The oil crises of the 1970s, the loss of the Vietnam War, and the Iranian hostage crisis were some of the major crises that the U.S. faced in the 1970s. These had an overbearing effect on the economy and politics in the U.S. These problems we’re able to show the limits of power that the U.S. had abroad. During that time, the U.S. was considered a superpower, which was usually a result of winning the second world war. This historical war had an immerse consequence on humanity. Furthermore, the U.S. had emerged victorious in the cold war.
Thus, when these crises occurred, the U.S. did not influence to ensure that the problems were solved in their favor. For instance, in the U.S., we’re not able to save its hostages in Iran. This was despite numerous efforts ranging from diplomatic to military attacks. The only solution came after Iraq attacked Iran, and also the former Shah died. Therefore, Iran was forced to release the hostages to gain support from the U.S. in dealing with Iran. The limits of power by the U.S. in this scenario were also detailed because U.S. President Jimmy Carter lost his re-election bid in the 1980 presidential elections. Thus, the crises acted as a real call that power the U.S. had abroad was reducing. It no longer had the upper arm in resolving conflicts or providing solutions to international problems.
The military might think that our country possessed during the time of crisis was of no help to us due to several reasons. For instance, the U.S. did not have certain economic resources to be of influence. During the oil crisis, the U.S. did now have power abroad since key oil suppliers had joined hands to proclaim an oil embargo. This would have adverse effects on the world as a whole, and the situation was hard for the U.S. to solve. Military might here would not have been helpful, bearing in mind that many Middle East countries were involved. In such a situation, diplomacy was of the essence. Syria and Egypt had attacked Israel, and diplomacy would have been the only way to solve it. Moreover, other Arab countries supported the attack; thus, it would only make sense that the U.S. helps resolve the conflict through diplomacy instead of supporting Israel through military efforts.
Thus, the military might of the U.S. was of no help since various factors were at play that was disadvantageous to the efforts by the U.S. Internationally, it became harder for the U.S. to influence any sovereign state. It was also not economical to use technological advances in certain circumstances. For instance, in Vietnam, populations were mobilized to help the country in the war. Often those in the war lost their lives for no cause. Moreover, Vietnam did not have a high-value infrastructure to lose compared to the resources the U.S. put in place to finance the war.
The U.S. still faces similar limits of power today. Its influence in international matters is fading. This may be due to the increase of more countries that are not in support of the decisions made in the U.S. Furthermore, the allies to the U.S. are not always ready to help it in many initiatives that it tries to carry out. In many instances, the U.S. is left to carry out any international policy alone without effective backing from other countries.