By Elizabeth Coscia ’12, Editor-in-Chief

During his presentation to the school on the tenth anniversary of September 11th, Mr. Parlin explained the distinctions between those with pessimistic worldviews about the future of the United States in the international setting and those with optimistic outlooks, personally advocating for and encouraging the latter.

According to the pessimists, the heydays of the United States as a leading world power are over. Ranking out of the top ten on countless scales, including measurements of scientific and mathematical skill, the United States appears to the pessimists to be on the decline compared to emerging powers such as China.  The United States currently sits crippled by a recession that has approached the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression.  Today the recession has the power to land the United States below countries with competing economic and political systems, countries that ranked low in these areas compared to the United States during most of the last century but are now, in the year 2011, viable contending powers.

In response to the 2008 economic recession, the United States government has looked to cut government spending in order to aid jobless Americans. As part of these cuts, the government announced their plan to slash foreign aid. Doing so will give credence to the pessimists—in cutting foreign aid the United States clearly steps away from global leadership.

Foreign aid amounts to only 1% of the total federal budget, yet its international influence is unimaginable. In 1948 the United States instated the Marshall Plan to repair the devastated economies of Western European nations in the wake of World War II, and as a result saw the development of democratic allies. This successful approach contrasts starkly with the isolationist approach of United States after World War I, which ended with Hitler’s fascist dictatorship in Germany.

A large part of the world is currently in a state of upheaval—the “Arab Spring” started in 2011 and involved uprisings in over 20 Middle Eastern countries and revolutions in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. The United States cannot ignore the power vacuums in these countries; as evidenced by history, it must ensure allies in these areas and prevent extremists from coming to power by sending foreign aid to struggling and unsure nations. The United States will get through the recession. It cannot be shortsighted in its goals by developing isolationist policies because then, when it does emerge from the recession, it will face a world hostile to its interests.

In slashing foreign aid, the United States loses its influence around the globe and consequently its moral power. In reducing the amount of relief money it provides African countries struggling with AIDS, it sends the wrong message to the global community. According to this system, the United States only values the wellbeing of the humanity in other nations when everything is going smoothly at home. In order to remain a global power the United States must maintain a holistic view of the state of the world at large and realize that no domestic repair, at the cost of international concerns, will result in stability for any country. The United States is and will be affected by the revolutions in the Middle East and the average American would be impacted by a European economic collapse. Isolationism is not an option; the United States cannot fix one floorboard and expect the boat not to sink.

Granted, unemployed workers in the United States should be cared for so that they can support their families. However, aid for struggling Americans should not come from the 1% of the budget used to demonstrate willingness to extend moral and economic leadership to other nations, especially the less fortunate. United States citizens benefit from their government’s prioritization of domestic concerns. In contrast, the Chinese government prioritizes its economy, leaving many of its citizens in poverty in deference to international prestige. The United States should deal with domestic issues and the wellbeing of Americans as priorities, but it should never forget the international picture. If it acts accordingly, Americans can respectfully be optimistic about the future of the United States in the face of the recession.

Mr. Parlin’s advocacy for optimism inspires ideas of change and action for the United States in the face of stagnation as a world power. This attitude can and should be transferred to considerations of the upcoming slew of structural adaptations within Newark Academy. The construction may appear a hassling obstacle and clouding intrusion for seniors wishing to crystallize their Newark Academy experience, or a less than prime impression for the large number of new students this year. There exist, however, necessary steps for progress not only in regard to the world at large but also within our school. Although circumstances may become difficult (or muddy), keeping one foot in the door ensures a brilliant future.