How did America become a dominant global power?

[evthis]

America is amongst the world's youngest countries yet it dominates the rest of the globe. . .how did this come to be?

 

[vikasj007]

it is not exactly true, coz i think that instead of dominating, it is interfearing with the rest of the globe, just to try to prove trhat it is dominating and influential.

 

[evthis]

Would you deny the fact that America is the most powerful military machine on this world we live on?

 

[cragwolf]

1. Vast natural resources and excellent climate(s).
2. Anglo-Saxon culture, Protestant work ethic.
3. Huge immigrant resource when it was needed.

Those are the most important reasons, I think.

 

[Mk]

Would you deny the fact that America is the most powerful military machine on this world we live on?

Well, the way I see it, the more money you have, the more stuff you will have, and would you agree a military is a rather important thing to have for a nation?

The U.S. also pretty much lands in the top ten for anything good, like life expectancy, quality of living, etc. Apparently they are not a country that makes a living on warfare.

 

[poolwin2001]

America is atleast 500 yrs old!
Say India is ony about 50yrs old.

 

[Mk]

Or germany? Or Russia? European countries have been around for freaking FOREVER, and how did the Americans get ahead in only 300 years? Maybe Americans work harder? My friend told me about his friend who worked in London, almost every week was a three day weekend. Or maybe Europe's land has been all used up too much, after all those years? And of course we all know that the U.S. has pleanty arable land.

 

[Bladibla]

Or germany? Or Russia? European countries have been around for freaking FOREVER, and how did the Americans get ahead in only 300 years? Maybe Americans work harder? My friend told me about his friend who worked in London, almost every week was a three day weekend. Or maybe Europe's land has been all used up too much, after all those years? And of course we all know that the U.S. has pleanty arable land.

Well, americans are strictly Europeans if you count it by history..

 

[brewnog]

Well, americans are strictly Europeans if you count it by history..

Exactly. Take a bunch of carefully selected, wise Europeans, and put them in a new land where they have a vast array of natural resources, it's not really surprising.

 

[the number 42]

Many nations/empires have climbed to the top, but none have ever had 1/ WMDs or 2/ WMDs with a global reach. Those poor Romans had to march everywhere to kick your ass. America may be young, but a gun in the hands of a toddler is still a gun, and may be all the more frightening for it.

 

[cronxeh]

Its very easy, actually. There are only a few groups of people who actually generate wealth, and among them are engineers. While the rest of the populus spreads and shuffles around the wealth - lawyers, bankers, accountants, etc - an engineer is not really dependent upon them.

The United States became powerful only after the great depression to be exact, and essentially thanks to Chemical Engineers. As a matter of fact, Germany would have never been to WW2 if the French destroyed the chemical factories. But being French, they didnt, and the ammonium production in Germany allowed the Germans to make tires for trucks, explosives for bombs, food fertilizers for soldiers and citizens, and later on first chemical weapons, and get back to their feet only after like 8 years, and enter WW2 with full power. The inventor of the deadly gas was Jewish and he had to flee Germany to United States after Nazis have seized the power.

While the Europe was fighting between itself, the best and the brightest minds fled to United States -- as I was told once 'the best brains were leaking to USA'. You can look at Japan and see how they became one of the most powerful nations- after the war between the United States, and even being nuked twice, they were aided by US and due to their engineering-type-o people now they are very advanced.

Plus there is another factor. Immigrants are a cheap labor, and they enter the country by dozens everyday. When you have a competition it also gives rise to progress, and with aid of cheaper labor you can really generate a lot of wealth.

 

[russ_watters]

America is amongst the world's youngest countries...

That's not exactly true, depending on how you define "country." Most people outside the US tend to define it through ethnicity (nationalism). The US is defined by its government (patriotism) and that is key to understanding why we are dominant: The US has one of the oldest governments in the world. The British (for example) might say they are the same country they were 500 years ago, but they were an almost pure monarchy when the US was born. They may be the same people, but they are not the same country. Germany and Japan are only 60 years old. Russia is only 15. Etc, etc, etc.

...yet it dominates the rest of the globe. . .how did this come to be?

In light of the above, this should not be surprising. Germany has had 60 years to become what it is today. We've had over 200.

The United States became powerful only after the great depression to be exact...

Not true. The War of 1812 was essentially a second war for Independence and we beat England, cementing our status as a first-rate power (granted, we weren't really as powerful as England, but we were in the same category). By 1900, we were pretty much the top power - Roosevelt sent The Great White Fleet of 16 battleships on a world tour, essentially to stake our claim to superppower status in 1907. Since then, the only challenges to US dominance have been relatively brief (Hitler from ~1930-45, the USSR from ~1930-1990). Today, there are two challenges to our economic supremacy (the EU, [if that counts], and China) and none even close to us militarily.

 

[selfAdjoint]

The War of 1812 was essentially a second war for Independence and we beat England

Would you like to reconsider that? They burned Washington D.C., and our victories consisted of a couple if frigate actions, some sailboats on Lake Erie, and New Orleans, which took place after the treaty had been signed. I'd say it was a stand-off, and that only because the Brits were still fighting Napoleon.

 

[Clausius2]

Viewed from here it seems that USA has benefited from a mixture of
European citizens. I think USA is what it is today thanks to the former european inmigrants who went there, searching for a new life and new home, and running away from the poverty it was being established here. Every of USA citizens are heirs of that primary illusion, which eventually has boosted the nowadays power of USA.

Also, brilliant scientists have moved to USA in last centuries. A greater economic power has enhanced a larger scientific budget, and this feedbacks again into the economic advance.

I had a physics professor that used to say Americans are not sciencists, but the sciencist are the european sciencists who has moved to USA. He said Americans themselves only undertsand about Economy and how to make money. I don't agree with that issue, I thing just right now USA has the two advantages: you know how to make science on your own way (although your former mentors were european) and also you know how to make money. This two united characteristics are essential for your mundial power.

 

[Chi Meson]

Consider also that the USA is NOT the dominant economic power currently. THat would be China. Nothing beats a vast supply of low wage workers to get an economy going! This is one of the reasons that the US economy boomed (on and off) through the 1800's.

edit: OK, by most measures China is still not #1, but it is the fastest frowing economy and is projected to be #1 very soon. I am not an economist.

One of the reasons the US economy is "stalling," (please note I said "one of the reasons...") is that our work force demands a livable wage, and we expect a lot of wages to get to "livableness."

So the work and the economic power go to China.

And I agree with Russ. ("Yeah, what he said!")

 

[Entropy]

American is successful because of food. Food is the fundamental thing people need to live. American produces enormous amounts of food. The great plains of America are amongst the most fertile lands in the world. People need not worry about growing food, so they focus on other things. Science, religion, art and other industries. Think about it, how many people starve to death in America or are malnurished?

 

[brewnog]

how many people starve to death in America or are malnurished?

The current trend is for deaths caused by the exact opposite of malnutrition.

 

[matthyaouw]

Exactly. Take a bunch of carefully selected, wise Europeans, and put them in a new land where they have a vast array of natural resources, it's not really surprising.

Yup, that's what I was thinking. Yes, it was a new nation, but it started off with all the skills and knowledge of the Europeans, and continued to trade new technologies with them, (and does to this day) while having vast, un tapped natural resources and room to spread out.

 

[russ_watters]

Would you like to reconsider that? They burned Washington D.C., and our victories consisted of a couple if frigate actions, some sailboats on Lake Erie, and New Orleans, which took place after the treaty had been signed. I'd say it was a stand-off, and that only because the Brits were still fighting Napoleon.

[shurg] The war resulted in them leaving us alone for good. As we learned in Vietnam, winning battles does not guarantee winning a war.

Yup, that's what I was thinking. Yes, it was a new nation, but it started off with all the skills and knowledge of the Europeans, and continued to trade new technologies with them, (and does to this day) while having vast, un tapped natural resources and room to spread out.

Good point - the US was the land of opportunity right from the start. We had a group of wise founding fathers (imported) and the unique opportunity to build a government from scratch using the knowledge gained from European expeirences and philosophy. Add to that millions of square miles of land to expand (insert Indian caveat here). No country has ever, to my knowledge had such a great opportunity - and as someone else put it recently, we didn't have the baggage of history to get in the way of building a new government.

 

[Artman]

American is successful because of food. Food is the fundamental thing people need to live. American produces enormous amounts of food. The great plains of America are amongst the most fertile lands in the world. People need not worry about growing food, so they focus on other things. Science, religion, art and other industries. Think about it, how many people starve to death in America or are malnurished?

The importance of this is very true. The USSR began buying wheat back in the 70's before their government fell. This could also have contributed to the fall of the Mayan empire and was a factor in the fall of Roman Empire (the Romans lost interest in farming and imported much of their food. Sadly there is a trend toward this in the USA.)

http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/cmrs/0221002.html

Roman urban wealth depended entirely too much on slavery. As long as Roman armies were winning, fresh supplies of slaves kept agricultural surpluses going, but with the series of defeats that began in the third century, agricultural production declined, leading by the fourth century to severe shortages of labor, exceeded only by even more severe shortages of food, widespread famine, chronic urban poverty and disease.

 

[spender]

America is amongst the world's youngest countries yet it dominates the rest of the globe. . .how did this come to be?

America dominates in mediocrocity,quality stuff comes from Europe ,Japan.

 

[klusener]

America is atleast 500 yrs old!
Say India is ony about 50yrs old.

America is not 500 years old, and India had its independence before the British invaded it, it had its independence for thousands of years, before the British invaded for 2 centuries and then left, leaving behind in its wake a mass corruptive bureaucracy...

 

[brewnog]

the British invaded for 2 centuries and then left, leaving behind in its wake a mass corruptive bureaucracy...

Along with train lines, shipping ports, credit networks, telecommunications, a postal service, canals...

I'm not saying it's right to march into a country and make them operate how you want them to (whilst thieving natural resources), but it can have its up-sides.

 

[megas]

well guys, the reason America is doing so well is not only the "skills" but our economy today. America has the best economic system, that is why we are on top of most countrys. Our market is genious, its amazing, the richest country in the world... AMERICA.

 

[K.J.Healey]

I think that America is doing so well because of the rapid low-cost development we've had since our founding. What was the source of this development? Slave labor. I'm not talking about 1800's african slave labor (though that was the start) but the general severe treatment of the working class in america in the early to mid 1900's. Auto industry workers were basically treated as slaves or robots (as seen in the philosophy behind the engineers in those days like frederick taylor).
By pushing our massive population to the edge of overexhaustion we were able to defeat most of the world's product output. There of course are limits to this, as well as other contributing factors.

But I cannot think of another country who rose to power without a sever depression of the lower working class. China, Korea, England, France they've all had it in the past during their fuedal periods (which just so happen to be the same as their rise to power).

What do you guys think? Its not about the age of the country, but about their use of the population.

 

[klusener]

Along with train lines, shipping ports, credit networks, telecommunications, a postal service, canals...

I'm not saying it's right to march into a country and make them operate how you want them to (whilst thieving natural resources), but it can have its up-sides.

You are right man, I am not blaming the British for what has happened after they left, because the whole thing is the fault of petty indian politicians.. We have people who don't even care about India ( sonia gandhi ) who are leading the party in power in India...

 

[megas]

well the use of their population did effect the economy. (yes back in the day, they do have economies) But yah i think that would start the rise to power with the slaves, sure..well, america like other countries, has had its civil wars, that made the best decision for the country.

 

[spender]

Very small percent of Americans lives in relative finnancial security,the rest lives beoyond European or Japanese standarts,stuck with paying their astronomical credit card debt,car loans and paying up to their necks for visit to the doctor.

 

[spender]

Secret to the American "success"-- Wars .Whenever American economy gets stale and utterly corrupted we have new war and war means high profit,busy factoriess.Busy factoriess means people working and earning money and spending them on a stuff.If people spend too much, whole system needs another correction, that means another war.

 

[misskitty]

I think another substanial factor of the U.S. having the power that it does have is that we have always been very subborn. For example, look at the Revolutionary War. Yes, we went to war to get our Independance from England, but we were essentially Independent to begin with. We had our own govenors, laws, court systems; compact stating how we were going to govern ourselves (i.e. The Mayflower Compact, The Virginia House of Burgressis, etc.) we had our own militias and money and trading system.

This was all mainly due to the extensive salutory neglect by England. When King George III approached Parliment, he sighted salutory neglect as the reason to begin reigning them in. Not to mention he was BROKE from fighting the French-Indian War with France. He needed money, whay better way to get it than by taxing your colonies in the New World.

Because we're so subborn and independent we've been able to put that to good use and make it work out to our benefit.

 

[franznietzsche]

America is amongst the world's youngest countries yet it dominates the rest of the globe. . .how did this come to be?

Actually we are the world's oldest country.

We are the longest standing government, no other country currently has a government as old as our own.

 

[misskitty]

Weren't we the first country to have a functional Democratic government?

 

[Integral]

Actually we are the world's oldest country.

We are the longest standing government, no other country currently has a government as old as our own.

This simply cannot be correct. Britain's monarchy dates back to nearly the Romans and its Parliament to the Magna Carta of 1215, several hundred years before the discovery of the Americas.

 

[misskitty]

Britain was one of the first countries to establish a Parliment, wasn't it?

 

[misskitty]

Actually, China and Japan's govenments predate many of the European governments, including the time of the Romans. Japan has the longest reigning monarchy, but China has the longest govenement.

 

[Integral]

Actually, China and Japan's governments predate many of the European governments, including the time of the Romans. Japan has the longest reigning monarchy, but China has the longest government.

The traditional Chinese form of government was terminated by Ho Chi Min and the communists. So the current Chinese government originated in about 1948.

 

[spender]

This simply cannot be correct. Britain's monarchy dates back to nearly the Romans and its Parliament to the Magna Carta of 1215, several hundred years before the discovery of the Americas.

SHUT UP ! AMERICA IS # 1 !

 

[misskitty]

Even though the Chinese government was terminated by Ho Chi Min, the traditional government still counts as a government. It may not be the longest running consecutive government, but it still counts as a government.

Communism didn't exsist until the early 1900's anyway.

 

[russ_watters]

I think that America is doing so well because of the rapid low-cost development we've had since our founding. What was the source of this development? Slave labor. I'm not talking about 1800's african slave labor (though that was the start) but the general severe treatment of the working class in america in the early to mid 1900's...

But I cannot think of another country who rose to power without a sever depression of the lower working class. China, Korea, England, France they've all had it in the past during their fuedal periods (which just so happen to be the same as their rise to power).

What do you guys think? Its not about the age of the country, but about their use of the population.

Well, I think most countries went through about the same growing pains during the industrial revolution, so the exploitation of workers wouldn't be enough to explain it.

Very small percent of Americans lives in relative finnancial security,the rest lives beoyond European or Japanese standarts,stuck with paying their astronomical credit card debt,car loans and paying up to their necks for visit to the doctor.

Statistics, please.

This simply cannot be correct. Britain's monarchy dates back to nearly the Romans and its Parliament to the Magna Carta of 1215, several hundred years before the discovery of the Americas.

Britain is no longer a "real" monarchy - its government is fundamentally different today than it was when the US was founded. Hence, the US is older than Britain. [explained in detail in post #12]

Actually, China and Japan's govenments predate many of the European governments, including the time of the Romans. Japan has the longest reigning monarchy, but China has the longest govenement.

Japan ceased being a monarchy after WWII.

 

[misskitty]

I thought their family still exsisted even though they don't rule?

 

[franznietzsche]

This simply cannot be correct. Britain's monarchy dates back to nearly the Romans and its Parliament to the Magna Carta of 1215, several hundred years before the discovery of the Americas.

So does american government date back to the 1600s with the formation of colonial governments? No, it dates back to 1783 with the passing of the constitution.

The monarchy is not the ruling government of Britain.

As i understood it, Britain's government in its current form dates to the mid-1800s, but i may be wrong about that.

Either way, we are not among the world's youngest government.

 

[franznietzsche]

Even though the Chinese government was terminated by Ho Chi Min, the traditional government still counts as a government. It may not be the longest running consecutive government, but it still counts as a government.

Communism didn't exsist until the early 1900's anyway.

Wait...did you just say Ho Chi Minh terminated the CHINESE government?

Ho Chi Minh was vietnamese...

 

[franznietzsche]

Britain is no longer a "real" monarchy - its government is fundamentally different today than it was when the US was founded. Hence, the US is older than Britain. [explained in detail in post #12] J

Thank you much.

 

[misskitty]

The traditional Chinese form of government was terminated by Ho Chi Min and the communists. So the current Chinese government originated in about 1948.

This is what I was talking about.

 

[misskitty]

I should have quoted that in my earlier post. My bad.

 

[franznietzsche]

The traditional Chinese form of government was terminated by Ho Chi Min and the communists. So the current Chinese government originated in about 1948.

That would be Mao. Ho Chi Minh was vietnamese. Mao founded chinese communism when he drove out Chian Kai-shek.

Mao.

Everybody got it?

Good.

 

[misskitty]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[spender]

One more secret to the American "succes" is to live on borrowed money as no other nation does.Everything in USA is build on credit,budget deficit is astronomical,people just don't save any money instead live on credit. They get into credit card debt, and spend this borrowed cash on JUNK!
America is living beyond its means and sooner or later everything will collapse.What is worse if America sinks countless nations will go down also, Canada going to go down next

 

[Grogs]

I think the answer to the original question (and regardless of whether the USA is actually a young nation or not) is largely a matter of geographic isolation. Since 1814 when Andrew Jackson defeated the British at New Orleans, no foreign army of any significance has set foot on American soil. At the same time, there have been several large scale wars in Europe. In 1945 for example, most of continental europe had been decimated by WWII while across the ocean the American war machine had spurred its production to an all-time high. Had it not been for Stalin and his brutal modernization tactics coupled with the US fear of communism, it's likely this industrial superiority would have vanished rapidly.

 

[misskitty]

Interesting way to look at it. Never thought of it that way. Its a good point Grogs. I will agree with you on that.