“What Role Will America Play in A Globalized World?”

Garrett Graff asks.

The answer: She’ll probably do what she usually does- try to reign over it. (Maybe not Malcolm X style, but you catch my drift?) *Note: I’m not unpatriotic. I love my country ’tis of thee. It’s a sweet land of liberty.

Seriously though, I can’t imagine America not being the most popular girl in school…on the web…in the world. Oh, let me stop. I’m biased!

This question is crucial, however. Let’s think in terms of technology. It’s hard to determine if America does indeed “lead the pack” in the global web conversation because how does one determine the metrics for success in this digital world. Sure, Americans occupy the blogospher in the millions, but I’m pretty sure this has a lot to do with readily available internet access and our right to free speech (and the “instant celebrity” phenomenon). Yet, because I’m American, I might be missing something here. Maybe, America is NOT as ahead in the global web conversation as we/I think. ((sighing and pondering))

The First Campaign, by my awesome professor Garrett Graff has my head buzzing with information right now. Are the 2008 presidential candidates really talking about this issue? Can they even talk candidly about this issue when we really don’t know what the global future holds for our dear friend America? I mean, one can get so obsessed with keeping up with technology that we lose sight of where we are on the global totem pole. Graff quotes, “Ready or not, technology is here.” Not to mention, it’s moving fast as hell. How does America keep up to the pace? The 2008 democratic presidents did a pretty good of keeping up to the technological pace, at least I think they did.

Excerpt from The First Campaign:

“Year by year, presidential politics becomes more packaged, easier to understand, parceled into digestible bites of data that are prescreened, tested, and handed to us, the voters, with sexy graphics and bold face text.” – Karabell

Hm. I like sexy. Sexy wins. Doh! Brainwashed.

America and her leaders are just going to have to let this globalization thing play out on its own, unfortunately. I mean, if she’s not paying enough attention, China is. But like technology, America will change – and get the friggin hint. I mean, who do YOU want picking up the phone at all hours of the night? Who cares, as long as they can answer the tough questions on globalization and let the other leaders of the world know what’s up, as well!