmark Events in Establishing US Hegemony

• One of the landmark events in establishing US hegemony is that no serious rival has emerged in the world after the end of the Cold War. The era after the end of the cold war was termed as US dominance or a unipolar world.
• US hegemony started in 1991after the disintegration of the USSR..
• Us supported Bretton Woods system of General Tariffs and Trades, which was later on replaced by the World Trade Organization. 
• The US controls 17% of voting rights of the IMF and has the highest shareholding of the World Bank.
• US presidents nominate the president of the World Bank, a US Citizen.

Beginning of the New World Order: 

• There are two more observations regarding the start of this new world order, in terms of US hegemony. 
• Firstly, some aspects of US hegemony started right after the end of the Second World War in 1945. 
• Secondly, the clarity about USA’s hegemonic behavior to the world came much later than 1991.  
• The major landmark events which, played a role in establishing US hegemony are as follows: 

The First Gulf War: 

• In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and annexed it. 
• Despite diplomatic efforts, Iraq did not retreat from Kuwait, thus mandating the liberation of Kuwait through force by the United Nations (UN).
• Then, at that point, US President George H.W. Hedge hailed this as the development of ‘another world request’.
• An enormous alliance power from 34 nations battled against Iraq and crushed it in what came to be known as the First Gulf War. Notwithstanding, the UN activity, which was called ‘Activity Desert Storm’, was predominantly American, as most of the powers were from the US..
• The conflict which was viewed as ‘computer game conflict’ gave boundless TV inclusion.
• One such milestone occasion in building up US hegemony was the First Gulf War that uncovered the immense innovative hole that had opened up between the US military capacity and that of different states.
• It is believed that the US may actually have made a profit from the war.  Many reports have revealed that the US received more money from countries such as Germany, Japan and Saudi Arabia than it had spent on the war.

US Involvement in Kosovo: 

• Another landmark event in establishing US hegemony was the involvement of the US in Kosovo.
• During the presidency of Bill Clinton (1993-2001), the US was generally more engaged in its domestic issues. 
• However, in 1999, in response to Yugoslavian actions against the predominantly Albanian population in the province of Kosovo. 
• Over two months, the US bombarded targets around Yugoslavia with the air forces of the NATO countries.
• The event forced the decadence of the government of Slobodan Milosevic and the stationing of a NATO force in Kosovo.

US actions against Al-Qaeda:

• The suppression of the Al-Qaeda group in the Middle east was one of the landmark events in establishing US hegemony.
• US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Tanzania were bombed in 1998 by the Al-Qaeda (a terror organisation influenced by extremist Islamist ideas). 
• American President Clinton ordered Operation “Infinite Reach” within a few days, which was a series of cruise missile strikes on Al-Qaeda terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. 
• In this regard, the United State of America did not worry about the UN sanction or provisions of international law.
• It was alleged that some of the targets were civilian facilities unconnected to terrorism. 

9/11 and the Global War on Terror:  

• On 11 September 2001, nineteen hijackers from Arab countries took control of four American commercial aircraft and flew them into important buildings in the US.  These attacks have come to be known as “9/11”.  Nearly three thousand persons were killed. 
• In terms of loss of life, 9/11 was the most severe attack on US soil since the founding of the country in 1776.  Response to the 9/11 attack by the US was expeditious and swift in nature.
• The US presidency under George W. Bush launched ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ under its ‘Global War on Terror’ against all those suspected to be behind this attack, mainly Al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime was easily overthrown. 
• The military forces started arresting people all over the world even without the knowledge of the government of the persons being arrested, transported these persons across countries and detained them in secret prisons. 
• Many of them were brought to the US naval base in Cuba (Guantanamo Bay). At that place the prisoners did not enjoy the protection of international law or the law of their own country or that of the US. UN representatives were also restricted to that place for meeting any prisoners there.

The Iraq Invasion: 

• The Iraq invasion On 19 March 2003 was also a landmark event in establishing US hegemony under the codename ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’. 
• The US-led ‘coalition of the willing’ was joined by more than forty other countries after the UN refused to give its mandate to the invasion. 
• The purpose of the invasion was to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 
• However, as no evidence WMD has been unearthed in Iraq, it is speculated that the invasion was motivated by other objectives, such as controlling Iraqi oil fields and installing a regime friendly to the US. 
• Swiftly, the Iraq government fell and US has not been able to ‘pacify’ Iraq
• The concurrent event results in a full-fledged insurgency against US occupation that was ignited in Iraq. 
• It is now widely recognized that the US invasion of Iraq was, in some crucial respects, both a military and political failure.

Role of International Institutions:

World Bank:

• Source of Funds for US allies,
• 17% Shareholding lies with the US, the US president nominates the World Bank President.
• US has a VETO right on certain matter
• Promotion of Opening of Market, removal of barriers to trade and Tariff reliefs (South Africa and India are the example for the same)

IMF

• Originated in 1945 as a part of Bretton Woods System.
• Formula of removing restrictions on current and capital accounts, liberalizing domestic financial institutions, abolishing labour market laws, and de-indexing wages, among other things. (Mexico as an example)
• IMF always supported US power agenda as the target, through following its intervening ability on some or the other areas.

Globalization:

• US acts as a policymaker
• 30% of goods of total world products are produced in US Economy.
• Establishment of GATT and WTO
• Outsourcing for cheaper labour
• 70% researchers working in US.
• International Strength of US dollar, major Price quotation happens in USD.

Conclusion:

In the medium run, we must accept that no single state is capable of militarily balancing the United States. Given the gaps that exist among significant countries like China, India, and Russia that have the ability to challenge US hegemony, a military coalition against the US is even less possible.