Modern America- American Globalization
Despite the fact that the term ``globalization`` existed in the early 1960s, it was not until almost thirty years later that it became extremely popular. During the 1990s, this term was mentioned very often because it was the most appropriate word that described the increasingly independent nature of social life all over the world. By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, there were millions of implications of globalization in virtual and in printed space.
Unfortunately, however, early bestsellers on the subject - Samuel Huntigton`s The Clash of Civilizations, Benjamin Barber`s Iihad Versus McWorld, or Thomas Friedman`s The Lexus and the Oliver Tree – had left their readers with the simplistic impression that globalization was the inevitable process of a universalizing Western civilization battling the parochial forces of nationalism, localism, and tribalism. This influential assumption deepened further in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the ensuring Global War on Terror spreadheaded
by an ``American Empire`` of worldwide reach. As a result of this rigid dichotomy that pitted the universal against the particular and the global against the local, many people had trouble recognizing the myriad ties binding religious-traditionalist fundamentalisms to secular postmodernity of the global age. (Steger, 2009: 1).
Many authors emphasize that ``the idea that the globe is being ``Americanized`` has been around for more than a century``. (Marling, 2006: 194). The United States of America is a leading superpower on our planet. US want to strengthen its power and implant its influence all over the world. Americans are spreading their values, such as democracy, freedom, equality and human rights that root from capitalism system. Those values are implanted by media. A great number of daily newspapers and magazines are distributed domestically and across foreign countries. In addition, American television network is the most powerful network in the world. America also spreads its ideology through internet, movie industries, books and program such as student exchange. Implanting American values gives a lot of advantages to the United States of America. For example, whenever people in foreign countries have embraced some American values thoroughly, and believe that they are the best universal values, they will refer to US as their model. When America is already considered as the model of ideal country, it can easily dictate its followers to do anything that benefits US. Besides, since those values are adopted from America, America has a privilege right to define them, depending on its interest. Besides media, United Nations contributed a lot to American constant dominance in the world. In 1945, United Nations was established by four great nations: Great Britain, the United States of America, the Soviet Union and China. The goal of this organization was to maintain the word`s piece. However, America and Great Britain initiated the establishment of this organization. Afterwards, the Soviet Union and China were asked to join. Then, other powerful countries became members of the organization. American politicians realized that they had to control the world government in order to establish international monopolies. United Nations gave many benefits to US in embedding its hegemony. The power of United Nations lies in its ability to reign over all international relationships, such as through International Court of Justice, World Bank, Security Council, General Assembly, GATT, ILO, WHO, UNICEF UNESCO and IMF. However, among all international organizations that are controlled by United Nations, International Monetary Fund or IMF, has the most notorious influence. This organization, with the support from America, gave great amount of soft loans to many countries in economical crisis, especially to the Third World Countries. As the consequence, the countries that entered in IMF debt trap, can be easily dictated monetarily, politically and militarily. The story of the increasing rise of globalization acceleration of American economy begins with information technology, or IT.
The United States is the worldwide leader in almost every key area of the IT experience, including: 1.the fragmentation of the production of IT goods and the functional separation of services activities; 2.accelerating the globalization of America; 3.global sourcing for the production of goods and, increasingly, services; 4.research and development that advances innovation further in the IT sector, with implication more broadly throughout the economy; 5.most importantly, the pervasive use of IT outside technologically advanced factors to enhance economic performance and promote broad economic change. (Mann and Kirkegaard, 2006: 2)
American information technology has come to pervade every aspect of lives of people all around the world. As a result, global society is changing at a speed that is quite unprecedented. From the above examples, we can come to a conclusion that American supremacy on our planet is due to excellent strategies in creating the world order that suits its interests. US use every information or organization that can benefit it. Additionally, US make the rest of the world adopt its values and it turns our planet into a global village. Furthermore, America controls the flow of information and manages the ideological construction of people all over the world to make sure that its propaganda can be taken for granted. The countries which follow American leadership are rewarded by access to American market, exception from sanctions, military assistance and support for membership in international organizations.
Bibliography
1. Mann, Catherine L. and Kirkegaard, Jacob Funk. (2006). Accelerating the Globalization of America: the Role of Information Technology. Washington: Peterson Institute.
2. Marling, William. (2006). How American is Globalization? Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press.
3. Steger, Manferd. (2009). Globalization – A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
