The world needs a superpower; that superpower is the United States

With the collapse and breakup of the Soviet Union and the increasing unpopularity of the United Nations both at home and abroad, The United States must continue its sometimes unpleasant role as a world superpower, frankly because everyone's seen the boss' job, and nobody else wants it.

Being a superpower is akin to being recess monitor Marcie McClintock at Lincoln Elementary school: McClintock strolled around, assuring that universal rules such as No Throwing Sand, No Falling Out of the Swings, Staying off the Jungle Gym if the Field is Muddy, etc. were followed. Sure, some of the tykes don't like the rules, but they were enforced for the benefit of the whole. Sometimes the kids come running to McClintock, asking for disciplinary action against some bully hogging the swings or extorting lunch money. She rectified each situation to the best of her ability, using force sparingly but always when necessary, and maintained relative peace on the playground. The days she was absent, her poorly trained and less awe-inspiring replacements soon abandoned the playground to be dominated by the bullies who held their rabble of victims firmly under their thumbs until the bell rang.

Of course, McClintock was not all-powerful. She had her bad days when her judgement was either too slow in coming or so poor those who respected her beforehand found her respectability to be doubtful. The Principal or the Teachers or the Parents could intercede if one of McClintock's punishments was deemed unjustified or harsh.

She knew what it was to be a superpower: strong enough to lay out rules for conduct that were acceptable to all, and stronger still to discipline those who broke her rules and tormented or injured others. She also knew the risks: general unpopularity among the playground badduns, suspicion and wariness from most everybody else, even those who obeyed almost every single rule.

Though this metaphor may seem to trivialize the quagmire of international politics, I use it to prove the point that the world needs a strongman, or strongmen, to enforce universal rules of conduct between nations or sooner than later the euphemism "World Peace" will become as trite as "Have A Nice Day".

The United States should continue to fill the role as superpower, as a World Recess Monitor. And believe it or not, it can.

Our country founded itself on the basic human rights to love, liberty and the right to own property. It also quickly established itself as a military power dedicated to the protection of those basic human rights in other countries as well. The Monroe Doctrine warned would-be empire builders that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits, and anyone who stepped over that line would have 'American' armies to face.

Participation in the world wars extended America's promise of protection of freedom to the entire world. Though it is true, at times, this protective power got out of control, the United States has done more to protect freedom than any other nation ever to have existed in the world's long history. This promise of freedom, though at times has been bent, has never been broken.

Many argue that a recess monitor whose house is not in order has no business in ordering other people's houses. Our country does suffer from racial and economic inequality, crime and corruption, but does that mean McClintock would be justified in doing nothing to prevent a neighbor's house from burning to the ground because her home is in need of a good handyman? During the uncertain political times we live in now, the United States must do more than ever to of world peace, since the other would-be powers seem reluctant to even have themselves identified in the ilk of a recess monitor.