Abstract
Over the years, technology has been improving day after day, with each new discovery opening up the world to an all new lifestyle. It is the advent of technology that has created the phenomenon currently referred to as the global village, since technology has enabled people from far and wide to interact with ease. Technology also has impact on individual countries such as America, as explained in the essay below.
Influence of technology on the isolation of America
For a long time, the Americas had been isolated from the rest of the world, be it in terms of academics or technical advancements. Even during the world wars, America was dragged in late in the heat of the war only because it wanted to protect its interests in other countries; otherwise, as a continent and a country, America seemed to be self-sufficient. This has evolved over the years and as Bowles (2011) notes, technological advances and discoveries have opened up the Americas, making it come into the limelight through its rise to a global economic power. Scientific, technical advances and modern civilization have played a great part in making breaking the physical and intellectual isolation of America, as indicated in the following paragraphs.
Advancements in scientific studies helped to open American scientists to the world, due to their groundbreaking works of research. Boyer and Bufosky (2011) bring this aspect to the light by looking at the weapons research which was done on the German V-2 rockets during the world wars. This was essential in opening designing of defense strategies during the cold war. More research was also done in areas of biomedical disciplines. These works gained a worldwide interest and opened up American institutions such as the Lincoln laboratories, RAND Corporation of Santa Monica and the John Hopkins University Operations Research Office.
As a direct function of improved technology, modern civilization has played a key role in ending the isolation. According to Palvac (2010), argues that civilization is a collection of people, with their ideas and practices. He further notes that civilization cannot exist where there is isolation. This aspect can be asserted by the argument that America is a leading nation in civilization, having people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. It therefore goes without saying that the country’s isolation in physical terms has actually been dissolved by civilization. People from all over the world flock the American land, attracted by the high levels of civilization which have resulted from technological advancements.
Major discoveries in America have made an impact in the global scene, therefore breaking the block isolating it from the rest of the world. Boyer, Clark and Kett (2010) give a vivid description of the great discoveries by Americans that have put America in the global spotlight. Alexander Graham Bell discovered the telephone in 1876, and this technology has evolved over the years to the contemporary mobile phone industry. Other discoveries came after the civil war in 1879 when the American inventors created powerful generators to run mortars, machines and cars. These among other technologies could not be contained in America, and the country came to the open.
Technology is always surrounded by controversies, which with time burst in the open and can be seen by all. America is not immune to these kinds of issues which have further made it a global icon in society and political issues. Marien (1993) argues that the technological boom and the consequent environmental problems have made America a key player in global issues. Environmentalists claim that the developments have harmful effects on the environment due to pollution while conservatives argue tat the development processes are a threat to the existence of some species. Religious groups argue that some practices resulting from development go against their deity from the perspective of ecological stewardship. The nuclear weapons debate further hoists America high in the global scene. With all these considerations, there is no way that the country can be either intellectually or physically isolated from he rest of the world.
Most contemporary technologies which propagate the issue of globalization have broken the final straw in the aspect of isolation. According to Herrnstein and Murray (1996), the advent of the computer technology has given a total overhaul to the way people around the world interact. Communication has become much easier and people’s productivity has greatly improved. Furthermore, work has been made easier as people can work from anywhere, not necessarily in the office. This has made life easier and happier for everyone since the technology has freed and expanded the productivity, creativity and personal freedom. In such an error, it is virtually impossible for any nation to be isolated from the others.
In conclusion, it can be deduced from the above stated evidence that America is among the leading global powers both economically and technology-wise. The discoveries made in the country have far reaching effects in the entire world, which makes America n active participant in the world affairs. Due to its technological advancement, the country has at times come under fire due to the possible negative effects of the technologies. There is simply no way that the country can be isolated intellectually or physically. It can therefore be concluded that scientific, technical advances and modern civilization have played a great part in making breaking the physical and intellectual isolation of America.
References
Bowles, M. (2011). A history of the United States since 1865. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.
Boyer, P.S, Clark, C.E., & Kett, F. (2010).
The Enduring Vision since 1865. California: Cengage Learning.
Boyer, P.S. & Dubofsky, M. (2001). The Oxford Companion to the United States History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Herrnstein, J.R. & Murray, C.A. (1996). The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life. Harvard: Simon and Schuster.
Marien, M. (1993). Future Survey Annual 1992: A Guide to the Recent Literature of Trends, Forecasts, and Policy Proposals. Bethesda: Transaction Publishers.
Palvac, B.A. (2010). A Concise Survey of Western Civilization: Supremacies and Diversities throughout History. Wilkins Barre: Rowman & Littlefield.
