On the human character of world power

Abstract

The intensity of power, at a world scale, must not be exaggerated. This essay explores the limitations of world power both in the sense of the hegemonic power, namely, the United States of America, and in the sense of core countries as opposed to the peripheral ones. In the case of the United States, weaknesses resulting from its strength are presented in the military, economic, political and cultural arenas, with some emphasis in limitations derived from his enormous capacity to accumulate information. Other voices are quoted that herald the decline of that hegemony. On the other hand, it is argued that world power is more pluralistic than the one that can be conceptualized following the discussions on hegemony and empire. In fact, there are other states that hold world power but also multinationals and, specially, social classes at a world scale. In this case, the “high class” is relatively well organized at a world scale even if in contradictory terms, while the “low class” is clearly disorganized and prone to nationalistic or local feelings. As a conclusion, a more “daoist” vision of world power is presented.