It has now been almost a decade since scholars, observers and policymakers started discussing the state of U.S. leadership in the world. It has been probably the most fruitful discussion in international relations in recent years. There is now literature on the relative decline of the U.S. and the international order. Interestingly, sometimes movies and TV series also contribute to this discussion. One of the latest Netflix productions, “Don’t Look Up,” will be a huge asset for researchers working in this field. The topic of the movie is not unfamiliar to viewers. There is a comet set to crash into Earth at high speed, meaning an extinction-level event for human life. Yes, the world is in danger and yes, scientists discovered this threat. Now they expect the American president to take action to get rid of this major threat. However, the American president is less interested in this scientific discovery than her own political career, the Supreme Court nominee and the midterm elections. Although the political affiliation and party of the president are not stated, we can sense a highly polarized political arena. This deep division also reflects itself in society. Despite the scientific data that the comet is approaching Earth, the issue becomes a source of polarization in American society. There are those who deny the comet, just like those who initially denied the presence of the COVID-19 virus. There are conspiracy theories in regards to the origins of the comet, just like the conspiracy theories in regards to the source of the outbreak. The U.S. president only starts to pay more attention to the approaching comet following a scandal at the White House and the approaching elections. She tried to create a rally around the flag effect and declares war against the comet. This time, however, a businessperson/inventor convinces her to take not only political but also economic advantage of the approaching comet. There is no talk about establishing cooperation with other nations. It is a world in which the U.S. acts unilaterally both during the decision to destroy the comet with nuclear weapons and the decision to abandon the mission.
As I mentioned above, some of the issues in the movie remind the viewers of the debates between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to the U.S. president, and other scientists during the first days of the COVID-19 crisis. It is a portrayal of the U.S. government in action during a global crisis. It is a divided country with significant fault lines, even in the midst of an existential threat. The media and social media did not seem to play a constructive role during this debacle. Of course, in the end, Earth is not saved. It is the end of the world.
The US and Earth: 'Don't Look Up,' 'Armageddon,' 'World War Z'
It has now been almost a decade since scholars, observers and policymakers started discussing the state of U.S. leadership in the world.
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