Explain why the ending of the Cold War was not followed by a period of world peace and stability.

Soon after the ending of cold war, various American spokesperson announced that the USA was looking forward to an era of peace and international cooperation. But there was one major challenge, instead of universally loved and admired the USA ended up being hated so much that it led individuals and groups to commit some most horrible terror acts in protest against the USA and its system. Reasons for this violent actions are:

• The USA foreign policy of intervention in other nations’ internal affairs continued as such even after the end of cold war. 1989 invasion Panama is one such case. In the 1990s, the USA helped to suppress left-wing movements in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Colombia. This policy of intervention can be justified as ‘containment of communism’ in the cold war era but now this was something else.
• The USA failed to intervene in the crises where world opinion was in favour of intervention. The US reluctance to play a role in Rwanda. In the case of Palestine, President Bush’s refusal to deal with Arafat.
• The USA many times failed to support the UN. And sometimes even ignored and went against it.
• The USA economy is so large that decisions taken in Washington and New York have worldwide repercussion. The Americans kept firm control over World Bank and IMF and by doing so they controlled the internal policies of nations who applied for loans.

These interferences in the internal affairs of other nations brought negative feeling for the USA in some sections of communities.  

Topics: GS-I: World Wars, Cold War and Other Major Events of 20th Century