Globalisation

Global political players
America’s global role in the 21st century: With the collapse
of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the
US became the only political superpower in the world.
As a
result, it took on the role of ‘global policeman’, starting
with the Gulf War (1991). Following the terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon on
11th September 2001, President Bush declared war on
terrorism.
The unstable Middle East region with its explosive mix
of poverty, oil interests, nuclear capacity, radical followers
of Islam and international terrorism is America’s area of
chief concern at the beginning of the 21st century. The US
have tried to control these various dangers and to build up
democratic and free societies in unstable areas by using
diplomacy, treaties, trade contracts, economic pressure and
military interventions. By intervening militarily in Afghanistan
and Iraq, the US has also demonstrated that they are
prepared to use their military power in their own selfinterest.
The United Nations was founded after the end of World
War II by the victorious world powers who hoped that it
would act to prevent conflicts between nations and to make
future wars impossible. The UN aims to promote peace,
justice, human rights and economic development. It provides
a framework for cooperation in international security
through peace-keeping forces and humanitarian assistance.