One thing that has consistently made the headlines over the last few years and seems to be a topic of discussion around the world, especially amongst the informed and the more optimistic Indians is the topic of India, along with China, joining the USofA as superpowers of the world. Different people and different experts put different timelines to this, but they all seem to speak with a lot of certainty about it. There is also certainty about the fact that China is going to get there first.
So, I thought, this would be a very good time to give some thought to what makes a country a superpower and whether the concept of superpowerdom is relevant in the world of today, whether we need one at all?
The concept of a superpower came to the forefront after The 2nd World War with USA and the former USSR emerging as the two superpowers of the world (the origins of the concept can actually be traced back to the early 1930’s). The two represented two different political ideologies, very closely linked with two different models of economic development. This was the primary conflict of the Cold War, which was fought in the political arena, militarily and in the space.
For a country to be recognized as a superpower, it has to have the ability to influence things in the world. This influence can be good or bad, as we all know, and it comes from a combination of political, military, economic and cultural factors.
The world has changed quite a bit since the Cold War. In the 21st century, whether a country has the influence of a superpower would depend upon if the following is true for her –
Politically!
- A stable, representative and transparent government with a functioning judiciary
- A clean human rights record where every citizen has access to all the resources that he/she needs to lead a dignified life, including things like education, medical care etc.
- A progressive international role through an active participation in global and regional affairs and in bodies like the UN, ASEAN etc.
Economically!
- A sizable population that through its consumption ensures a sizable economy (in terms of GDP) and an improving standard of living for everyone
- A favourable balance of trade (more exports than imports) ensuring dependence of the rest of the world on the country’s economic output, its raw materials, products and services (not just services)
- A hub of innovation and enterprise to ensure continued progress
- An independent and established space research and development program, which would enable continued technological advancement
Militarily!
- Deterrents in place for any kind of aggression against the country and if an armed aggression does happen, the ability to respond and reclaim in the minimum needed time
- Ability to reach and strike any part of the world
- Self-sufficiency through indigenous arms production
Culturally!
- Excellent centers of education and ground breaking research, in every field
- Dominance in various sports and sporting events, with a culture of achievement in sports
- Rich and progressive literature that makes ideas commonly accessible and carries them beyond the country’s boundaries
All of the above mentioned factors would have to come together to make a country influential enough in the global arena. Whether the superpower then uses the influence for the common good of the world or not is a collective responsibility of the political leadership and the general populace of the country, along with the rest of the world.
Do we need superpowers in the world and does having them help the ideals of a truly global world? I don’t think so!
Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union, very rightly said on his 75th birthday that “Despite the great opportunity that the end of the Cold War presented to the U.S. to build a safer and more stable world, it only strengthened America's arrogance and unilateralism”.
We are bound to be more secure when all countries of the world have the basics for a life of dignity and equal opportunity in place for their people, and are progressing together. But that seems unlikely in the near future. To ensure balanced progress, to ensure that the fruits of progress reach every region of the world and most importantly to keep a check on the greed of a few, we need to be a multi-polar world today – a world with multiple power centers, which would pave the way for an equal world of tomorrow.
The one common theme that emerges from the above mentioned factors, and is very important keeping the current geo-politics of the world in mind, is that for any superpower to play a positive role in the world, she would have to be largely self-sufficient while supplying to the other nations of the world.
(Where India currently is as compared to each of these factors of superpowerdom is what I would present a perspective on, in the next post.)
2 comments:
I totally agree with your definitions here about a super power but I have some comments as well:
I don't think these criteria can be reached my multiple countries without the support of a global group/board/organisation at the moment this kind of organisation does not exist. The UN has not been set up to help develop and sustain super powers - in fact they seem to be there to try and keep super powers in check which doesn't encourage growth for anyone. This has yet to exist before there can be multiple super powers or at the very least develop along side them. (From my experience the EU is the only closest think to an organisation that exists to foster equal growth between nations and again I would point to Ireland as a country, that in a short amount of time, went from ignored except for the arts and tourism, to a thriving business and innovation centre - an equal certainly to the "old" super powers of Europe(granted they always had the educated back ground to begin with...))
My other thought is that throughout and towards the end of your post there seems to run an Anti-USofA sentiment...the only thing to say here is that of all those criteria I would say the US is one that presents most if not all of them - let's not through out the whole country and things we can learn and respect of them simply because of a close minded and ignorant government...I do believe there is much to be learnt from the thriving citizens who chose not to go into politics but invent the things and improve those existing that we so rely on now...
That's all - looking forward to your thought on India!
Shantanu: the first bit of your comment is a little confusing
do you mean that it should be the responsibility of the UN or any such body to make superpowers?
Frances: to support the development of them
Shantanu: :)
Frances: well to keep the balence
Shantanu: you don't need superpowers in the world and thus there is no need for a body that makes superpowers
Frances: no I"m saying you multiple ones
like you were saying
Shantanu: and the moment a body comes just keep a balance - it can never be un-biased and not have an agenda to push
Frances: ?
are you giving your oppinion or saying mine?
Shantanu: its almost like saying that there should be an agency that creates superpowers to against the existing ones to restore the balance
I am giving my opinion - which seems to be contrary to yours
a governance body is needed to ensure equal & balanced development of the world
and the countries themselves would take on the onus of getting their superpowerdom
Frances: um...
no I would agree that
Shantanu: the fact is - that the term superpower today connotes negativism because of our past experiences
Frances: I think there needs to be multiple super powers
Shantanu: if you boil superpowerdom down to influence - and then the responsibility of nations comes in to use their influence right
yes - and I completely agree with that
which is what I have said as well
but you can't develop multiple superpowers
Frances: and this int'l org would be there to support development
in each of the ares you out linesl
lined
Shantanu: its like creating a NSA so that the CIA is not the only power center in the US - now imagine an organization taking this role, what would you call an organization like this?
the governance body needs to be there to ensure that all this happens for everyone - every country of the world
Frances: ya that's what I mean
Shantanu: the multi-polar world is the needed transition phase to creating an equal world
but...
your comment seems to suggest otherwise
Frances: no i don't think so
Shantanu: your comment seems to suggest that there needs to be a body which helps a few countries become superpowers
Frances: any country
Shantanu: "The UN has not been set up to help develop and sustain super powers - in fact they seem to be there to try and keep super powers in check which doesn't encourage growth for anyone." - this is what the UN should be doing in any case - as a governance body, to keep check in a unilateral world, and they would have to do this (probably to a lesser extent) even in a multi-polar world
but who picks the countries which should become superpowers?
Frances: it's about a country developing them selves
Shantanu: exactly
Frances: but yo ustill need aide - $$$ - support for things you can't do - help getting things out you do well
Shantanu: :)
you miss a very important point that I make then - that for a country to be a superpower, it needs to be self-reliant first
hypothetically, a UN or a World Bank doesn't give aid to India because it wants India to become a superpower
if that was a role of the UN - imagine how much political the UN would become
because the countries that run the UN, behind the scenes, would define where all this goes & they would never want another power center
I should respond with all of this to your comment :)
Frances: that's why it can't be the UN it needs to be some other kind of group
Shantanu: no matter which group, do you agree that it would have to represent every nation of the world, for it to have a global reach, recognition & credibility in matters like these?
Frances: I do'nt htink it should be a representive of every country but just of qulified leaders
Shantanu: to help a few hand-picked countries become superpowers?
:)
Frances: there not there for countries but for their brains
Shantanu: alright cool :)
Frances: I don't see much being done with 200 odd ppl
Shantanu: we will keep this discussion to the blog then :)
Frances: who inevitably are going to bulled
bullied
Shantanu: I am copy pasting this bit of the chat as a comment :)
Frances: ok
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