For over 100 years, the United States stood as a world power, a fact not contested by other nations. Its superiority stemmed from freedom, economics, education, military prowess and overall promise. These factors enabled the country to remain among the top nations worldwide.
However, just as the Roman, British and countless other empires before fell, so too could America if it remains complacent in its current position. The People’s Republic of China is quickly joining the league of top nations, and the U.S. needs to both recognize this change and fight to remain competitive among other top-tier countries, or else risk jeopardizing its ranking and hard-earned status.
The mantra of one being a “slave to his debt” is more true now than ever. The Treasury Department estimates that the U.S. is indebted to China for approximately $843 billion. Not only is this figure excessive, but it also refutes the principles behind being a world power. The U.S. became such a forceful nation because of its independence, and forfeiting even its economic freedom means forfeiting its top position among other nations. As long as the U.S. owes money to China, it and its people are essentially slaves to the whims of a communist nation.
Because of the sheer amount of money America owes China, relations between these two nations are and will undoubtedly become increasingly important. Left in a delicate balance, the slightest shift could create disastrous consequences. Diplomacy between the two nations will not only become extremely influential, but will also hold the potential to impact daily life in the U.S. As part of the future generation of leaders, current students should recognize the power that lays within Chinese foreign relations.
In addition to falling behind China financially, the U.S. is also lagging academically. In the 2010 Programme for International Student Assessment, a study that compares countries’ math, reading and science standardized scores, America scored lower than China in all three categories. The U.S. scored 19 percent lower in math, 13 percent lower in science and 10 percent lower in reading. One incredibly important reason why America became such a powerful country is because of its academic tradition. To stay competitive, this generation must meet the challenge that China is presenting and become better students.
China is becoming increasingly accustomed to surpassing America. In 2010, China became the largest English speaking country in the world, with over 300 million of its residents fluent in the language. Far less Americans speak Mandarin; in 2008, only four percent of middle and high schools even offered Mandarin. If the U.S. wants to stay a country of influence, pushing schools to offer Mandarin is the best way to do so. Over 1.3 billion people in the world speak Mandarin, yet it is one of the least taught languages in American schools. Mandarin even falls behind Latin, an unspoken language, which over 10 percent of schools offer.
America needs to recognize China as an emerging world power. The U.S. has less citizens, less money, less
people speaking English and inferior education in comparison to China. To stay a competitive country, the nation and
this generation must step up to China’s challenge. Otherwise, the nation will join the ranks of Britain and Rome on the
list of former world powers.