September 11 Exposed the Weaknesses of a Complacent Superpower Essay

The unthinkable even offts of September 11 have called into capitulum things that once seemed indisputable about the States. The end of the Cold War brought with it notions of the Statesn achievement economically, militarily, and in intelligence. The only challenge to this supremacy had been the Soviet Union, and its collapse ensured that the United States was safe to take its place as the worlds only superpower. However, in the decade followers the end of the Cold War, America has not been willing to accept the responsibility that accompanies this position. The weaknesses exposed by the attack all point to a need for America to abandon its perception of itself as invincible, because that attitude is precisely what made it so vulnerable. America needs to be willing to constantly reevaluate itself and question whether or not it is acting responsibly, as a superpower should. What constitutes a superpower? This is a question that must be answered in order to determine where America stands after September 11. There is no question that America is the dominate force in the world both militarily and economically, and both of these factors play an classical role in defining it as a superpower. However, these are two factors that are only relevant when looking at the whole world. Internal factors similarly play a role in defining a country as a superpower. First of all, the country must have a feel of safety. People living in a superpower feel that they are untouchable and that as long as they stay under the security mantle that their government offers, no harm will come their way. In addition, the strong superpower will be held up by a strong infrastructure. intelligence information should be a top priority to ensure the safety of the people of the supe... ...g to join. The events of September 11 have changed the America forever. Undoubtedly, the age of American innocence is over. However, the question remains does the end of innocence mean the end of super power status? The reevaluation of American hegemony is inevitable, but will this reevaluation signify the end of the hegemony? Undoubtedly, America dominates the world scene, even after the attack, but it must begin to understand better what it means to dominate this ever-changing world. America must never again sink into the complacence that had taken over in the past decade. It is only through constant reevaluation that America will ever truly understand the huge responsibility that accompanies cosmos the worlds lone superpower. Sources CNN, Anthrax victim urges Americans to stand together, http//www.cnn.com/2001/US/11/05/anx.anthrax.facts/