Lecturer to weigh American pre-eminence

After the Cold War, the United States emerged as the world's major superpower, which meant it had responsibilities as well as opportunities, said Dr. Robert Schmuhl. But "there have been a number of challenges that, over time, could imperil our status," he added.

Dr. Schmuhl, professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame, will expand on his thoughts during the Father Theodore Hesburgh Alumni Lecture at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. (see additional details in ad on page 15).

The lecture, "Perilous Pre-Eminence: America in the World Today," is being co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of Northeastern New York, and the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Diocese of Albany.

'Moral authority'

"In a way, the standing of the U.S. around the world is one of moral authority, and that has a resonance in a religious and spiritual way," said Dr. Schmuhl. "But all we have to do is look at the public opinion research from people in other countries [to see that] the stature of the U.S. is certainly not as high as it was a few years ago. One wonders what the consequences of that might mean."

Dr. Schmuhl said that America experienced a groundswell of support after 9/11 but began to lose ground during the escalation of the war in Iraq.

"What happened on 9/11 was a shock to the American body politic and to each of us," he said. "It is interesting that feeling [of sympathy from other nations] did not continue. Most people would point to what is happening in Iraq as a reason for this decline in American esteem."

Moral authority

Now that America stands alone as a superpower, said Dr. Schmuhl, it is critiqued by those in lower positions.

"All one has to do is see the amount of controversy vis a vis governmental actions in recent years," he explained. "Even our allies are asking questions, and I'm not sure that would have happened in the past. This is one of the great perils that pre-eminence would bring: figuring out how you can lead while also doing the kinds of things that will bring others with you."

Crucial to securing that kind of moral authority is managing the image that the U.S. presents to the rest of the world, he explained. American popular culture "really permeates the whole world, and what message do those songs and movies and television shows present -- and how faithful is that to how America is?"

Opportunities

Pre-eminence also brings possibilities for the betterment of the world, he believes; the country's material wealth and scientific accomplishment "make us a country that could do enormous good throughout the world."

American funding contributed to rebuilding efforts in the wake of the Asian tsunami and in African relief, he said, and "we can and should be willing to help the world. Our leadership ought to help these people to see us as we truly are.

"There's something very attractive and promising about the United States. It is possible to find ways to increase the admiration that others might have for America."

Image in world

On both a personal and a national level, Americans "need to be more mindful of how we present ourselves to the wider world," the professor said.

Restrictions on visa applications, growing immigration issues and world travel often restrict the entrance of foreign academics into the country, he noted, which make it difficult to hold international conferences in the U.S.

"One could make the argument that this is being done for the sake of security," he said. "But the other side of the coin is that it makes it more difficult to explain America to the world. We can't throw up walls that make it impossible for others to come here to learn about us."

(Dr. Schmuhl, a member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1980, is chair of the university's department of American Studies, and director of the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. He is the author of ten books on American political life.)

(9/28/06)