US and the Americas in a Multi-Polar World.

Byline: Hassan Ahmed

It is now commonly acknowledged among International Relations scholars and observers that the days of the US uni-polarity are over. Countries around the world are seeking to articulate their positions and interests in a world that is becoming increasingly multipolar - a complex task as the rising and the status quo major powers engage in an intense competition. Similarly, countries of the Americas are also experiencing this new reality. The American continent is very diverse. With more than 30 independent states with different cultures, histories, demographics, political systems, and interests. Even so, there are some broad commonalities among them. Apart from Canada and the USA, all American countries are part of the Global South. They are also part of the third world, most of them being part of the Non-Aligned Movement as members and observers. Moreover, most of these countries are considered developing nations Although complete US dominance in America's regional politics has declined and China has made some progress in the region, the US retains its self-image as the primary protector in the region and is keen to continue projecting it onto other American states.

Given the history and the current situation of the global order, the question hence arises: how are American countries contributing to the changes in the global order, i.e. the rise of multipolarity and the decline of the USA as a sole superpower. Before discussing USA's views on the Americas, a quick history and a brief overview of the USA's foreign policy focus as a superpower after the Cold War is required to layout a background. The US as a Superpower The emergence of two superpowers created a bipolar world order. The bi-polar world of the 20th century was characterized by political competition as both countries vied for influence over other countries and sought to expand their competing interests and ideologies across the world, including the Americas, through various means. However, as is recorded in the annals of history, the bi-polar world order ended as many Eastern bloc countries moved westwards in the 1980s and the Soviet Union dissolved into multiple independent republics. The USSR finally succumbed to internal politics and external pressures in 1991, ceasing to exist as the second superpower and a challenger to US hegemony. As a consequence, the United States emerged the sole superpower and the only global hegemon at the beginning of the 21st century.

During its unipolar moment, the US focused its superpower might on the Middle East and North Africa region. The region became the central focus of Ameri can foreign policy, especially after 9/11. The United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and poured millions of dollars into this region to secure its interests. Later, in 2011, it got involved again in the Middle East (Libya, Syria, and Iraq) in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS. However, the US power did not remain unchallenged for long. China, with its powerful economy, and Russia, with its powerful regional ambitions, began to rise to a status where they enjoyed significant influence over world politics in the second decade of the 21st century.

Russia intervened in Syria backing Bashar-al-Assad in 2015 against US interests, a year after it annexed Crimea. China, meanwhile, was gaining ground around the world through its economic diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative. Moreover, powers such as India and the European Union also increased their capabilities and influence - military, economic, technological, and cultural - and rose as prominent independent players in the international order. The US, observing the rise of China's influence and perceiving a threat to its dominant position, attempted to disengage from the Middle East to shift its pivot to Asia. This began under the Obama administration and was completed by his successor, Donald Trump. Then, in 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific are now the intense battlegrounds where the US is fighting to maintain the status quo.

However, throughout these decades of shifting geopolitical focus and interests, there was one region that always lurked in the back of the USA's mind, and the various US administrations never, for once, lost sight of the developments in that region, even while its main focus was elsewhere. America's Backyard The United...