How have power shifts shaped contemporary global cultures?

In a way that is the overarching subject for this entire class.  Over the past 9 weeks or so, we have read about how different power shift affected the spread of different cultures across the globe.  Nye (2010) talks about a world where we can all benefit by using the sums of our “soft powers” to benefit the world.  Nye also lauds Hillary Clinton’s state department using all of the tools in the toolbox, and we now have 7 years of hindsight to recognize Nye’s naiveté (Nye, 2010).

Over this course, the Catholic Church, the Mughal Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and many other examples have shown a military victory, followed by a period where the “government” knows best, then the cracks begin to show, until it is finally overtaken by an outside force (Duiker, 2017).  The current world climate was developed in the aftermath of World War II, where Western Europe aligned with North America, East Europe with the Soviet/Russian, and the Chinese (Duiker, 2017).  As diplomatic ties begin to falter, another power will step in to provide relief.  As the US diplomatically embargo Iran or Cuba, the Soviets/Russians would step in to fill the vacancy.  As the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, the US supplied the resistance with weapons, which eventually were used against them.  Diplomatic solutions only exists where both parties want them to.

These lines drawn in the sand have crossbred cultures in alignment with the alliances.  British, French, Spanish cuisine is frequent in the United States, and has been for some time, whereas Russian or Persian restaurants are rarer.  While traditionally termed colonialism has mostly ended, the spread of religions is evident by historical colonial ties.  I can envision a future where current alliances get blurred, and new alliances are forged.  This will inevitably lead to more open trade, and therefore cultures will continue to spread (possibly globalization).  Unless of course –aliens, which will probably lead to a United Earth.

References

Duiker, W. J. (2017). The Essential World History, Volume II: Since 1500 (8th ed.). Retrieved from https://shelf.brytewave.com/#/books/9781305888395/

Nye, J. (2010, July). Global power shifts [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/joseph_nye_on_global_power_shifts/transcript?language=en

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