rahulhamilton
Give an example of “power overstretch”; what insights might we take…
Give an example of “power overstretch”; what insights might we take from your example and what generalized hypotheses might you suggest. Give response to below posts.
Post 1
Power overstretch is a situation where by individuals or countries find themselves going beyond what they are supposed to. Power overstretch of a nation, according to Yale historian Paul Kennedy, is the excessive use of force that always results in the depletion of essential domestic resources, decline, and collapse (Janaro J. (2014)). This definition can be exemplified by the wars that the United States have been involved in outside its territory. According to a report by Brown University’s Costs of War project, the 20 years of wars following 9/11 cost the United States an estimated $8 trillion and resulted in the deaths of over 900,000 people (Kimbal J. (2021)). Another glaring example is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine caused by Russia’s invasion. This overstretch of Russia’s strength has had a severe influence on not only both of those nations but also on the entire world. With regard to the aforementioned examples, my thesis is that power overstretch is never desirable. Individuals or nations should be aware of and respect their limits when it comes to the exercise of power since power overstretch always backfires. The main hypothesis I can offer is that everything in life has a limit, and if one exceeds that limit, calamity ensues. This is reinforced by the proverbial adage that asserts that every excess is bad.
Post 2
Getting powerful and overstretching of power is a normal thing. It is a human nature and natural thing to me that people crave for power. Power is the ultimate source of money and vice versa. People who have money, wants to earn more money and powerful people want to stay in power and for that they want other people to be less powerful. For example, the world leaders constantly want other countries and leaders to not get into the same level as them.
The USA, China, Russia and North Korea are in the race of being the world leader and lead the world. So, for doing that, one country has to showcase the power to other countries and to show this country is on the throne. Look at the incidents of US invading countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. They overstretch their power and investing trillions of dollars to become and remain at the top position. The level of power showcase was so high that it was evident that at the end of 2005, the country deployed 227,400 soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq (GPF, n.d.). At the end of war in Afghanistan, it came out as the US lost trillions of dollars just to showcase the power and have grip in world order.
post 3
I have studied past cases of “power overstretch” and consequences. The United States’ engagement in the Vietnam War is one such instance that, in my opinion, can teach us important lessons about foreign policy.
The United States started a military campaign in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism and protect American interests. Due to the length of the conflict, many people lost their lives and there was political turmoil and protesting at home. The United States economy suffered as a result of this diversion of money and attention from domestic issues such as the civil rights struggle and social welfare programmed.
Also, the United States’ reputation and credibility around the world took a hit during the war because it failed to reach its goals and was criticized for it by other countries. This shows how important it is to think carefully and have clear goals before getting involved in foreign conflicts, so as not to waste resources and lose influence at home and abroad.
One overarching conclusion I can draw from this is the need to solicit public input and garner widespread approval before adopting any foreign policy initiatives. Overreaching in foreign affairs can have detrimental implications, so this can help keep things on a sustainable path.
