Paper: GS – II, Subject: International Relations, Topic: Global issues, Issue: Implications of U.S. decline.
Context:
The US is facing internal crises that threaten its global leadership. These changes may hurt India in the short term but also present long-term strategic opportunities.
Key Highlights:
America’s Internal Policy Crisis:
- Internal crisis: US policies are attacking its own strengths such as universities, companies, and immigration.
Consequences:
These are likened to an “autoimmune disease” — self-destruction from within.
Decline of Pax Americana:
- Period of decline: Debate over when Pax Americana (US-led global dominance) began declining.
- Tracing decline: It can be traced to 1992, post-Soviet collapse and the recent changes in technology, health, and economics.
- Intellectual Decay: US academia faces a credibility crisis such as reproducibility issues and ideological conformity.
- Structural decline: Universities are criticized for Decline in intellectual diversity and Over-dependence on government funding. For instance, Harvard despite a $50B endowment, takes $900M/year in public funds.
- Economic distress: Trump’s economic policies were economically illiterate (e.g., trade wars, tariff hikes), politically motivated (“Make America Great Again” slogan).
- Dual Crisis: Facing a conjoined crisis of Hegemony (declining global influence), Governance (internal dysfunction).
- Cultural crisis: Cultural backlash and campus radicalism erode America’s strategic clarity.
- Strengths persist: Despite crises, US remains dominant in Digital innovation, financial systems, Scientific research and Globalized economy.
- Manufacturing decline: There are concerns on automation and outsourcing hurt US employment and productivity. Only 1 in 10 American workers are in factories, vs 4 in 10 in India/China
Implications for India:
- Short-term pain:
- Fewer visas and international jobs.
- Reduced university placements
- Long-term opportunities:
- Deepen democracy and human capital
- Attract global investment
- Strengthen institutions
- Focus on decentralization and structural reforms
Conclusion:
America is eroding what made it powerful. India should use this shift to accelerate reforms, build capabilities, and emerge as a global leader in the multipolar world.
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