Monday, October 29, 2012
Structured Response Question
It is definitely more difficult for a President to lead in the Cold War era since there was a larger responsibility as one of the two superpowers. The United States was a leader to the democratic societies worldwide that feared falling into communism. Also, there isn't a constant fear of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. A simple mistake could have caused conflict within the two superpowers and therefore led to military conflict and massive casualties. Post Cold-War Presidents do not have to worry about a nuclear war since the United Nations has created multiple treaties and agreements stating the "rules of war" and limiting the usage of nuclear weapons. Also, there are currently multiple superpowers so there is less stress and responsibility.
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I also agree that post Cold War leadership is more difficult but I disagree on some aspects of your reasoning. Once the Cold War was over, the US was the sole superpower of the world and the responsibility once shared by the soviets rested squarely on the US' shoulders. Also, yes, the lack of an imminent nuclear threat relieves the president of much stress, but it was this fear that allowed the executive branch to gain much support. If you did not agree with the government, you were a communist. The president no longer has that power; often times, disagreeing with the government is favored by many. Additionally, our enemies are no longer as clearly defined which makes fighting them exceeding more difficult than fighting the USSR.
ReplyDeleteThe red scare was merely a media portrayed situation that caused many people to lose their jobs and caused the entire society to "be on their toes" when discussing issues that may sound communist. The United States was the only superpower for a couple of years, but the UK and other European countries have risen to make it a multipolar world. I don't think that the United States has no clear defined enemies, instead I think that since it is such a relied-on country, it is forced with the responsibility to respond to crisis occurring in the world.
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