Extract
[...] Bush, and affirms his willingness to get involved in the protection of the most vulnerable populations. In 2007, the United States were hit by the subprime crisis: credit companies went bankrupt after having granted subprime loans to millions of Americans, who were unable to repay them, leading to a housing market bubble that burst, causing widespread economic hardship and a sharp decline in the value of homes. The crisis had a devastating impact on the US economy, leading to a recession that lasted for several years and a significant increase in unemployment. [...]
[...] However, the all-powerfulness of America is also explained by the soft power, or 'soft power', that is, the ability of a country to influence the world in its favor. For example, when, in his speech, Barack Obama mentions the end of the Cold War and says that 'Trade has stitched together most parts of the world', he is referring to the victory of capitalism over communism, which was claimed by 'crowds in jubilation' in 1989 at the fall of the Berlin Wall. [...]
[...] On the other hand, he mentions terrorism; American international policy took a turn after the September World Trade Center attacks, and particularly in the 'resurgence of ethnic conflicts'. In 2003, a military coalition led by the United States, under the presidency of George W. Bush, invaded Iraq and opposed the regime of Saddam Hussein. This war, which lasted until 2011, gave rise to 'insurrections' and an Iraqi guerrilla war by different groups against the coalition. Furthermore, the 2000s decade is also marked by other revolts, such as the 'hunger revolts' in 2007 and 2008, caused by a severe food crisis in many countries of the South. [...]
[...] Later, new 'architectures' were put in place to 'limit the most dangerous weapons', and notably, in 1970, the TNP or Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. These international decisions have reinforced American hegemony not only because the country has played a powerful role in these organizations, but also because it is privileged in the debates; for example, it is one of the 5 countries that possess nuclear weapons. On the other hand, the struggle for peace has not been entirely successful, 'terrible wars' like the Vietnam War, from 1955 to 1975, which greatly tarnished the reputation of American policy, for many Americans but also everywhere in the world, and all the more so after the Pentagon Papers affair. [...]
[...] American hegemony is also questioned by the crisis, at least from a symbolic point of view, soft power This is what explains perhaps the call for external support from the American president, all the more so since, a week before handing over his Nobel Prize, Barack Obama decided to continue the war in Afghanistan. Thus, this speech illustrates the place of the United States in the world since 1945, of a leadership economic, social and political status is much more controversial. Yet, American authority on international decisions remains predominant, today, in years after Barack Obama's speech. [...]
