Old Wine In New Bottles--U.S.Global Strategy In The Post-Cold War Era

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the transformation of the East European socialist states, the reunification of Germany, and the demise of the Soviet Union, the Cold War ended. In order to meet the challenges the post-Cold War era arises, the United States makes significant adjustments of its global strategy, ranging from Bush's "new world order" to Clinton's "engagement and enlargement", and to the current administration's pragmatism-based power strategy, and finally builds a post-Cold War global strategy framework. Based on the analysis of the international system in the post-Cold War era, and U.S. explorations and practices of a post-Cold War global strategy, the thesis is aiming to expose the essence of U.S. global strategy-the pursuit of American interests and American hegemony in world affairs. The body of the thesis is classified into four parts.The first part presents the new characteristics of the international system in the post-Cold War era and their impacts on U.S. global strategy adjustments. In the post-Cold War era, the restructuring of the international system, the acceleration of world economic globalization and political multipolarization, the rise of global issues, and the deterioration of its domestic political, economic, social and cultural problems propel the United States on to reevaluate and readjust its global strategy to meet new challenges and opportunities.The second part gives detailed examinations of the adjustments andpractices of U.S. global strategy in the aftermath of the Cold War. The former Bush administration advocates the strategy of "new world order" with the purpose to realize "Pax Americana"; Clinton defines his global strategy as the strategy of "engagement and enlargement" with economic prosperity, national security, and global democratization as the three poles of the strategy; while the current administration practices a pragmatic strategy characterized by unilateralism.The third part exposes the essence of U.S. post-Cold War global strategy. Though the administrations make certain adjustments of U.S. global strategy, they make no changes of its essence, instead, they intensify their efforts to promote American interests and hegemony in world affairs. In fact, American hegemonism is deeply rooted in American history, culture and tradition, it is the product of the unique American experience and the extension of American values, and it is the demand of U.S. security and the reflection of American political culture. The strategic adjustments after the terrorist attacks of September 11 are just aiming at the continuation and extension of U.S. global strategy in a concealed and deceptive way.The fourth part summarizes the whole thesis by emphasizing that U.S. strategic adjustments after the end of the Cold War are just the case of "old wine in new bottles", and the purpose is to meet the challenges and opportunities the post-Cold War era arises to realize and promote its national interests and hegemony in world affairs. In this era characterized by interdependence and diversity, however, only if the United States conforms to the historical trend of the times, and abandons its constant practices of hegemonism and realpolitik in world affairs, can it realize its nationalinterests and security, and thus, promote world peace and stability.