Role of International Powers

TO: Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations
FROM: Yuyun Zhang, a Stony Brook University student
DATE: July 27, 2021
SUBJECT: Proposed solutions for the United States to prevent the U.S. from interfering with other countries' governments and stop the hegemony.
The U.S. has spent billions of dollars on some unnecessary foreign interventions. Most of the interventions have been of great benefit to the country through economic and security gains. However, spending on foreign aid and the intervention of underdeveloped countries has led to losses that cannot be justified. For instance, interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan after Osama Bin Laden had been captured and killed led to increased spending on the military.
Role of International Laws
International laws that prevent interference in other countries' affairs should be implemented in letter and spirit. Furthermore, in the wake of new social and political norms developed in the current era of globalization, global bodies such as the United Nations should formulate new laws to curb U.S. interference in other countries.
Role of International Powers
Likewise, the international powers, such as China and Russia, should avoid their tacit approval of the hegemonic U.S. policies and refute them at all international forums, including the Security Council and General Assembly. Their active denial and opposition will undoubtedly help in preventing U.S. plans of interference.
Change in U.S. Foreign Policy
Finally, given the enormous economic burden these interferences have produced on the U.S. society, American soldiers' irreparable loss of life should be taken as an alarm bell by the U.S. government. Subsequently, U.S. lawmakers should make alterations in their foreign policy to minimize the U.S. role in the affairs of other countries, and this policy change is reflected in the current withdrawal of the U.S. Army from Afghanistan.
Thus, by implementing these measures, we can restore global peace and accomplish economic prosperity; therefore, you are requested to consider these suggestions and make utmost efforts to implement them for the sake of global peace and prosperity.
Attachment: “U.S. Intervention Policy: Suggestions to Limit Its Foreign Intervention”
Yuyun Zhang
Research Paper
WRT 102
Word Count: 2093
22 July 2021
U.S. Intervention Policy: Suggestions to Limit Its Foreign Intervention
Introduction
International powers, more specifically the United States, have been actively involved in interfering with the electoral process of other countries. Jack Gladsmith who writes for the The Japan Times states, that between 1946 and 2000, the U.S. and Russian governments had been allegedly involved in manipulating approximately 117 electoral processes, and 81 of them had been intervened by the U.S. ___ Levin who wrote the book __________ says that, The Clinton administration in 2000 supported Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's efforts for re-election, and in 2013, the U.S. administration intervened in the Kenyan elections (Levin 34). The United Nations have been very vocal and active in this regard. Between 1991 and 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that was explicitly formulated to strengthen and reinforce the sovereignty of a country against international interference in its electoral process (Tuccinardi 12). Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted by the General Assembly provides international protection to democratic regimes against international interference in their democratic process (“OHCR . . .”).
The citizens of these countries are the ones who suffer the most from such an unfair process of intervention. These interferences violate people's fundamental human right to select their rulers by participating in a fair election process. This international meddling also creates a political divide and ethnic and social polarization in the target country and disturbs its social, political, and economic fabric (Corstange et al. 3). The U.S. War on Terror caused lethal and fateful consequences for the Afghan society as this war caused the death and displacement of millions of Afghans (Tawoos). These facts and evidence have proved American intervention in the foreign countries, including Afghanistan, Kenya, Iraq, and Yugoslavia. Therefore, strengthening the role of international organizations and laws protecting the sovereignty of a state, active opposition of such intervention at international levels, and change in U.S. foreign policy are necessary measures to address this issue. In this essay, these remedial measures will be discussed to suggest ways to prevent American intervention in other countries' affairs.
Colonialism can be dated back to the era of the fight for spheres of influence. Most of the countries globally were colonized. Later, the World Wars facilitated the rise of superpowers and the creation of sovereign nations. According to Beeson and Higgott writing for American Journal of Political Science (1175), leaders in the involved nations contribute to most of the neocolonialism issues. Importantly, leadership had direct implications on a nation's sovereignty and ways of safeguarding it from external interference. For example, nations with authoritarian styles of leadership will have higher chances of experiencing neocolonialism compared to states with democratic leadership styles. Additionally, leadership also matters in the superpowers' political influences. The American hegemony can be dated back to World War II, whereby the current presidents then were involved in colonizing and gaining spheres of influence due to political, economic, and military reasons. An example of leaders who have been linked to the U.S.' foreign policy includes President Bush, who changed America's foreign policy after the September 11 terrorist attacks (Beeson and Higgot (1173-1175)1173.
Solutions
In the wake of the emerging trend of intervention of international powers in the modern era, especially of the United States, it is imperative for the United Nations to formulate and strictly implement new and reinforce the existing laws against intervention with renewed commitment and cooperation. The Law of Intervention traces its history back to the end of World War II; however, the traditional laws compel governments not to intervene either directly or indirectly in other states' affairs. This notion of non-intervention is an accepted principle, and it is enacted under Article 2(4) and Art...