Can You Imagine a World Without a Superpower?

Coined by Dutch-American geo-strategist Nicholas Spykman in 1943, the political term ‘superpower’ is used to refer to a country with the ability to influence events or project power on a global scale. ’ It is difficult, if not impossible to envisage a world without a superpower. There are a number of reasons to support this assumption.

We begin with the first and most blaring- It is simply difficult to imagine a world without a superpower because history itself has shown that there has yet to come a time when one or more powers do not rise above its counterparts in terms of economic and/or political factors to the extent that they are able to impact various issues on a global level. From the ancient civilizations such as the Persian, Roman, Mongol, Portuguese and Spanish empires to the Russia during the Cold War and the USSR today, we have yet to observe a period of time when the world has observed an equitable balance of power.

It can be argued that just because it has not happened yet, does not mean it will not happen one day. This is a firm basis for a counter-argument, however, it must be understood that in the foreseeable future, with more and more powers working towards this ‘superpower’ status (examples include China, Brazil, India and Russia), a world without superpowers is merely a sanguine, idealistic idea. Another issue that would make a world without a superpower a seemingly utopian concept is the difficulty of administrating such a world.

Indeed, if no policing power (such as the USA) had the ability to influence global issues, the world would lack a clear sense of direction. Indeed, major decisions would probably be taken by a representative, multilateral body such as the UN (without a system of permanent seats). In such a scenario, it would be quite difficult to please all the parties involved and a conflict of interest would be inevitable.

In a setup such as today, whereby the United States largely acts as the dominant political enigma, at least decisions are made and issues addressed. For example, in 1991, when the USSR was finally removed from its position as the dominant power of Eastern Europe, its surrounding sphere of influence fell into a spiral of economic and political despair. One can only imagine the repercussions if this happened on global level.

According to Professor Niall Ferguson at New York University’s Stern School of Business ‘power, like nature, abhors a vacuum. In the history of world politics, it seems, someone is always the hegemon, or bidding to become it. ’ This idea proposed by professor Ferguson, is based on the theory that inherently, every country would like power. It is this elusive pull of power and all that it brings with it that would make a world without a superpower merely a product of idealism.

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Superpower Has No Moral Duty to Intervene in Foreign Tyrannies

Lord Acton said “Power corrupts absolutely & absolute power corrupts absolutely. ” And it is no wonder that corrupts superbly. Honourable panel of the jury, respected teachers & all my dear friends, and of course not to forget my worthy but disillusioned opponents, a very warm good afternoon to one & all. Nowadays the burning topic is whether superpower can involve in foreign affairs. Today I master Bright James George would like to speak against the motion ‘Superpower has a moral duty to intervene in foreign tyrannies.

In this contemporary world, superpower has a habit which they call as a ‘moral intervention’. But I refer this as ‘poking their nose in other’s matter’. Since when the superpowers rose into this world, they found this intervention advantageous for them on the other hand harmful for others. I hope my opponents know that every members of United Nations has to abide to its policy. In December 1965, UN General Assembly had declared a policy stating that ‘no country has to intervene in whatsoever affairs of other countries.

My opponents cannot turn a blind eye to these events: US-, Russia Chechnya Conflict. Is this what my opponents call these superpowers’ moral duty by violating the UN policies? You got to think twice, my friends. I fail to understand why my opponents believe in the so called moral duty of superpower intervention. Do superpowers know other country’s background, culture, tradition etc.? They know only a little and remember little knowledge is always dangerous. With a little knowledge how can they intervene in foreign tyrannies?

It doesn’t sound good too either. When a country allows superpower to intervene in their tyrannies, it shows the incapability of the government to control that country. Moreover all the success of that country becomes the glory of the superpower. What a shame then! A country must stand on its own foot. It can only seek help in a very critical situation. My opponents should not forget that in this politically cut-throat competitive world, one never intervenes unless & until if he or she gets a profit out of it. Superpowers do the same.

They only intervene in matters for amassing wealth & especially to quench the thirst of black water, that is, petroleum. It is no doubt that the motive of the Iraq war was to protect US economic interests- American access to gulf oil. Countries like the U. S. have misused its position as superpower says the global political scholar Francis Fukuyama claims “Twenty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the accepted end of the Cold War, the United States has misused its position as a superpower. ” When President Bush sent US troops to Somalia in 1992, he cited a humanitarian reason: to feed the starving Somali Population.

But paradoxically civil Order has broken down, and starvation was usedas a weapon against innocent people. The American troops were engaged in a manhunt for warlord Aideed. This led to ferocious fire fight on October 3, 1993 the search was in futile. Nothing substantial was accomplished. Only misery & sorrow. Percy Bysshe Shelly in his Queen Mab says, “Power, like a desolating pestilence, Pollutes whate’er it touches; and obedience, Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth, Makes slaves of men, and of the human frame A mechanized automaton. ”

According to me, “Superpower, like a destructing nuisance, Pollutes whate’er it intervenes. ” For instance, the former Yugoslavia, the Serbs, Bosnians etc. fought for nationalism. But as the superpowers like Russia intervened for altruistic reasons, things became worse. The final result was the disintegration of Yugoslavia. U. S & China doesn’t give India permanent membership in UN General Assembly. France accepted, UK accepted. Why not the Americans & the Chinese? Just a mere fear of India becoming superpower and superpower becoming soft power.

Afraid of India becoming superpower, the present superpower USA provides arms & ammunitions to Pakistan, so as to suppress India. However my obstinate opponents are still under the illusion of superpower intervention. Why superpower wants to involve in others matter, when they have problems like poverty, economic recession etc. in their country itself? To conclude, I would like to say “superpowers should not mess around with some other countries till theirs is in order. ” Finally those who believe that ‘Superpower has a moral duty to intervene in foreign tyrannies’ I believe they live in the fool’s paradise. Thank you

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Why Boredom Is the Superpower of the 21st Century

Our world is a hive that we buzz around, glued to our phones and anxious to fill up the silence. Here’s what’s happened since I started taking the opposite approach and flooding my senses with silence:

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Every morning, just as the sun is coming up, . I’m talking deliberate writing that I do with a serious expression on my face. This isn’t a game. I don’t do this out of novelty. I don’t do this for money (most of the time). I don’t even do this for fun.

I do it because I have to. I do it because managers manage, doctors doctor and writers write. I do it because if I don’t write today, I will inevitably find a reason not to write tomorrow. And that’s liable to initiate a chain reaction of “tomorrows.”

Sometimes, the writing process is actually one of the most boring parts of my day. And through this experience I’ve actually come to love the feeling of boredom. I worship it. I pray to the “God of Boredom.” Did you get that? I’ll say it again: I love being bored. And I love when people think I’m boring.

This is counterintuitive. This is counter-cultural. Nobody wants boredom. And nobody wants to be called boring. But I do. Most of the things humans have created throughout history have been aimed at alleviating boredom in some way — yet I run toward it, not away. I’ve even dubbed myself “The Most Boring Man Alive.” So, what does it mean to be bored?

Most people think it means having nothing to do. Or having nothing exciting going on. Most people think it means being understimulated, waiting expectantly for something to change their state of being. 

Most people also think that boredom is at odds with creativity. In my estimation, nothing could be further from the truth. When you begin to feel bored, that’s your mind’s way of telling you that it’s running out of entertaining things to think about.

The graphic novel in your head has ended. The music has stopped. Your mental projector has flickered its last scene, and now the crowd in the theater is getting up to leave. But you’re still stuck in the back row.

Being bored is like scrolling to the bottom of the Facebook newsfeed and seeing that there’s no new content to refresh. Well, good riddance, I say.

I’ve never felt this sensation of non-stimulation more acutely than when I lay in a sensory deprivation tank. If you haven’t heard of this experience before, it’s very “California.” The tank is a completely soundproof, lightproof box filled with more than a thousand pounds of salt and water heated to the temperature of your body.

When you get in, you’re buoyant without having to swim and the separation of your skin and the water completely dissolves until you literally can’t feel any sensations except your stomach gurgling, your heart beating and your mind thinking. It’s the closest environment to the womb that an adult can experience.

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It’s terrifyingly boring! For the first 30 minutes, your mind won’t shut up. Floating in that tank with yourself is like being locked in a cell with a mental patient. The chatter is incessant. But, after some time, a creeping sensation of calm sets in and you realize that no matter what, you have to remain in the tank. Then, the ideas start to pour in. An avalanche of ideas. A non-stop suffocating flow of material comes at you from every direction.

I’ve been trying for quite some time to figure out what exactly it is about being bored that leads to these creative bursts, and it’s been hard to articulate. But I think I’m making headway in understanding it now. Boredom is your brain operating without the luxury of distraction.

Think about it: Most of the things we do are an attempt to remove the burden of boredom from our lives by way of distraction. We scroll mindlessly through socia medial, looking for something to give us a little hit of dopamine. We watch videos to pass the time and pop headphones into our ears to silence the boredom from the inside out.

But what happens when we embrace that boredom? What happens when we sit with all the discomfort inside and just exist without trying to turn up the volume? I think that boredom creates a space inside because the noise outside has finally faded into the background.

That silent gap of “nothing” you feel between your thoughts and the outside world is the first step in setting your brain free to be creative. It’s the only place where your thoughts are truly unedited and unadulterated. Those ideas are truly yours. That space is where you’re raw.

Instead of the anticlimax you’d expect from doing “nothing,” you’ll likely find an endless well of fresh ideas and inspirations that will come to your aid just when you think you’re at the end of your rope. Boredom is just another word for stillness — and a little stillness is something we can all use more of, don’t you think?

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So, don’t be afraid. Embracing boredom is the superpower of the 21st century. If you can harness it, you’ll possess a power that most people can no longer access.  

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The Re-Emerging Russian Superpower

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the year have generated renewed analytical interest in Russia’s re-emerging position as a superpower, driven chiefly by its actual, or potential, domination of the global supplies of energy. Along with its role as a swing supplier of oil (enabling it to manipulate the balance of […]

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United States as a World Superpower

The rising to the status of world super power does not happen overnight. To explore the journey to the top, we must recognize the struggles and obstacles that were overcome. As Americans we can proudly say that we live in a country with globally recognized supremacy. As stated earlier, it was not an easy title […]

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