Superpowers

Superpowers

Superpowers are globally important economic, political, cultural and military powers. Who are they? The two superpowers are the USA and the European Union (EU), emerging superpowers are Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs) and important regional superpowers are Japan, Mexico and South Africa.

Key Point - Over time power ‘shifts’... until 1920 the superpower was the British Empire; from 1945–90 the Cold War dominated the world and from 1990 to the present the USA is the dominant power. As to the future, complex groupings of established superpowers exist alongside the BRICs and others.

Superpower Roles

During the period of the British Empire direct and close control was exerted over the countries that were part of the Empire. Today, superpowers still take control over troubled and troublesome countries, such as Iraq, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Kuwait, but rarely do they stay very long!

What is obvious these days is that superpowers are able to use many methods, other than invasion and war, to maintain power and to manipulate countries. This is in effect a form of neo-colonialism. Aid, trade and resources are invariably distributed to former colonies in preference to other countries and invariably the countries that are over-looked really need such help. But nothing is for free. Aid and trade that flows into poorer countries is invariably tied with huge reciprocal debt payments being demanded.

The role of superpowers in international trade, particularly the USA and the EU, is significant (particularly their influence in the World Trade Organisation). Furthermore, the EU and the US’s transnational companies (TNCs) also exert huge influence over less economically developed countries (LEDCs), along with international governmental organisations (IGOs).

In today’s world the USA undoubtedly is the most influential country. Creeping Americanisation brings global brands, global media, TNCs and well-developed transport and communications to every part of the world.

The influence of the USA will decline as the BRICs challenge their supremacy.  What is more important is that old allegiances will change. China, for instance, has developed a massive foothold in Africa and in a number of other countries that have not traditionally been served by the developed world.

The superpower future is bound up in a number of agendas – strategically speaking into the next decade the conflict boundary will continue to be the Middle East and economic growth will occur in those areas with resources, such as Russia, China and Africa. But one agenda will continue to be given only lip service by the new order, that of climate.