Karne ya Marekani ni neno lililotumika kuelezea utawala wa Marekani katika karne ya 20. Kiini cha hadhi ya Marekani kimekuwa uwezo wake wa kijeshi. Kuingia kwa Marekani katika Vita vya Pili vya Dunia kulisaidia kushinda vita hivyo, na ujenzi mkubwa wa kijeshi uliiondoa Marekani katika Mdororo Mkubwa wa Uchumi. Marekani ilipoangusha mabomu ya kwanza ya nyuklia duniani juu ya Japani, hilo lilithibitisha ubora wa Marekani juu ya kila nguvu nyingine. Uwezo wa Marekani ulisababisha kutengeneza makombora yaliyobeba mizigo mizito zaidi na kusafiri umbali mrefu zaidi kuliko yale ya Umoja wa Kisovieti. Maendeleo kama hayo ndiyo yaliyoifanya Marekani kuupita Umoja wa Kisovieti katika anga za juu. Maendeleo ya kijeshi ya Marekani yamezaa teknolojia ambazo wengi huzichukulia kawaida, lakini zimekuwa muhimu kwa mtindo wa maisha wa karne ya 21. Mtandao (internet), msimbopau (barcode), kalamu ya alama (marker pen), diski ngumu ya kompyuta (hard disk drive), maikrofoni isiyotumia waya, saketi jumuishi (integrated circuit), ukanda wa sumaku (magnetic strip), simu isiyotumia waya ya nyumbani (cordless phone), diski ya CD ya kompyuta, mfumo wa kubainisha mahali kwa setilaiti (global positioning system) na barua pepe (email) ni baadhi tu ya uvumbuzi wa kijeshi wa Marekani ambao umebadilisha jamii. Hii ndiyo sababu Marekani iliingia katika karne ya 21 kwa kawaida ikiwa nguvu isiyo na mpinzani duniani.

The American century is the term that has come to describe the dominance of the US of the 20th century. Central to America’s status has been its military prowess. America’s entry into WW2 won the war, the massive military build up pulled the US out of the great depression. When the US dropped the world’s first nuclear bombs upon Japan, this confirmed America’s edge over every other power. US prowess led it to develop missiles that carried heavier loads and travelled further than the Soviet Unions. It was such developments that led to the US to out do the Soviet Union in space. US military development has led to technologies that many take for granted, but have become key to 21st century lifestyles. The internet, barcodes, marker pen, hard disk drive, wireless microphone, integrated circuit, magnetic strip, cordless phone, computer CD, global positioning system and email are just some US military inventions that have ended up changing society. This is why the US naturally entered the 21st century as the world’s unrivalled power.

Leo bajeti kubwa ya Pentagon inatokana zaidi na orodha za matakwa zilizobuniwa wakati wa Vita Baridi. Jeshi la Marekani lilishindwa kutambua kwamba Umoja wa Kisovieti ulikuwa umeanguka, na kwamba hakukuwa tena na mpinzani mkuu wa kidunia wa kupigana naye.

Today much of the Pentagon budget is based on wish lists that were conceived during the Cold War. The US military failed to notice that the Soviet Union had collapsed and no great-power rival was around to get into any fights with the US military.

Hata hivyo, Iraq na Afghanistan zimedhoofisha msingi mkuu wa nguvu ya Marekani, yaani jeshi lake.

However Iraq and Afghanistan have undermined the key to US power, it’s military.

Ulinatumia kwa tafsiri? Tafadhali nipe maandishi ya Kiingereza unayotaka nitafsiri kwa Kiswahili.

Does this signal the decline of the US as the world’s superpower?

Udhibiti wa Marekani wa hali ya kimataifa tangu Vita vya Pili vya Dunia umejengwa juu ya nguvu zake za kijeshi. Leo Marekani haifurahii tena ukuu uliokuwa nao kabla ya uvamizi wake wa Iraq. Iraq na Afghanistan zimeathiri nguvu za Marekani na kumaliza rasilimali zake. Mgogoro wa kiuchumi duniani uliendelea kuzidisha hadhi ya Marekani duniani, kwani iligeukia uingiliaji wa kisoshalisti ili kuunga mkono uchumi wake. Kutokana na changamoto kama hizo, uwepo wa Marekani duniani unaonekana kuwa mkubwa kupita kiasi na usioweza kudumu.

America’s control of the international situation since WW2 has been built upon her military strength. Today the US does not enjoy the same primacy as it did prior to its invasion of Iraq. Iraq and Afghanistan have impacted US power and depleted her resources. The global economic crisis further exacerbated America’s standing in the world, as it turned towards Socialist intervention to prop up its economy. Because of such challenges America’s presence in the world is being considered as overstretched and untenable.

Kutokana na udhaifu unaoonekana wa Marekani, changamoto zinazotokana na washindani wake zimeongezeka kwa ukubwa na upeo, na leo ni zenye nguvu zaidi. Ingawa Marekani inayumba, na licha ya misukosuko yote iliyokumba, Marekani bado ni nguvu kuu duniani, inaweka ajenda ya dunia, na inadhibiti mizani ya nguvu duniani.

As a result of America’s apparent weakness, the challenges stemming from her competitors have grown in size and scope and today are much stronger. Whilst the US is faltering and despite all the setbacks it has faced the US still remains the world’s dominant power, sets the worlds agenda and controls the global balance of power.

Ingawa utawala wa kijeshi wa Marekani umedhoofishwa, Marekani bado inatumia fedha nyingi kwenye utafiti na maendeleo ya ulinzi kuliko dunia nzima ikiunganishwa pamoja. Kwa hiyo, ingawa Marekani inakabiliwa na changamoto kubwa zaidi, za kina zaidi na pana zaidi, bado ina faida kubwa sana ya kisayansi na kiteknolojia juu ya dunia nyingine. Haiwezekani kwamba Marekani itasambaratika kama Umoja wa Kisovieti au kukoma kuwa nguvu kuu ya dunia kama ilivyotokea kwa Uingereza, kwa sababu Marekani bado inadumisha utawala wake wa kiuchumi kupitia Dola na faida yake ya viwanda.

Whilst US military dominance has been undermined the US spends more on defence research and development then the rest of the world combined. So whilst the US faces larger, deeper and broader challenges it still has an immense scientific and technological edge over the rest of the world. It is unlikely the US will disintegrate like the Soviet Union or cease to be the worlds power as is what happened to Britain, because the US still maintains its economic hegemony through the Dollar and its industrial advantage.

Marekani inaweza kuondolewa madarakani kwa kweli tu kupitia kuibuka kwa nguvu nyingine.

The US can only really be deposed through the rise of another power.

China ina jeshi la kijeshi lililo bora zaidi kuliko la Urusi, lakini halina azma ya kimataifa inayohitajika ili kuiondoa Marekani kama nguvu kuu ya dunia. Maendeleo yake ya kiuchumi ni dhaifu, na mshikamano wake wa kieneo unaweza kuvurugwa kwa urahisi na Marekani, ikiwa Marekani itaona ni lazima. China inazidi kufanana na Japani kila siku na inakuwa nguvu ya kiuchumi, lakini uchumi usio na malengo ya kisiasa wala azma ya kimataifa utaigeuza nchi kuwa kitovu cha biashara tu, kamwe si nguvu ya kimataifa.

China has a military industry in better shape than Russia, but it lacks the global ambition necessary to remove the US as the world’s superpower. Its economic development is fragile and its territorial cohesion can be easily manipulated by the US, if the US deemed it necessary. China is every day becoming more and more like Japan and becoming an economic power, however an economy without political aims and global ambitions will turn a nation into a trade powerhouse never a global power.

Urusi kwa upande mwingine imefanikiwa kutumia udhaifu wa Amerika na kujiimarisha katika jamhuri za zamani za Sovieti. Hata hivyo, Urusi bado iko mbali sana na msingi wa uchumi na viwanda unaohitajika ili kuleta changamoto ya moja kwa moja kwa Marekani. Kwa sababu hizi, Marekani itaendelea kuwa nguvu kuu ya dunia kwa muda unaoonekana mbele, ingawa inayumba, kwa sababu hakuna mamlaka zinazoweza kuipinga Marekani kwa uhalisia – China na Urusi – inayoweza kuleta changamoto ya kutosha kuiangusha Marekani kwa sasa. Matarajio ya kimataifa yakiunganishwa na uchumi na viwanda vinavyofaa ni kiini cha ushindani na mamlaka nyingine za dunia. Japani na Ujerumani zilikuwa na matarajio ya kimataifa yaliyotokana na imani kwamba watu wao walikuwa bora kuliko watu wengine wa dunia; imani hiyo ilisukuma haja ya kuendeleza na kuwahamasisha watu wao kuchangia malengo ya kutawala dunia. Ilichukua Vita vya Pili vya Dunia kuzisimamisha mataifa yote mawili. Maendeleo ya Japani katika miaka ya 1970 na 1980 yalikuwa ya kiuchumi na si ya kisiasa, na hivyo yalibaki ndani ya mipaka ya Japani. Japani na Ujerumani daima zimekosa rasilimali za madini zinazohitajika kwa maendeleo, lakini matarajio yao ya kimataifa yaliwasukuma kubuni mikakati ya kukabiliana na vikwazo hivyo.

Russia on the other hand has managed to take advantage of America’s weakness and strengthen itself in the former Soviet republics. However Russia is still very far from the necessary economy and industrial base needed to pose a direct challenge to the US. For these reasons the US will remain the world’s superpower for the foreseeable future even though it is faltering, because none of the powers who realistically can challenge the US – China and Russia, pose a challenge sufficient enough to topple the US - for the moment Global ambitions intertwined with the appropriate economy and industry is central to competing with the worlds powers. Japan and Germany had global ambitions which came from the belief that they were superior people to the rest of the world; this drove the need to develop and motivated their people to contribute towards the aims of global domination. It took WW2 to stop both nations. Japanese development in the 1970's and 1980's was economic and not political and hence it remained within Japan's borders. Both Japan and Germany have always lacked mineral resources in order to develop but their global ambitions drove them to develop strategies to overcome such obstacles.

Vivyo hivyo, Uingereza na Marekani katika mwanzo wa maendeleo yao zilikuwa na idadi ndogo ya watu na hazikuwa na teknolojia ya kushindana na washindani wao. Tamaa ya Uingereza ya kuutawala ulimwengu, ili kunufaika na rasilimali zake za madini, iliisukuma kuunda jeshi la majini la kisasa kabisa, na ikaigeuza kuwa nguvu kuu ya dunia kufikia mwanzo wa karne ya 18. Maendeleo ya Marekani yalianza kupitia Mapinduzi ya Marekani, ambapo Uingereza ilifukuzwa kwa sababu wananchi wa Marekani walitaka kuyakumbatia haki zisizoweza kuondolewa za uhuru. Imani ya 'hatima ya wazi' (manifest destiny), yaani imani ya kimungu kwamba Marekani ya awali ilipangiwa kuutwaa bara la Amerika Kaskazini, iliwachochea Wamarekani kufanya kazi ya upanuzi wa eneo kuelekea Magharibi. Kwa upande wa Uingereza na Marekani, changamoto zote zilikuwa vikwazo tu vilivyosimama njiani mwa malengo yao ya kimataifa, na vilihitaji tu kuondolewa (kutatuliwa). Kupitishwa kwa Ubepari kuliziunganisha jamii zao na kuwahamasisha kufanya kazi kuendeleza taifa, na hatimaye kutimiza malengo yao ya kimataifa.

In a similar manner Britain and the America on the eve of their development had small populations and lacked the technology to compete with their competitors. Britain's global ambitions of colonising the world, to benefit from their mineral resources, drove them to develop a state of the art navy and turned them into the world's superpower by the turn of the 18th century. American development began through the American Revolution where Britain was expelled as the American people wanted to embrace the unalienable rights of freedom. The belief in ‘manifest destiny' this is the divine belief that the original United States was ordained to conquer the North American continent motivated Americans to work for the territorial expansion Westward. In the case of Britain and America all challenges were mere obstacles that stood in the way of global aims and just needed to be removed (solved). The adoption of Capitalism unified their societies and motivated them to work towards developing the nation and in turn fulfilling their global ambitions.

Leo Ujerumani na Japani zina uchumi imara, lakini hazina nia ya kisiasa ya kubadilisha mizani ya nguvu duniani. Uingereza ina nia ya kisiasa na tamaa, lakini hilo halijageuka kuwa viwanda na uchumi vinavyoweza kusaidia malengo hayo. India bado inapaswa kushinda changamoto zake za ndani, na haiwezekani sana kwamba itawahi kuwa na malengo ya kimataifa. Uturuki imepunguza nafasi yake ndani ya mfumo wa kimataifa na mipango ambayo Marekani inayo kwa dunia. Ingawa hili litaifanya Uturuki kuendelea kuwa na umuhimu kwa sababu italinda maslahi ya Marekani, mkakati wa aina hii unalinda nafasi ya nguvu kuu ya dunia badala ya kuibadilisha.

Today Germany and Japan have strong economies but the lack the political will to change the global balance of power. Britain has the political will and ambition, but this has not translated into an industry and economy that would aid such ambitions. India is still to overcome its domestic challenges and it’s very unlikely it will ever have global aims. Turkey has reduced its role to within the context of the international system and the designs the US has on the world. Whilst this will keep Turkey relevant as it will protect US interests such a strategy secures the position of the world’s power rather than alter it.

Ingawa Marekani inakabiliwa na changamoto zinazowezekana kutoka kwa wapinzani wawili, China na Urusi, makadirio ya kijasusi ya taifa la Marekani yameendelea kurudia kuutaja mahitaji ya Uislamu kutoka kwa Ummah wa Kiislamu duniani kote kama tishio. Bila dola, Ummah hautaweza kuwa taifa kiongozi na kuipinga Marekani. Tishio linalotokana na Khilafah inayowezekana lilirudiwa mara kwa mara na utawala wa Bush, na lilikuwa mojawapo ya sababu za vita vya Iraq na Afghanistan. Jenerali Richard Dannatt, mkuu mstaafu wa majeshi ya Uingereza na mshauri wa Waziri Mkuu wa Uingereza, alikiri katika mahojiano na BBC Radio 4 kwamba lengo la vita vya Afghanistan ni: "Kuna ajenda ya Kiislamu ambayo, tusipoipinga na kukabiliana nayo Kusini mwa Afghanistan, au Afghanistan, au Asia Kusini, basi kwa kweli ushawishi wake utakua. Unaweza kukua sana, na hili ni jambo muhimu, tunaweza kuona ukihama kutoka Asia Kusini kwenda Mashariki ya Kati hadi Afrika Kaskazini, na hadi kilele cha Khalifa ya Kiislamu katika karne ya 14 na 15."31

Whilst the US potentially faces challenges from two challengers, China and Russia, US national intelligence estimates have continued to reiterate the demand for Islam by the Islamic Ummah around the world as a threat. Without a state the Ummah will be unable to become the leading nation and challenge the US. The threat posed by the potential Khilafah was continually reiterated by the Bush administration, it was one of the reasons for both the Iraq and Afghan wars. The retired UK armed forces chief and advisor to the UK Prime Minister, General Richard Dannatt confessed in an interview to the BBC Radio 4 that the objective behind the war in Afghanistan is; "there is an Islamist agenda which if we don't oppose it and face it off in Southern Afghanistan, or Afghanistan, or in South Asia, then frankly that influence will grow. It could well grow, and this is an important point, we could see it moving from South Asia to the Middle East to North Africa, and to the high water mark of the Islamic caliphate in the 14th, 15th century."31

Nguvu ya Amerika imedhoofishwa, na mgogoro wa kifedha umeonyesha kwamba uchumi wa Marekani, uchumi mkubwa zaidi duniani, umejengwa juu ya rundo la karatasi za kadi. Hata hivyo, hakuna taifa duniani kwa sasa linaloweza kufichua ukweli huo, na kwa hiyo utawala wa Marekani utaendelea. Zile nchi zinazoweza kuipa changamoto Marekani hazina nia ya kisiasa au hazijafikia kiwango cha maendeleo ambacho kingeziwezesha kudumisha ushindani wa wazi na wa moja kwa moja na Marekani. Kwa hiyo, ingawa Marekani huenda inayumba, kutokana na kukosekana kwa nguvu mbadala inayoaminika, haitarajiwi kuondolewa kama nguvu kuu ya dunia kwa sasa.

Americas prowess has been undermined, the financial crisis has shown the US economy, the worlds largest is built upon a pack of cards, however there is no nation in the world who currently can expose such a reality and hence US dominance will continue. Those who can pose a challenge to the US either lack the political will or have not reached the level of development where they can sustain open and direct competition with the US. Therefore whilst the US maybe faltering, due to the absence of a credible alternative power, it is unlikely to be removed - for the moment as the worlds superpower.