22 September 2001, Copyright © Turkish Daily News

Opinion by Erol Manisali

War and Intervention

The United States' policy of 'sustainable superiority'

The world is trying to find the reasons behind America's "over reaction" and penchant for use of excessive force. Continental Europe is worried and the number of people uneasy over the giant's show of force is increasing.

America is signalling it is going to intervene in the countries of the Middle East and Asia and is stating this is not a fight against terrorism but "war".

Even the highest United States officials are not completely ruling out the use of nuclear weapons; they are keeping the door ajar.

This is not about Bin-Ladin or Taliban. America's new policy is being born of "the need for America to continuously show its might in the world."

The polarization into Eastern and Western camps during the Cold War prevented actual conflicts or displays of force from being made. The horror posed by intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons precluded this. As the finger was always on the trigger, this gave rise to deterrent.

With the end of the Cold War, they took their fingers off the triggers, and deterrence became a thing of the past. The American polarized world order that was wanted to replace it was left in limbo in practice.

Globalization did not suffice.

Economically speaking, globalization increased the dominance of the United States, the West and multinational corporations over the world. However, globalization. However, the 'relaxation' that emerged with globalization created new nuclear and ICBM assets for many countries in Asia. If nobody says "Stop!" the his, then the United States could lose its strategic superiority completely within 15 years or so. The only way to prevent this is for the United States to continuously show its might.

There is much literature on Sustainable Growth and Sustainable Superiority. Stable and consistent economic growth have become important issues for countries because this consistency equates to a steady increase in income, constant employment; in short, perpetual welfare.

The United States is today seeking ways of perpetuating "Super Power America". The perpetuation of an "American-centered" world, or to put in American terms "Sustainable Superiority" or he continuation of the United States' current strategic position, hinges upon the country being able to constantly show its might.

We can call this, "The perpetuation of the old anti-democratic order in the world" after the 1990s. It looks like the only and inescapable route for the United States is for the most powerful to continuously use force to maintain the America-centered world order. It is now the only way the United States can maintain its present super power status.

War and Sustainable Superiority

In this way, the unnamed facts behind the response to the terrorist attack in America being "war and world intervention" are becoming understood. The United States will be able to perpetuate the current American-centered and monopolar world order through America's constant use of force.

The preservation of the current balances (imbalances) has become sustainable only through intervention and localized conflicts.

Multi-polar danger!

The searches for an "Asia-originated" multipolar system that have become widespread within the last five years constitute a development that is greatly disturbing United States circles. This is because multipolarity is being purported to be an alternative to the American-centered monopolar world order.

Certain "Western" countries like France and Japan have begun to support multipolarity. The United States has now begun to use war and overseas intervention thanks to this act of terrorism and this is being seen as an obstacle to the Asia-originated multipolarity.

United States circles are saying that Sept. 11 was the start of a new era and is setting a new "calendar", which shows that the country has pressed the start button for Sustainable Superiority.

This policy of Sustainable Superiority is probably not going to be a policy that either Europe or Asia are going to be able to simply say "Yes" to. This is because such a policy directly clashes with not just Asian strategic interests but with those of Europe, too.

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