Today it is moving back toward asia many foreign

United States, the center moved west, eventually out over the Atlantic Ocean. Today, it is moving back toward Asia. Many foreign-policy experts
seem to believe that retaining American primacy is largely a matter of will—of how America chooses to exert its power abroad. Even President
Obama, more often accused of being a prophet of decline than a booster of America’s future, recently asserted that the United States “has

rarely been stronger relative to the rest of the world.” The question, he continued, is “not whether America will lead, but how we will lead.” But
will is unavailing without strength
.
If the U
nited
S
tates
wants the international system to continue to reflect
its interests and values
—
a system
, for example,
in which the global commons are protected , trade is broad-
based and extensive , and armed conflicts among great nations are curtailed
—
it needs to sustain not
just resolve, but relative power
.
That,
in turn,
will require acknowledging the uncomfortable truth that
global power and wealth are shifting at an unprecedented pace
, with profound implications. Moreover, many of the
challenges America faces are exacerbated by vulnerabilities that are largely self-created, chief among them fiscal policy. Much more quickly and
comprehensively than is understood, those
vulnerabilities are reducing America’s freedom of action and its ability to
influence others
.
Preserving America’s international position will require it to restore its economic
vitality and make policy choices now that pay dividends
for decades to come. America has to prioritize and to act.
Fortunately, the United States still enjoys greater freedom to determine its future than any other major power, in part because many of its
problems are within its ability to address. But
this process of renewal must begin with analyzing America’s
competitive position
and understanding the gravity of the situation Americans face.
Tech innovation deters global conflict
Taylor 4
(Mark, Professor of Political Science – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “The Politics of
Technological Change: International Relations versus Domestic Institutions”, 4-
1, )
Tech
nological
innovation is of central importance to the study of
international relations (
IR ), affecting almost
every aspect of the sub-field
. 2 First and foremost,
a nation’s technological capability has a significant effect on
its economic growth, industrial might, and military prowess
; therefore relative
national
technological capabilities necessarily influence the balance of power between
states, and hence have a role in calculations of war and alliance formation
. Second, technology and innovative
capacity also determine a nation’s trade profile, affecting which products it will import and export, as well as where multinational corporations
will base their production facilities. 3 Third, insofar as innovation-driven economic growth both attracts investment and produces surplus
capital,
a nation’s tech
nological
ability will also affect international financial flows and who has power over
them
. 4 Thus, in broad theoretical terms, technological change is important to the study of IR because of its overall implications for both the