An Argument for the Embracing of Rising Powers

            The fear of opposing Great Powers seems to have dominated recent United States international politics. Whether it was the open opposition shown towards the Soviet Union and Communism during the Cold War, or the passive-aggressive relationship between the United States and China today, the United States has employed a foolish “us vs. them” policy throughout modern history regarding other Great Powers. Put simply, this “us vs. them” policy is outdated and harmful to the United States and humanity as a whole, and must be replaced with a more inclusive foreign policy agenda that promotes development in rising nations rather than stifles it.  

            To prove that the United States’ current hostility towards rising Great Powers is irrational and outdated, the concept of nationalism must first be addressed and discredited. First off, there was certainly a place for nationalism in the past. Nationalism, a sense of devotion to one’s nation, protected nation-states, and the political entities preceding nation states from being destroyed by a hostile world. If the English did not have a sense of loyalty and unity under their monarchy in the Middle Ages, the French, Norwegians, or any other one of the numerous hostile European powers would have quickly conquered them. The same can be said for almost all other nations and governments existing in the length of time between antiquity and the modern age. However, unlike in the past, humanity today has institutions, trade networks, and international relationships that prevent war and the outright destruction of people without the need for overt hostility between nations. Whether you believe in Democratic Peace Theory, Capitalist Peace Theory, or any one of the other numerous theories to explain the unprecedented period of peace in the Western World, there can be no denying the fact that war and outright destruction is an unfathomable concept for much of the developed world. The world today is globalized and national lines are blurring more and more, as people are allowed to connect with people around the world, buy products from around the world, and learn from around the world. The world seems to be moving towards peace and unity, making nationalistic and hostile policies towards other nations unnecessary and outdated.

            The world is more unified than it has even been before, not only united in a quest for peace and prosperity, but also ideologically. While ideas such as fascism, communism, imperialism, liberalism, and authoritarianism used to battle for global supremacy, liberal democracy has emerged as the dominant ideological form in the modern world. While in the past, ideology was tied to specific nations, and protected ferocity by that nation and its individual national; the triumph of the liberal democratic system has rendered this argument for continued existence of fervent nationalism obsolete. If the United States were to abandon hostile policies towards the Communist government of Cuba, it would not quickly fall under the banner of the hammer and sickle. In a world dominated by liberal democratic ideals, the assertion that nationalism and nationalistic policies towards other powers must be pursued to protect our superior ideology is ridiculous. Furthermore, in the past religion and state used to be tied together, and civilians believed it was important to protect the state religion. If one followed the state religion, then one owed a sense of loyalty to the state, and believed the state had to be protected and closed to outsiders. However, recent developments have reduced the need for a state fervently protecting a religion. Put quite simply, in the contemporary developed world most states are secular in nature and most of the world follows the dominant ideology of liberal democracy. There is some range to how liberal a country is, and the religious beliefs of different countries certainly differ, but regardless of these beliefs, most countries in the developed world relatively similar ideologies. Due to these similarities between nations, similar secular and ideological values, nationalism is not nearly as necessary as it was in the past.

            If nationalism and the fervent defense of national interest above all others is proven to be irrelevant, then this holds several implications for dealing with rising powers.  After all, if nations accept the idea that nationalism and loyalty to a single state and ideology are outdated, then there is little reason to oppose the rise of foreign power. The United States’ hostility to China, therefore, must be reexamined. After all, China follows a market economy, and has slowly been deregulating and conforming to the dominant western ideology, making it little threat ideologically. While China is by no means a democracy, it has not made significant efforts to dethrone the dominant ideology, nor could it stop the avalanche of liberalism if it tried. China is simply not a threat to the United States ideologically, nor is it a threat militarily, thanks to all of the previously mentioned theories of maintained peace between nations; therefore, China should not be treated hostilely. To the contrary, working with China, and furthering the growth of the billion-odd people who live in China would be a great benefit for the United States and humanity as a whole. By openly working with China, and encouraging growth, we could promote development and growth in both our economies. Additionally, put simply, many world problems, such as global warming, cannot be solved by single countries or countries bickering and arguing. To solve the true threats to our species, humanity needs to lay aside the old barriers of nations, and embrace brother and sister as we work for a better future.

            If humankind is able to lie down the artificial boundaries of state, religion, and ideology and promote the growth of rising states, humanity will improve at a whole. The United States, alongside the rest of the liberal Western world, has become a fantastic world power, driving forward technology, science, philosophy, and literature over the course of the last fifty years with only several hundred million people. Imagine what new heights humanity will be able to reach when the entire world is populated with scientists, doctors, philosophers; a world of seven billion progress drivers instead of only five hundred million. If the United States, and the other current Great Powers, lay aside the old prejudices and hostilities towards others, this dream can become a reality. If humankind can put down its artificial boundaries and unite as a species we can save our world from the true threats, global warming being chief among them, and join each other in the light of a better tomorrow.