The End of the American Century is Near, Professor Mason Writes
The United States is coming to the end of its 60-year reign as a global leader, Butler University Political Science Professor David Mason argues in his compelling and provocative new book, “The End of the American Century” (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., $34.95, release date Oct. 1).
Mason writes that the war on terror and the Iraq War have exacerbated American domestic weakness and malaise, as well as our country’s image and stature in the world community. As the dynamic economies of India and China and the revitalized European Union overtake those of the United States, he writes, we will witness a fundamental transformation of the global scene.
This transition will require huge adjustments for U.S. citizens and political leaders alike. But Mason argues that in the end, Americans and the world will be better off with a more modest and interdependent United States.
“It is a gloomy picture, and this wasn’t an easy book to write for that reason,” Mason said. “I think that what we’ve lost in many respects are some of the values and characteristics that made this country great in the first place — some of the values that were enunciated at the beginning of the American Century by Franklin Roosevelt and others that called on Americans to be generous and charitable, to be good Samaritans, to participate in politics, to do good works. I think all of these things are values that we can recover and can help make up for some of the difficulties the country is facing otherwise.”
More about his book can be found at http://www.endoftheamericancentury.blogspot.com
Mason expects belt-tightening for our country and its people to become the new way of life. That means higher prices for energy, food and consumer goods, smaller homes and cars; fewer and more modest vacations; and less disposable income.
“It can be a good period for the United States,” Mason said, “but it will require a different kind of interaction with the rest of the world and a different kind of interaction with each other in this country too.”
Mason teaches international and comparative politics and has directed the University’s core curriculum course, which addresses major world civilizations at times of transformative change. For many years, he was the director of a major collaborative research effort — the International Social Justice Project — exploring attitudes on social justice in 13 countries, including the United States.
The combination of these teaching and research experiences motivated him to write this book.
Mason has published dozens of articles and six books on international politics, U.S. foreign policy, European politics and history, revolutions, public opinion, and concepts of social justice. His works include Revolutionary Europe, 1789–1989, and Revolution and Transition in East-Central Europe. He also co-edited “Social Justice and Political Change.”
He received his B.A. from Cornell University, his M.A. from The Johns Hopkins John H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy, and Washington, D.C., and his Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University.
Mason has taught at Butler University for 33 years.
Interview with the Author
Q: Summarize your book for us.
Mason: The United States is at the end of the period of global leadership and domination that we’ve enjoyed for the last 50 years or so. The country is bankrupt economically. We’ve lost our edge in terms of politics, economics, socially. We no longer compare well with other countries around the world, and we’re not admired as we once were by countries around the world. And we’re not viewed as a model for economic and political development, as we once were. So this really marks a global shift in world history, both for the United States and the rest of the world.
Q: You write that the United States is headed for hard times and major adjustments. What are some of the changes you foresee?
Mason: The biggest change is simply going to be belt-tightening for Americans. Unfortunately, we’ve been living beyond our means for well over two decades now – both the government and the people have been. So this is going to mean some cutbacks in the standard of living. People aren’t going to be able to buy houses as easily. They’ll have to buy smaller houses, fewer cars. They won’t be able to enjoy the kinds of leisure time that they’ve had. People simply won’t have as much disposable income as they once did.
Q: This is certainly a gloomy book. Your detractors are going to say that you are yelling “the sky is falling” when it’s not. How do you respond?
Mason: It is a gloomy picture, and this wasn’t an easy book to write for that reason. But I think the facts speak for themselves. If you look at the United States, both in terms of comparing us to 20 years ago or in comparing us to other developed countries in the world, the United States doesn’t come out on top on almost any measure anymore. And this has long-term implications that are going to affect the way we live and the role we play in the world. So it is a gloomy picture, although I think there are ways in which the United States can eventually emerge from this in a solid position.
Q: Like what?
Mason: I think that what we’ve lost in many respects are some of the values and characteristics that made this country great in the first place — some of the values that were enunciated at the beginning of the American Century by Franklin Roosevelt and others that called on Americans to be generous and charitable, to be good Samaritans, to participate in politics, to do good works. I think all of these things are values that we can recover and can help make up for some of the difficulties the country is facing otherwise.
Q: You quote from Henry Luce’s 1941 essay, “The American Century”: “We Americans are unhappy. We are not happy about America. We are not happy about ourselves in relation to America. We are nervous — or gloomy — or apathetic.” So aren’t we where we always are?
Mason: I think in many ways we are right now where we were then in terms of this kind of national malaise. Henry Luce, in writing this piece — he was the editor of “Life” magazine — he was really calling for a new engagement by the United States in the rest of the world, and Franklin Roosevelt, the president of the time, also helped bring this to fruition. So the United States did become a model for the rest of the world and a global leader at that time. I think in the years since then, Americans have felt pretty good about themselves and about what we’ve done. But in the last 20 years, as I said, we’ve been living beyond our means. We’ve overextended ourselves internationally and domestically, and this is not something that can be sustained for very much longer. So I think it is going to be a difficult time. I think we’re already seeing Americans feeling a kind of national malaise now. Now, new leadership at the national level could perhaps remedy that, but it’s not going to solve all of these problems that I’ve mentioned.
Q: What do you want people to take away from your book? Is this a call to action in any way?
Mason: I think more than a call to action, it’s a call to understanding and recognition and a sense of kind of realism about where we are. Americans are used to being on the top of the world, and we’re really not there anymore. And other countries don’t want us to be there anymore. So Americans are going to have to live with reduced means, with a reduced standard of living, with a reduced role in the world. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that the sky is falling or that we’re returning to the Dark Ages. It can be a good period for the United States, but it will require a different kind of interaction with the rest of the world and a different kind of interaction with each other in this country too.
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