The New York Times
2011.06.24
America’s global dominance appears to be fading. Is this a good thing for the world, and the United States? Seven prominent world-watchers give their views.
HAN HAN
Popular Chinese novelist and blogger
Is America really in decline?
Perhaps no one can say. You can come up with 10,000 examples of how U.S. influence is waning, but you can also come up with another 10,000 examples of how America’s influence is increasing. The increase or decrease is almost like the difference between 9.6 or 9.7 seconds in a race. I think that even in comparative decline, the United States is still the most influential country in the world. This in large part is because on a global scale America is still able to show the way. Intentionally or not, it serves as a role model. Developing countries have the advantage of being able to learn from its mistakes, make rapid adjustments, and implement policies of sustainable growth. But like the concept of ‘‘infinity’’ in mathematics, even with those in the rear drawing closer to No. 1, it’s impossible to catch up.
The true advantage for America isn’t military or economic strength, but culture. Its culture is authoritative in that it was the first world culture and continues to be the leading one. It may be a cliché to talk about the far-flung impact of Coca-Cola and Hollywood, but these products continue to wield profound influence. Other nations might reject aspects of American life, but the fact that they must continue to respond makes them peripheral to American culture. This is unlikely to change soon, and illustrates why talk of U.S. decline is perhaps exaggerated.
