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***Hegemony advantage answers
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***Hegemony advantage answersOverstretch answersNo impact to overstretch – the U.S. will still retain primacy Lieber, 8 - Professor of Government and International Affairs at Georgetown University (Robert, “The Declinists Are Wrong Again,” Perspectives Papers on Current Affairs, 7/30, http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/perspectives47.html) The Declinists Are Back Scarcely a day goes by without yet another book, article, speaker or report asserting that America is in trouble. We are told that the rise of China and India, the recovery of Putin’s Russia and the expansion of the European Union signal a profound shift in geopolitical power. War and insurgency in Iraq and the tenacity of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan are cited as evidence that military commitments are “breaking” the army. The leaders of Iran and North Korea vilify America and frustrate efforts to limit their nuclear programs. President Chavez of Venezuela, fortified by $130 per barrel oil, denounces Yankee imperialism and threatens to cut off oil shipments to the US. Meanwhile, opinion polls show widespread anti-American sentiment abroad. On the domestic front, the subprime mortgage crisis, investment bank turmoil, a yawning balance of payments deficit, and the falling dollar lead to a warning that, “We are competing – and losing – in a global marketplace.” And America has become an “enfeebled” superpower, according to Fareed Zakaria, who adds that while the US will not be replaced in the foreseeable future, nevertheless, “Just as the rest of the world is opening up, America is closing down.” The declinists’ central proposition holds that both the rise of other countries and an increasing degree of counterbalancing are transforming the international system and profoundly weakening the leading role of the United States in world affairs. The new declinism rests not only on a global narrative, but it also makes an argument about fundamental domestic weaknesses. It points to the long-term burdens of entitlement programs, which will face large unfunded liabilities. Deficits in international trade and payments and the federal budget, a major credit crisis, collapse of the residential housing bubble and economic turbulence add to the list of troubles. Another clearly overdue task concerns the need to reduce dependence on imported oil and the resultant economic and security vulnerabilities. America’s infrastructure is aging and in need of repair and modernization. In addition, the effectiveness of government institutions may be less than optimal, as evident in the chaotic response to Hurricane Katrina, ongoing problems at the Department of Homeland Security, cumbersome interaction among intelligence agencies, and the need for more effective coordination of national security policy. An Alternative Viewpoint It is premature to write the epitaph for American power and leadership. In contrast to these arguments and analyses, America continues to maintain a position of relative predominance, and despite an increasing diffusion of power, no single country has emerged as a plausible counterpart or peer competitor. Apart from the long-term possibility of China, none is likely to do so. Similarly, without minimizing the impact of domestic problems, it would be wise not to overstate the likelihood of fundamental economic decline. Current challenges are ultimately manageable and are likely to prove less daunting than those that afflicted the US economy in the mid- to late-1970s and early 1980s. It is worth reminding ourselves that the overall size and dynamism of the economy remains unmatched. Consider that America continues to lead on comparative measures of competitiveness, technology and innovation, for example ranking first in information technology and second (after Finland) in overall competitiveness. The US even ranks first in “space competitiveness.” Higher education and science represent another huge asset. America’s major research universities are outstanding in their international stature and rankings, occupying 17 of the top 20 places and 35 of the top 50. Noteworthy, 70 percent of the world’s Nobel Prize winners work in US institutions. Broad demographic trends also favor the United States, whereas countries that are possible peer competitors face much more adverse patterns of aging populations. This is not only true for Russia, Europe, and Japan, but even China is affected as a result of its long-standing one child policy. America’s birthrate is consistently higher than in those countries and its population continues to grow through natural increase as well as immigration. Population patterns thus contribute to the long-term persistence of American predominance. Militarily, no other country possesses anything like the capacity of the United States to project power on a global basis. American military technology remains unmatched, and even when foreign countries may achieve comparable quality in producing an individual type of modern weapon, none come close to parity in the overall systems applicable to land, sea or air warfare. While military spending is enormous in real terms, the defense budget amounts to approximately 4.2 percent of GDP. That contrasts with 6.6 percent at the height of the Reagan buildup and double digit percentages during the early and middle years of the Cold War. In short, the costs of national defense do not by themselves pose an imminent danger of overstretch. Overstretch answersRecruitment and retention high now—solves overstretch Mooney 4/4 (Tom, staff writer Rhode Island News, "Poor economy boosts military recruiting in R.I., nationallyPoor economy boosts military recruiting in R.I., nationally", http://www.projo.com/news/content/MILITARY_RECRUITING_07-04-10_72J1TBS_v34.15a8043.html) With all military branches exceeding their recruiting goals these days, and the wait to report to boot camp often several months long, the Warwick Army recruiting office devised a way to keep its newly signed soldiers motivated until they ship out for real: Thursday-night platoon training. Three of the recruits practicing formation drills on this afternoon are over 21. At least that many attended college for a time. Two recruits are married, including 27-year-old Eric Priestley of Coventry, who graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2005 with a degree in chemical engineering. Priestley lost his job a year ago, a victim of the recession. Despite a multi-state search, he couldn’t find another. His loss became the Army’s gain –– and part of a national story. “Job opportunities in the area definitely have declined,” says Maj. Andrew M. Henning, commander of Army recruiting in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. “Therefore, young kids coming out of high school and college are looking at other options. “That’s not to say the army or the military is any type of backup,” says Henning. “A lot of [new recruits] have sentimental desires or reasons to serve in the first place but looked for college-bound or career opportunities locally prior to considering the military. When those opportunities didn’t exist, their initial desires to serve in the military were still there and they followed up on them.” Daniel Goure is vice president of the Lexington Institute, a nonpartisan public policy research group in Virginia that tracks military trends. “Generally speaking, military recruiting is better when the economy is poorer,” he says. “You’re not competing as hard with the private sector.” The military branches, Goure says, “are getting more people to sign up, but more importantly they’re getting more better people to sign up.” In the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, military branches not only reported record recruiting numbers but signed up the highest-quality recruits since the start of the volunteer force in 1973, according to the Department of Defense. Quality is based largely on the number of recruits holding high school diplomas. Studies show that 80 percent of service members with high school diplomas complete their initial term of service. And high school graduates do better on the military’s Armed Forces Qualification Test, which measures math and verbal ability and is used as an indicator of aptitude for military service. The Defense Department wants at least 90 percent of new recruits to have diplomas, a goal some military branches hadn’t met in the past. But in fiscal 2009, 96 percent of active-duty recruits and 95 percent of reserve recruits possessed a diploma, the Defense Department reported. Goure says the recruiting numbers aren’t good just because of the recession, though the Army’s pay and generous bonus programs appeal to many who sign up. “The military has been reaching both its recruitment and its retention goals. The Army in particular.… When it comes to retention, the economy doesn’t explain it.” People with skills are not running out of the military when their time is up, he says. “They are staying.” Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. Objective files -> Pop Warner History files -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose files -> Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Program Data: Standard 1 Exhibit 4d files -> Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations Download 0.66 Mb. Share with your friends:
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