essay about super power

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What Superpower Do You Wish You Had?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

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In a new television show, members of a family find that they have miraculously developed superhuman abilities — and that the shared experience brings them closer together. What superpower would you like to have?

In reviewing the new show “No Ordinary Family,” Alessandra Stanley writes about the show’s first episode, in which a plane crash results in a surprise discovery for a family of four — that the crash left each of them with a paranormal ability:

Each superpower compensates for its owner’s sense of inadequacy. That’s not the same as wish fulfillment, however; otherwise Jim would have his own art gallery, and Stephanie would have a housekeeper. Jim, who feels weak and powerless, discovers that he can catch bullets with his bare hands and leap tall buildings in a single bound. Stephanie, who can’t keep up with the stress of career and family obligations, can suddenly move at the speed of light, or faster, and is close to being able to be in two places at the same time. Daphne, who is immersed in the nightmarish puzzle that is high school, develops the ability to know what people are thinking. And J J, who struggles in school and is considered to have learning disabilities, is suddenly a near genius.

Students: Tell us about what superpower you would like to have, if you could. How would you use it? What abilities or talents do you think your family members would want to have? Does the power you wish for somehow make up for something lacking in your life, as on “No Ordinary Family”?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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i wish that i could fly. it would just be a fun experience and a faster way of communiting instead of trying to find rides and wasting gas in the cars we use today. flying has always been one of the main things that i wish that i could do. everyone wants to fly atleast once in their lifetime, mainly when they are children and watching shows about superheros and heroines. but i guarantee that if i were the first person to be able to fly, i would not share my power with anyone because then everyone would be trying to fly and crowd up the sky and then all the birds would get angry, and that just would not be a good thing.

The superpower I would like to have the most is the ability to read peoples minds. The reason why is their are a lot of fake people out there, and two faces. The reason for this is to know exactly what they were thinking, and it would also be really fun. This superpower would solve a lot of confussion, and two would help everyone out. It would help to know who exactly to trust, and would also help solve a lot of crimes. The superpower that would benefit my family the most would be the ability to also read peoples minds. This would benefit them as well because they both work in the business world. They would be able to examine exactly what the customer is thinking, and would be able to react right then. Hi Cory–Please don’t include your last name on posts! We can’t publish it because of our privacy rules, so we have to go in and remove it by hand. Thanks!–Katherine

If I had to have any superpower that l wanted, I would want the power to change into whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to. This way, when I had to write a writing assignment on it, I could say that I technically didn’t decide because I could change into whatever or whoever. Plus it’d be fun because I could fool people into thinking I was another person, or something random, like a duck billed platypus. They would never know it was me. Or a could change into a regular super hero like Superman or Captain Underpants and have their abilities.

Hi Matt–Please don’t include your last name on posts! We can’t publish it because of our privacy rules, so we have to go in and remove it by hand. Thanks!–Katherine

Super powers are an idea that everybody has either thought about young or old. No matter what your age, you still have that kid instinct inside, wanting to know what super power you want. If I had a choice in which super power I could have it would probably have to be mind reading. Mind reading can give you several advantages and make it unfair to competition. Games would be rigged, ideas would be stolen, and everybody’s private thoughts would be known. If I had mind reading the only thing I would use it for it cases such as a suspected terrorist or serial killer. No matter what super power you could decide on having, it would bring people happiness but also pain and suffering because of the way they used it or just jealous people.

I wish that I had the ability to fly. It would make life so much easier. I would be able to get around places faster. Also, if I could fly, I would’ve already been out of Hickory, North Carolina. I would’ve been somewhere in California already with my family. More than half the time, I wish that it was even a possibility that I could fly back to California. If that could happen, then I would have everything that i’ve ever wanted. As long as I’m back in California, that’s all that matters. I’ve waited for years to try and live back over there, if I could fly, that would make my life so much better.

If I had a superpower, it would be amazing speed. If I had my superpower, I could do everything, even homework, faster than the speed of light, I’d be done in a hot second. To be able to have super speed would be amazing, I wouldn’t have to drive a car of ride the bus, I could run super fast everywhere and I would not get tired, who wouldn’t want that. The powers that my family members would have would probably be something very ridiculous knowing my family. But their powers would still be useful in some way. I feel that my super power is just something extra for me, it doesn’t make up for anything that I never had, and it’s just my superpower.

If I had a superpower of my choice then I would more than likely pick the superpower to run at the speed faster than a bullet. I would use it in sports. In football I believe college coaches would want an athlete to run a forty yard dash in one-fourth a second. In baseball it would be amazing to just bunt the ball and when the defense finally picks up the ball, I am already in the dugout ready to go out into the field. I don’t lack speed but I am not really fast though. I would say I am average but I would love to be the fastest on the team.

I don’t know what my super power would be, because there are no such things as super powers. I honestly have no idea what super power I would have if I could have one. I am required to comment on one of these blogs every school morning and this one just ain’t hapnin.

If migh family could have superpowers for just 1 whole day i would want mines to be were i could fligh because like if i ever get mad or anything then i can just leave when i want to and because i could go wereever i would want to. I think superpowers would help me alot when i needed it and if i could fligh then i would never be late for school or anything els.

My super power would teleportation. I could jump any where at any time in my life. I wouldn’t worry about any consequences or anything, I would just do it. Being a teleporter would be one of the coolest things a person could have, especially if that person was me. The super power my mom would most likely be is being a super smart scientist because she is dumber than my friend Dale. If she had that power, I would let her do my homework every night. I would fight crime with my power and be the criminal as well. I mean, since you have a power where no one can catch you, then why not rob a bank or two, or several.

If i could have any superpower it would be to be invisible at any time i wanted. its one superpower that many people forget about that i think is really cool. If my family had any choice of superpower, im sure it would be flying,fast speed, super strength, or teleportation. =)

I WANNA HAVE EVERY SUPER POWER EVER!!! no just kidding. I wish. But i would really like to tranform into anything i want or have the ability to freeze time. That would be so cool. Life would be so much easier….

The super power i wish i had is, to be able to fly because i could get any where i wanted whenever i wanted and being able to fly would be so amazing like nothing can touch you as your sorring threw the sky. Thats why i would pick to be able to fly.

A superpower that I wish to have would be to be able to fly and be invisible. Sometimes I really do wish that we can really have superpowers. Life would be a lot more interesting. I like those two powers the most because I would like to be able to look at the world from a bird’s point of view or eye view. Also I would like to have the power of being invisible so when people or family members decide to bother me or do something I would be able to sneak up on them and prank them. Or even so something to scare them so they really could get scared and leave me alone.

If I could have any superpower I would want to be able to read peoples minds. It would be cool to know what other people are thinking. It would probably be annoying being able to hear what everyone is thinking after a while. But you could find out what people are saying about you and other people. Another super power i would like to have is to freeze time. So when your having fun and you dont want that day to end I could just freeze it.

The superpower i would have would be to make people dissapear. I would just make them poof away. Alot of people get on my nerves so i want to make them go away. Sometimes I Just wanna leave and never come back.

I wish i had the power to read peoples minds. That could be very helpful in school when you know what a teacher is thinking or you could find out what’s on your moms mind. It could also be very helpful when you want to know what people truly think about you and you won’t always have to worry about if someone likes you or not. You could also read a strangers mind and see what they are going through in their life.

If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to fly or super sonic speed. If I could fly, then I would be able to fly to and from school every day instead of taking the bus or being dropped off. If I had super sonic speed, then I would be able to finish all my work ahead of time and I would have more time to watch t.v., be on the computer, and/ or listen to music.

I think that I would like to have the power to heal people. I have seen many of my family members die from a sickness just because they either didn’t have the money to pay for medical services or because it was too late to treat them. I would specially like to cure all those people who suffer from cancer or from some kind of heart or organ problems. I think that if I had that supper power everyone would be immortal, which is not a good thing. I would like to have the power to heal people with cancer, leukemia, or heart problems. I think that my family would like for me to have the ability to remember things and be smarter. But miracles don’t always come true….

If I could have a superpower, I would want to fly. I love to travel, but I hate how long it takes to get to the destination. We have a beach house on the coast that is six hours away. We spend half a day traveling to the beach, but if I could fly, I could get to the beach much faster. If I could fly, I wouldn’t have to pay to travel to foreign countries, which would mean I could travel to more places in my life. There are so many places in the world that I want to travel, and flying would allow me to fulfill those dreams.

If i could have any super power, I would want to be able to fly! It would be so fun and I wouldnt have to worry about getting rides to places I want to go or wasting gas. I would just fly wherever i wanted to go. i would also like to have super strength, fast speed, teleportation, and be able to become invisible. If i could be any super hero i would be superman because he is just awesome and he can save people and fight against crimes.

The best superpower I can think of and the one I know I would like is the ability to fly. Just imagine soaring through the air, next to birds and planes, but not confined within one of the vehicles humans currently use to touch the sky. At first I would probably just use this ability for enjoyment, for the feeling of the wind rushing by your face, and for the discovery of what it is like above the clouds. Eventually though I would hope to use this power as a hero type thing, saving people falling out of collapsing buildings and such. I do not think this actually makes up for something lacking in my life, but I suppose it could be something like a subconscious choice. My mom on the other hand would probably pick the ability to freeze time or move super fast, because as a mother of four she does not have a lot of free time for herself.

the superpower i would have would have to be…able to read minds. just to know what others are thinking and be able to know if its a lie or not ,would be cool. but i would like to control it and not hear people in my head all the time.

If I had a super human ability it would have to be the ability of super speed I don’t really know why I guess it would be cool to have becuase you can do multiple things at one time and never be late for any thing you could do pretty much anything you want in no time at all who needs a bus any more I’ll just use my super speed and you could make a sandwich in like 2 seconds so that super human ability is pretty beast. But if you were to go to fast you be into another deminsion so that is a thing to look at.

If I could have any super power it would be flying. I love traveling but it always takes too much time, so I end up not getting to go to all of the places I want to go to. I want to be able to fly because I want to be able to go to other places in the world without wasting gas or buying plane tickets. If I could fly I would be able to get to places quicker, save money, and it would be less pollution to the world. Being able to fly also takes away the restrictions from traveling; I could go anywhere at anytime.

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How America became a superpower, explained in 8 minutes

From a colony to a superpower in 200 years.

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The United States is the world's most powerful country by far, with a globe-spanning network of alliances and military bases. It's practically unrecognizable from the way the country began — and, indeed, what many early Americans thought it would be. The above video tells the story of how America changed from an insular former colony to a globe-spanning superpower.

Expansionism was always in America's DNA, as a country founded by the expulsion and slaughter of American Indians. But after America reached the Pacific coast, there was a real debate as to whether it should go further — whether the US should continue its growth as an imperial power beyond North America's shores.

This debate came to the fore after the Civil War, which removed the principal barrier to expansion (the controversy over whether slavery would be expanded to newly acquired territories). Though the expansionists were initially stymied, they won out for a surprising reason: the Industrial Revolution.

As Fareed Zakaria documents in his excellent book  From Wealth to Power , the rapid postwar growth of the US economy required an increasingly centralized state to manage it. The more power that was concentrated in the executive branch and bureaucracy, the easier it was for the president to acquire territories abroad.

This culminated in the Spanish-American war in 1898, which ended with America acquiring a whole lot of different territories around the globe. America was officially a global power, one that intervened in a number of countries, made major diplomatic moves in East Asia, and played a critical role in ending World War I.

The next crucial step, though, came after World War II. The United States was the only country to emerge from the war in strong economic and military shape, and thus was in a unique position to shape the terms of the peace. The result was a global financial system, called the Bretton Woods system, aimed at coordinating the global economy and preventing another Great Depression — and the United Nations, created to preserve the postwar peace.

Competition with the Soviet Union led the United States to establish its first permanent major non-wartime alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It also led the United States to grow its military and political presence around the world in an effort to contain the spread of communism, leading to interventions in places like Vietnam and Afghanistan and alliances with countries like Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

After the Soviet Union fell, the US could have chosen to withdraw from these alliances and international commitments. But it didn't, seeing them as critical institutions for preserving peace and prosperity even after the Soviet threat had receded.

So here we are: The United States is the world's most connected and pivotal power, and will remain so — unless President-elect Donald Trump  makes good on his proposals to withdraw America from these commitments.

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International Cultures and Issues

What is a global superpower.

Nathan Araya

J.E.B. Stuart High School

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My parents fled the war turmoil in Eritrea, to seek a better life for our family. As a child I heard of the world’s superpowers and wondered what they must be like. At this early age I could not imagine what made other places so great. Later on as a student I learned about the global superpowers and was amazed when it was time to move to one – the United States of America. My parents taught me to take advantage of the great wealth of in our new country.

Growing up, I learned that a global superpower was a nation with a strong education system, economy, technological advances, and military. To my parents, the U.S. was an ideal environment to raise a child. The United States is a nation admired for the generations of opportunity it has provided. However, I think this greatness is under the threat from nations like China, Japan and Singapore, whose economy, education systems and focus on innovation are quickly catching up or surpassing that of the United States. United States can maintain its position as a global super power by confronting challenges in its education system to meet new needs in society, and to reemphasize innovation and the ideal of entrepreneurialism.

Over the past 50 years, the United States, France, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, and Russia, have been recognized as global superpowers. The term global superpower, according to websites like the World Bank or IMF, are also financially stable enough to assist nations that need extensive humanitarian aid. In addition, a global superpower is a nation that’s part of the world’s trillion-dollar club, an organization consisting of the world’s top grossing nations. These top-grossing nations are always the strongest economically, technologically, and educationally.

Although international competition for global dominance has been stiff, the United States has managed to maintain its role as a global superpower because we are the world’s most technologically-advanced country. The United States attracts students from around the world with the best universities and top doctors and sick patients with advanced hospitals. Militarily, the U.S. has managed to use its superiorly equipped military to confront threats to people’s freedoms abroad. More importantly, the United States’ ideals of ‘determining one’s own destiny’ has attracted generations of immigrants, thus creating a melting-pot of diverse ethnic traditions and great talent from around the world.

Other existing or emerging global super powers include Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Germany India and Singapore. As the planet’s most populated nation with the largest military and workforce, China is a clear global superpower. Despite great levels of poverty, China has emerged as an economic super power because it manufactures so many of the products consumed in other parts of the world, and especially the United States. Japan has managed to sustain its role as a global superpower by being the second most technologically-advanced nation in the world. Companies like Nissan, Toyota and Sony drive this economy which creates products the global market craves, supplemented with the man power of its workforce, 9 th  largest in the world at 65 million.

India is another global superpower by several accounts. India has a very hefty workforce at 487.3 million, the second largest in the world. India’s extensive workforce and the currency difference between the United States and India has made it cheaper for U.S. companies like IBM and Microsoft to move lots of their operations from the United States to India, where it’s cheaper to pay workers. Hence, India has an extensive global market share for exporting products made by their workforce. Moreover, India has various companies that list among the Forbes 2000, which are the highest-grossing companies in the world. For example, Reliance Industries, which grossed $29 billion last year, ranks 126 th  in the world in revenue according to the Forbes 2000 of 2010.

Brazil, has also managed to become a global superpower because of its ability to establish an economy which outweighs all other South American nations. Brazil’s strong growth and high interest rates has made Brazil an attractive destination for foreign investment, which helped contribute to Brazil’s expansive workforce of 103.6 million, the 6 th  largest in the world. Brazil’s self-sufficiency in the oil sector due to the success of the government-owned company, Petrobras, has attracted interest by global superpowers like the United States, which seeks to strengthen their energy alliance. Brazil has also attracted trade agreements and investments with several highly-advanced nations like the Netherlands, China, and the United States, escalating Brazil’s global market share.

A country that some experts report is losing its global superpower status is Russia. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 and the fall of communism, Russia’s economic system, its sphere of influence over the nations that used to make up the Union (like Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc) seceded as they became independent. Hence, Russia had to reform its economic and political system from the bottom up and, in the process, lost this prominent status. On an opposite track, Singapore has shined as a rising nation internationally because of its attracting major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. It also has the third highest GDP-real growth rate in the world at 14.7 percent. Singapore’s public and private sector attempts at fully-modernizing its nation leads it on the path of becoming the high-tech hub of Southeastern Asia and a rising global superpower.

Earlier I identified three areas the United States needs to invest in and improve to maintain our status in the generations ahead. First, we need to improve our schools to reaffirm and sustain our global-leadership role. This must start in our urban schools, where 2,000 out of 15,000 high schools account for half of the nation’s high-school dropouts. Second, innovation and entrepreneurialism play a critical role in sustaining our role as a global superpower. One aspect of American greatness comes from implementing the ideas of visionaries who sought to interconnect our world, like Mark Zuckerberg, who created facebook and Bill Gates who started Microsoft in his garage in the early 70’s. If the United States continues to invest in a modern education system, new ideas will flourish and the United States will continue as a global superpower.

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Interview questions answered: If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Most job interviews are extremely formal and stressful affairs . In my opinion, it isn’t good for anyone. Stressed job candidates will hardly show their full potential , and hiring managers can easily screen out the best, ending up hiring someone who will leave the company within the next three months. One of the ways of easing the tension is asking a funny question , something only half-serious. To break the ice, and help the job seekers calm down. Questions about your “ superpowers ” belongs to this group of questions.

What’s more, it isn’t a typical interview question, and most people won’t prepare for it in advance . Their answers will be spontaneous , and will show something about their character… But what superpowers should you refer to to make a good impression on the hiring managers, to say the right thing ? It is not as difficult as it seems, and you actually have many options here. Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question–including conventional, unconventional , and funny answers. Below the answers I explain a couple of points you should keep on your mind while answering this one. Do not forget to check them out as well.

7 sample answers to “What is your superpower?” interview question

• My superpower is extrasensory perception . Without needing to hear a single word from my manager, I know exactly what they expect me to do , what results I should deliver–and I will deliver them. And when a colleague doesn’t feel good, or  experiences some emotional issues, I am attracted to them like an iron to a magnet , and will talk to them, cheer them up, encourage them, and simply help them get back to their best. Without a doubt my former colleagues would confirm my words.
• My colleagues in my last job thought I had a superpower of bilocation . Because I always seemed to get twice as much done , and had many interesting things going on in my life outside of work as well. And though it would be amazing to bilocate–imagine sitting at your desk, working, and at the same time having a strawberry ice cream on a park bench, I must confess that I do not have the superpower . But I can plan my day better than most people , and I can easily eliminate all distractions at work. As a result I typically manage to get done more than my colleagues , and some cannot explain it in any other way than attributing it to my super-human power of bilocation.
• Well, I can get invisible sometimes . Especially when I mess something up, or prefer to remain a spectator in a tense team meeting. I suppress my ego , and sit quietly, letting big egos of my colleagues clash and flourish, while I remain a mere observer to the conflict. Sometimes they even forget that I am in the room, which in fact means that I get invisible to their eyes. Though I am aware of some minuses this superpower has , I enjoy disappearing at times, especially when I find the conflict pointless , and showing my presence in any way would only pour more oil into the fire.

* Do not forget to check also : Answers to 15 most common interview questions .

• It is time travel . I actually came here from the 19th century, a dark age . I wanted to quit the difficulties and invented the time machine. But I wish I could return back to the 19th century, because I find the 21st century even worse. Most people lost their ability to think critically , and won’t be able to leave their home without a smartphone . They are just tools in the hands of technocracy, walking zombies or robots. And the future does not look much brighter to me, with the pandemic, and the irrational measures countries applied to protect the spread of the virus. Actually every day after work I am working on a new time machine in my secret laboratory , because I want to return back to the 19th century. But I have to eat and pay rent , that’s why I try to get this job with you. If you hire me, I promise you to take you away from here once the time machine is ready.
• I must disappoint you, but I have no superpowers . All my life I’ve been relying on hard work , discipline, and trying to become the best version of myself , within the limitations of a human body and mind. I think I haven’t fared badly , but I am aware that this process has no end. I have to continue working on my strengths. And that’s exactly the plan. Though I have no superpowers, I will no doubt surprise you with superior results at work.
• Actually I am an expert in hypnosis . You have probably not realized it yet, but in reality I am writing the script of this interview . In your view, it seems like you are asking me questions and I am giving you the answers. But in reality I know exactly what you want to ask, and what you want to hear from me. Now that you are aware of my superpower, I suggest to speed things up. Just give me the employment agreement with 100K annual salary to sign , and we can both go home, and meet here on the 1st next month. It will happen anyway, so there’s no need to prolong this interview. Do you agree?
• You are the first person I am telling this to, but I can actually fly . And it is t he best form of mental relax . Once the city falls asleep, I spread my arms, jump out of the window and rise to the sky. It is not as difficult as most people thing–you just have to believe into your abilities, and then everything is possible. Let’s make a deal: if you hire me today, I will teach you how to fly . Sure enough no other candidate can offer you a similar deal…

* May also interest you : How to dress for an interview? 5 things to consider when choosing your interview attire.

Sense of humor is welcome in every workplace

Hiring managers realize that a good joke, once in a while, will only help a healthy atmosphere in the workplace.  Now it doesn’t mean that employees should joke around and spend all their days laughing. Not at all… But telling a good joke or explaining a situation in a funny way a couple of times a day will only help to ease the tension, and improve the productivity of everyone in the team.

Do not hesitate to answer a funny question with a funny answer . You should definitely remain serious most of the time in the interviews, but this question is your opportunity to break the ice, and show them that you are a grate colleague to have around in the workplace .

* Special Tip : This isn’t the only tricky question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity , and other intriguing scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

“Superpowers” can help you point out your real strengths

Have a look at sample answers no. 1, 2, and 3 on my list. In each of them the candidate picks a superpower (extrasensory perception, bilocation, invisibility), but eventually talk about real human strengths and abilities .

Extraordinary perception turns to strong empathy and emotional intelligence , bilocation eventually happens to be excellent planning, time management, and focus , and invisibility is in fact an ability to liberate oneself from ego , and do not participate in pointless conflicts and ego-boasting activities, which are present in every workplace… In my opinion these are the best answers to any question about your superpowers, including “If you had a superpower, what would it be?”

Unconventional answer is a risk which can pay off in certain scenarios

Check answers no. 4, 6, and 7 on my list. Here the candidates go really off the charts . One talks about time travel and criticizes 21st century, and the “robotic nature” of today’s corporate force. Another one even claims that they’ve hypnotized the hiring manager , and are in fact leading the interviews, without the other party realizing anything. And the last one goes without comment :).

These answers may seem strange to you, but in some cases–and this is something not many people realize –your main goal is to stand out , to be the one the hiring managers remember at the end of the day , when they are summarizing the interviews, and deciding who moves to the next round, or gets the job. One or two unconventional answers (from 15-20 questions they ask you) can only help you in this sense, especially when they offer some food for thought for the interviewers…

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

• Describe a situation when you wished you’d acted differently .
• What makes you unique?
• How did you prepare for this interview?
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Americas Rise to Become a Super Power Argumentative Essay

Introduction, industrialization era, how america rapidly grew into the world’s greatest superpower, economic advantage over europe, causes of war.

The main cause of the two world wars was the armed conflict between major powers (Andrea and Overfield 1994). International rivalries were a significant influence on the global wars while formation of allied alliances further fueled the war.

This paper will argue that the U.S. moved so quickly from being the least militarized industrial nation in the world to the most powerful military force in human history due to its successful industrialization, economic interests abroad, and the decline of Europe as the result of two world wars.

Moreover, the paper will argue that technological advancements, the decline of Europe, and the development of military-industrial complex made the transition to a permanent military state so successfully.

America despite being the only country with the shortest history rose to become the greatest superpower in the 20 th century. It went ahead of countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, Portugal, and Holland (Andrea and Overfield 1994). One would have expected the United States to disintegrate especially considering its broken ties and economic relations with Great Britain after the independence.

Characterized by political chaos, the country managed to rise against the challenge and got rapidly industrialized. The free-market economy strategy was instrumental in rebuilding and stabilizing the ruined state. Through this policy, America was able to outdo some of the economic giants of the time like Europe. Very quickly, the US became the leading industrial power owing to the free-market economy.

The United States of America has remained the most technologically advanced nations globally. The country achieved its status of global leader in technology between the 18 th and the 20 th century (Randolph 1918).

It was during that period that the country migrated from an agricultural economy to a fully industrialized economy (Andrea and Overfield 1994). By this period, America had more than a third of the world’s industrial output (“The Nobel Peace Prize 1912. Elihu Root.”).

Their rapid rise to power is greatly attached to the use of Jews talents. The Americans overtook all other countries that were anti-Jews. However, the most reasonable argument as to why the Americans rapidly became the world’s superpower is the fact that while all other great countries in Europe were busy fighting, America was busy with industrial production.

America was in addition endorsed with vast industrial resources, hence reducing its cost of importation and enhancing its manufacturing and exporting power.

Immigration into the country was a boosting phenomenon to the country’s economy as immigrants provided the much-needed labor to steer the country’s growth. Notably, with the hostility in Germany, many Jewish scientists immigrated to America hence enhancing further the technological advancement.

In addition to that, it suffices to say that the great leadership that emerged in the US is also a factor that influenced the rapid growth. Nonetheless, the leadership structures put in place was efficient and laid a basis for consistent growth. With limited powers, a bad president could not have done much damage to the economy and other national systems hence the consistent growth.

This led to the military-industrial complex which is policies and monitory relationships with the legislators, state armed forces, and the defense industrial support (Andrea and Overfield 1994). These policies govern military and defense spending (Debs 1918).

The United States focused on the manufacture of military weapons and dedicated substantial financial support to pursue the same (Bass 1964). In fact, after World War II, the United States never demobilized, as it remained paranoid in the Soviet Union. By the then the two were the only remaining powers and hostility towards each other had begun to take root (Wilson 1917).

During the war, Europe experienced great economic struggle and hence could not keep up with the pace set by the Americans. During this industrial era, large number of people migrated from the firms to the cities in search for jobs.

With the booming business, opportunities for financial gain came up and the economy was shooting in very high speed (Andrea and Overfield 1994). On the other hand, Europe was still a battle and economic progress was no in their list of priorities.

The growth in manufacturing industry in the united states help them achieve a great financial base to produce weapons. The steel industry came in handy and the demand was there for firearms. This further supported the economic growth in America. The decline of Europe was an added advantage for the Americans since it gave the Europeans less time to think about developing.

America took the advantage of the battle and mobilized the greatest military soldiers of the time (Andrea and Overfield 1994). The mobilization of the people to join the military further stretched the united states economy since these great armies needed financial support.

That gave the country a reason to work hard in order to sustain their military financially. However, after the war was over, America did not demobilize the military rather they maintained it. This made the US stronger even after the war hence become a superpower.

In 1898, America declare war on Spain. This was influenced by Americas vested political interest in Cuba which was a Spanish colony by that time. By defeating the Spanish government, the United States of America gained influence over the pacific region and possessed the Philippines.

The war against Spain and the US control over the Pacific region brew conflict between the united states and Japan. However, this was to bring out a conflict between America and Japan later. After the bombing of a US battleship by the Japanese military, the then president McKinley was under a lot of pressure from congress to declare war on Spain, which he succumbed.

By 1917, France and Britain were almost lost in the battle. These were Americans allies and the American public mounted pressure on their leaders to intervene and save their traditional allies.

In 1941, America’s isolation from war ended after Japanese warplanes launched a surprise attack on American’s military base in the Pacific (Andrea and Overfield 1994). At the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which was where most of the US Pacific fleet was, anchored (Bass 1964).

The Japanese warplanes surprisingly destroyed hundreds of American war jets, tens of warships as well as killing thousands of military men and civilians (Bass 1964). Italy and Germany were allies with Japan and three days later, the two had declared war against America so the US was drawn into a global war (Bass 1964).

In 1915, German’s warships sunk a ship that was carrying American passengers without giving a warning (Bass 1964). An approximated 120 American citizens were reported dead following the attack (Bass 1964).

The US threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the Germans in the event that they declined to cease their submarine warfare against passengers and freight-carrying vessels (Andrea and Overfield 1994). In response, the Germans ceased it marine Warfare but in 1917, after ending their diplomatic relations with the Americans, they resumed their marine warfare.

The Germans also anticipated defeat from American retaliations tried to influence Japan and Mexico with the promise to support the two in the war (Andrea and Overfield 1994). However, these intentions reached the US and the president in 1917 declared war (Andrea and Overfield 1994).

The war declaration by President Wilson was primarily based on the submarine attacks as well as the Zimmerman’s note, which contained his intended attack on Americans (Andrea and Overfield 1994).

This essay sets out to look at the factors that influenced the world wars. The causes of the two world wars are clearly outlined within the paper as well as the factors that led to the US involvement in the two world wars. The similarities between the factors leading the United States of America to go war are established in this essay.

America is the only country among the great power to have a short history has risen to be the greatest of them all. In this essay, the reason and factors that enhanced this rapid growth have been clearly outlined. The essay shows the technological advancement that helped the Americans gain economic strength hence the military dominance as a super power.

Andrea, Alfred and James H. Overfield. The Human Record : Sources of Global History . Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

Bass, Herbert. America’s Entry Into World War I . Chicago: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964.

Bourne, Randolph. “War Is the Health of the State” bureau of public secrets. Web.

Debs, Eugene Victor. “ Statement to the Court .” Speeches on Social Justice. Web.

“ The Nobel Peace Prize 1912. Elihu Root .” NobelPrize.org. Web.

Wilson, Woodrow. “ President Wilson’s War Address ” Wikisource . 2012. Web.

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Superpower Essay

Filed Under: Essays Tagged With: English

“Superpower essay”

The superpower that I would want to have would be being able to transport to different

places by just thinking about being in that place. The reason I would want this power would be

to travel to places for free, being able to people out when they are in trouble ,making less

pollution, and to get myself out of trouble. This would save me money, yet it would allow me to

make money at the same time, and it would let me do my good deed for society.

If I could teleport to places by just thinking about it I would be able to travel around the

world and see every country. This way I would be saving money because i wouldn’t have to

spend money on gas or on plane tickets to travel. If I wanted I would be able to go to the moon

safely and bring back samples for people to study more, without anyone risking their lives. I

could also make money this way by teleporting people to their destination of choice faster then

they could get there flying.

The evil that i would fight would be terrorists and other people that are holding

Innocent people hostage. Being able to transport into building’s and out with the innocent

People before the bad people even knew what was going on, would save lives. Fighting these

The Essay on York People Money Place

English 99 1/1/99 New York I know of a interesting place where people flock to in hope of success. I on the other hand have been to this place twice as a tourist. People call it the big apple or the city that never sleeps. Its home to Wall Street and the world champion Yankees. This place is called New York. I go to New York annually to see Jake a friend of mine who lives there. He is my best ...

People will get bad guys off the street and will make it safer for everybody in the world.

Lastly I would want this superpower because I would be able to leave my house

Whenever I was getting yelled at or am getting in trouble. This would save me a lot of problems.

I would be able to go visit my dad whenever I wanted. Being able to transport is just sweet and i

would be ecstatic if I could do it, because it would freak people out. It would save the world

because it would reduce pollution and release less chemicals into the air.

The reasons as to why I would want to have this power are some pretty legit reasons. It

Would be way more efficient and wouldn’t cause pollution and I would be saving a lot of

Money. Some more reasons would be that I am able to save peoples lives from bad guys, travel

The world and see everything there is to see and getting myself out of trouble.

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Speech on If I Had A Superpower

Imagine waking up one day and discovering you have a superpower. Wouldn’t that be exciting? The possibility of flying, becoming invisible, or reading minds just like your favorite superheroes can be fascinating.

In this scenario, which superpower would you choose? Think about it as we explore the intriguing world of superhuman abilities together.

1-minute Speech on If I Had A Superpower

Hi friends!

Ever thought about having a superpower? Let’s imagine for a moment. If I had a superpower, it would be the power to heal. Not just cuts and bruises, but all sorts of pain – hurt feelings, broken hearts, and even the deepest sorrows.

Now, you may ask, why healing? There are so many cool powers like flying or being invisible. But I believe that our world has enough heroes who can fly and disappear. What we need more of, are healers. People who can wipe away tears, soothe hearts, and bring smiles back to faces.

Imagine a world where no one is sad, where every tear is wiped away before it even falls. Where hearts are never broken, and if they are, they get mended straight away. That’s the world I’d create with my healing superpower.

But remember, friends, we don’t need superpowers to make a difference. We can be healers in our own way. A kind word, a warm hug, a listening ear – these are our real-life superpowers. Let’s use them to spread love and happiness everywhere.

So, next time you wish for a superpower, think about the one you already have – the power to spread joy, to heal with love. Let’s be our own heroes. After all, the best superpower is the one that brings a smile to someone’s face.

2-minute Speech on If I Had A Superpower

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Imagine, for a moment, if you woke up one day and found you had a superpower. What would you do? What would you change? It’s a fun thought, isn’t it? Today, I am here to talk about the superpower that I would choose if given a chance, and why.

If I could pick, my superpower would be to spread happiness. It might not be a traditional power like flying or super strength, but, in my eyes, it’s the most significant one. I would want to touch people’s hearts and fill them with joy, just like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

You might ask, why happiness? Well, look around. We find ourselves in a world that is often filled with sadness, worry, and anger. People are tired, stressed, and sometimes feel alone. By choosing to spread happiness, I could help change that. I could help people find a reason to smile, to laugh, and to enjoy life.

How would this power work? It’s simple. I would just need to be near someone, and they would start to feel happier. They wouldn’t know why, but their worries would seem less scary, their problems would seem smaller, and their hearts would feel lighter.

But, I don’t want to just make people happy for a short time. Real happiness comes when we can solve our problems, reach our goals, and live our dreams. So, I would also use my power to help people find the courage and strength to face their challenges head-on.

Lastly, I believe that happiness is contagious. One person’s joy can spread to others and create a ripple effect. So, if I could make one person happy, they could make others happy, and so on. In this way, my superpower could help create a world filled with more smiles and less tears.

In conclusion, if I had a superpower, it would be to spread happiness. Because I believe that happiness can change the world. It can make the hard times easier, the good times better, and the everyday moments more special. So, let’s all try to be superheroes in our own way by spreading a little happiness each day.

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The Choice of Flight

Having super powers is something that many kids dream about when they are young. When you are little, you do not realize the extent of how these powers would change your life. There is a choice to be made when you possess super powers; are you going to use them for good or evil? That is where your morals are put to the test. Flight would have to be the first super power I would to choose. With this super power traveling the world would not be a problem. There are many places and people I would like to see on earth and learn about.

Superman can fly and this is what sets him apart from many of the other super heroes. By having flight, helping people would be easier also. Not only would I have a view from the street, but I would have a view from the sky too. Being able to fly also gives you easy opportunities to steal, and take what you want. You can outrun any police officer, or even any soldier. This is where your morals would be tested. Could you withstand the urge to do what you want? The next super power that I would want is invisibility. This power would give me the ability to be like a “fly on the wall”.

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Without paying upfront

It would be especially useful if I were working for the government to get super secret information from enemies. But even if I wasn’t working for the government, listening to what people talk about when I’m ‘not around’ would be very interesting to hear. With this power would come great responsibility. Such a power can easily uproot your morals since you can do bad things without getting caught. You could discover passwords, and people’s credit card information. This also could lead to stealing from banks without anyone noticing.

The third and final super power that I want is time travel. With this power I would love to travel back to the dinosaur era, when Cleopatra was queen of Egypt, and even during WW II to witness how everything took place. Traveling to the future would give us insight of what we need to do now to help protect our environment for the future. Time travel would be the most beneficial to historians and scientists to figure out the gaps in our history and help us in the future. But you would need to be extremely careful with time travel because of the butterfly effect.

The butterfly effect is when something so little, as in you being in the past, can change something really big in the future. Would you be able to resist the urge to become powerful in the past even though it would change all history? Looking at both the positives and negatives of each superpower really has showed me that I am perfect the way I am. No matter how perfect a human is, I believe the temptations would overcome even the Pope’s morals. You truly would have to be a “superman” to stay a well balanced and moral person. This is why in the end, I would much rather be an average Jane than be an evil, and sinful superwoman.

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Flight of the Phoenix

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The Introduction’s Super Power

SHARON’S BLOG

Introductions can be boring. Super boring.

Young writers think they have to fight with a blank piece of paper for that first, amazing sentence before they write anything else, and so they get stuck.

Cue the tissues. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

A mom recently asked me to look at her son’s essay. He was entering a state-wide speech contest on the topic of responsibility and had written a solid essay— except for the introduction . He was going to put his listeners to sleep with it.

I encouraged him to write up his story in just a few sentences. This way, his audience would see that he knew what he was talking about, would see him as a real person, and would have a better idea of what he meant by the word “responsibility.” He inserted his personal story into his introduction, entered the contest, and was in the top four finalists in the state.

Use a personal story

Personal stories are powerful. They can pack a punch. Think about all the stories about real people that politicians use during election time. They choose them for the highest impact, to grab the hearts of voters. Teach your writers to grab the attention of their readers.

Here’s an example of using a personal story in an introduction written by Jared, one of my writing students. His essay’s subject was heroes and what makes one.

When I was a little kid, I loved Superman. He was my favorite super hero. I had Superman pajamas and red cowboy boots that I wore around the house. Saving the world was easy with my super powers. The only thing that stood in my way was bedtime. But when I got older, I had to accept the fact that there is no such thing as a person with super powers. Heroes, though, still exist, and they have many qualities in common that make them heroes.

Great personal story. Lots of interest and humor. Engaging introduction to the topic of heroes. What’s not to like?

Jared’s introduction is taken from The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School.

Note that he included his thesis statement at the end of his introductory paragraph, which is where it belongs: “. . . they have many qualities in common that make them heroes.” Then he went on to expound upon some of the qualities he felt made a hero.

For a tutorial on thesis statements (main ideas), head here. >>

The next time your students have trouble introducing their essay, suggest they use the super power of a personal story. The story doesn’t have to be theirs. It can be a friend’s, neighbor’s, or relative’s. If this is the case, the student should ask permission of the person before using the story.

I used the story of a young speech writer to show you how powerful stories can be. What story will your student use?

Yours for a more vibrant writing class,

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“With a secure homeland and a peerless economy, the United States can do stupid things over and over again without suffering severe punishment,” said Michael Beckley. Photo: iStockphoto

Why the United States Is the Only Superpower

With so many advantages and strengths, the U.S. towers over its rivals worldwide, despite misperceptions of the threats from China and Russia, says a Tufts political scientist

If you read the headlines on any given day, it seems like the United States is headed for a fall, as rivals China and Russia push their weight around.

But Michael Beckley, an associate professor of political science at Tufts, doesn’t buy that. To him, this is the era of the U.S. as sole superpower, and the country’s domination of the global order should continue for decades, at least.

In his recent book Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower , Beckley documents the multitude of U.S. strengths and its rivals’ many weaknesses. That’s not to say America couldn’t decline, due to domestic political divisions and corruption, and lose its sole superpower status. But overall, he says, it’s more likely to thrive.

“Institutionally, the United States is a mess, but China’s system is worse,” he said. “The United States is a flawed democracy, but China is an oligarchy ruled by a dictator for life.”

Tufts Now recently spoke with Beckley about his efforts to rebalance the view of the U.S. and its global rivals. 

Tufts Now : You detail many reasons why the U.S. is the world’s preeminent power—what are, say, the top two reasons?

Michael Beckley : First, the United States has a huge lead by the most important measures of national power. China is the only country that comes close, and America still has three times China’s wealth and five times its military capabilities. That gap would take decades to close even if things go badly for the United States.

Second, things probably won’t go badly for the United States, at least relatively speaking, because it has the best long-term economic growth prospects among the major powers. Economists have shown that long-run growth depends on a country’s geography, demography, and political institutions. The United States has an edge in all three categories.

Geographically, the United States is a natural economic hub and military fortress. It’s packed with resources and has more economic arteries like navigable waterways and ports than the rest of the world combined. Its only neighbors are Canada and Mexico. China, by contrast, has burned through its resources and is surrounded by nineteen countries, many of which are hostile or unstable, and ten of which still claim parts of China’s territory as their own.

Demographically, America is the only nation that is simultaneously big, young, and highly educated. The U.S. workforce is the third largest, second youngest, most educated in years of schooling, and most productive among the major powers—and it is the only major workforce that will grow throughout this century.

China, by contrast, will lose 200 million workers over the next thirty years and add 300 million senior citizens. Chinese workers produce six times less wealth per hour than American workers on average.  More than two-thirds of China’s workers lack a high school education; and one-third of Chinese young people entering the workforce have an IQ below 90, largely a result of malnutrition, poor care, and pollution.

Institutionally, the United States is a mess, but China’s system is worse. The United States is a flawed democracy, but China is an oligarchy ruled by a dictator for life. Special interests drag down U.S. growth and fuel corruption and inequality, but the Chinese Communist Party systematically sacrifices economic efficiency and promotes corruption and inequality to maintain political control.

What about Russia? It has a huge nuclear arsenal, bullies its neighbors and asserts its power farther abroad in conflicts like that in Syria. Should we be more concerned?

Russia threatens many U.S. interests—it menaces U.S. allies, props up U.S. adversaries such as Iran and Syria, murders pro-democracy advocates, meddles in elections, and has recently seized foreign territory near its borders—but Russia is not poised to become a rival superpower like the Soviet Union was.

Russia’s military budget is ten times smaller than America’s. Its economy is smaller than that of Texas and its population will shrink 30 percent over the next thirty years. Russia has no meaningful allies, and it faces NATO, the most powerful alliance in history, on its borders. The United States needs to worry about Russia’s nefarious activities—especially its election meddling and paramilitary encroachments in the Baltics—but it can do so without gearing up for another Cold War.

China and Russia seem to have become united in their opposition to the U.S. Will that create a new power balance?

Russia and China will never form a genuine alliance. They share a 2,600-mile border, compete for influence across Eurasia, and sell arms to each other’s adversaries. But Russia and China still harm U.S. interests by acting in concert on a limited set of issues.

For example, both countries have spent billions of dollars on media outlets, NGOs, and hackers aimed at reversing the spread of democracy and subverting U.S. political institutions.  The two countries also have sanctioned U.S. allies and colluded in the United Nations to block or water down U.S. sanctions on North Korea and Iran.  Most worrisome, China and Russia could simultaneously start wars with U.S. allies—such as a Chinese war with Taiwan and a Russian war in the Baltics—which would severely overstretch U.S. forces.

What’s the value of being the world’s sole superpower?

One benefit is security. As the only country that can carry out a major war abroad, the United States has the luxury of dealing with foreign threats “over there,” far from its homeland, and keeping death and destruction at arm’s length. It is impossible to overstate how lucky Americans are that none of the major battles in any of the wars of the past 150 years were fought in their cities and towns.

Another benefit is a large margin of error. With a secure homeland and a peerless economy, the United States can do stupid things over and over again without suffering severe punishment. Only the United States could engage in a war as dubious as that in Iraq or trigger the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression, and remain the richest and most influential country on the planet and retain the support of more than sixty allies, including most of the major powers.

A related benefit is freedom of action. The United States can decisively involve itself in any region of the world—or not. Most countries have foreign policy priorities thrust upon them. They are too weak to settle issues in their own neighborhoods and have to spend most of their time doing damage control around their borders. Russia, for example, can’t ignore NATO or EU expansion in eastern Europe. 

Similarly, China can’t ignore unrest in Hong Kong, separatism in Taiwan, North Korea’s nuclear weapons, or any of the ten countries that currently claim Chinese territory. As a superpower, the United States has much more leeway to choose where, how, and on what issues it wants to involve itself.

Freedom of action also applies to U.S. citizens. Americans often take for granted that they can travel and do business in many parts of the world using English and dollars and that many international trade and investment rules—and parts of the legal systems of some countries—are based on, if not directly copied from, U.S. law. The U.S. government has many strings it can pull to protect U.S. citizens and their property abroad, too. These privileges all stem from the fact that the United States shapes international customs and institutions.

Finally, the United States gets economic kickbacks from being a superpower. Other countries help finance its debt—because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency and the United States is an especially secure and profitable place to invest—and they are often eager to sign favorable trade and investment deals with it to gain access to the U.S. market and technology or to garner U.S. diplomatic backing or military protection. Perhaps most important, the dominant position the United States holds in the world economy attracts young smart people from all over the world, and the resulting influx of immigrants continually rejuvenates the U.S. workforce.

Why do you think there is a perception that the U.S. is weak—seemingly unable to exert influence in international affairs, from North Korea to Crimea to Venezuela?

One reason is that people wrongly assume that a superpower will always get its way, so when the United States fails, it’s front-page news. Second, because the United States is so powerful, it often tries to do ridiculously difficult things—democratizing the Middle East, winning a war on drugs, convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons—and thus fails more often and more spectacularly than do weaker countries with more modest aims.

Some parts of your book remind me of a stock analyst’s report on a company that’s long been at the top of its game, saying there’s little to stop it from dominating its sector for years, and worthy of an investment. Yet, companies that once seemed invincible—General Electric, for example—can sometimes sink because of incompetent management, increased competition, and changing circumstances. You mention in the book some scenarios that could lead the U.S. to lose power rather than maintain it—can you talk about some of those and what you see as their likelihood?

The most likely scenario would be internal decay. Some great powers have been brought down but by domestic political divisions and corruption rather than the rise of a rival power. It’s not hard to imagine the United States heading down this path. Partisan divisions have surged to levels not seen since the Civil War, gridlock has become the political norm, and special interests increasingly infect U.S. institutions.

As a result, serious domestic problems are getting worse. Inequality and ethnic and cultural tensions are rising. Upward mobility, entrepreneurship, and life expectancy are declining.  The U.S. debt is massive. Infrastructure is generally mediocre. Without functioning political institutions, these problems could spiral out of control. 

Your view that the U.S. will maintain its status as the world’s sole superpower is not in the mainstream. Why do you think that is?

One reason is that threat-exaggeration sells. The image of an emerging Chinese superpower helps the Pentagon justify a larger budget, the media sell copy, authors sell books, investment banks sell emerging-market funds, CEOs get the government to pay for job training programs they otherwise would have to pay for themselves…I could go on.

Another reason may be psychological. The grass tends to look greener on the other side. Americans are generally more aware of their own country’s problems than they are of China’s.

Finally, the indicators we typically use to measure power—GDP, military spending, trade volumes—systematically exaggerate the power of countries with big populations, like China and India, because they count the benefits of having a big population—a large workforce and army—but not the costs. China may have the world’s biggest economy and military force, but it also leads the world in debt, resource consumption, pollution, useless infrastructure and wasted industrial capacity, scientific fraud, internal security spending, border disputes, and populations of sick and elderly. These kinds of liabilities aren’t counted in the big headline indicators.

Are there any historical parallels for this unipolar era? Is this era the Pax Americana?

This era is unique. The United States is much more powerful than past lead states. With 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States accounts for 25 percent of global wealth, 35 percent of world innovation, and 40 percent of global military spending. It is home to nearly 600 of the world’s 2,000 most profitable companies and fifty of the top 100 universities.

It has sixty-eight formal allies, and it is the only country that can fight major wars beyond its home region, with 587 bases scattered across forty-two countries. Yale historian Paul Kennedy conducted a famous study comparing great powers over the past five hundred years and concluded: “Nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing.” The United States is, quite simply, “the greatest superpower ever.”

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