...concepts of balance of power and system polarity...
On the other hand, Starrs considered “the power” to have a more economical meaning. And the United States, instead of declining, is globalizing. Starrs concluded that the rises of China and the other developing countries are really caused by the United State. Most of China’s labor forces are companies from the United States, and the top exporting firms from China are all foreign, not China.
The two articles both argued how United States is waning, but Starrs argued that it was only an effect produced when the US firms leaved for more inexpensive labor, while the true money and share still goes back to the US companies. Engelhardt focused more on the political point of view, as to find other strong superpowers that could politically imperialize the world. The two articles might seem contradicting, the two simply asked different questions. Engelhardt wanted to know where the power is, both contemporary and prospective. While Starrs proved that United States is not declining, but instead a product of globalization.
It occurred to me that while both articles make sense, the future world would be under a multipolar system. Engelhardt proved that while US is declining as a superpower, there is not a trace yet the uprising of another superpower. Starrs proved at after the result of globalization, the world economy would be borderless, and that the national accounts are merely one of the factors that have to be looked at, while companies internationalize. The 21th century international system world would be globalize and as power leave from countries to the companies, there wouldn't be a unipolar countries, but instead the powers would be drain to those big companies, and what is left would be shared by the countries, therefore a multipolar system.
In the end, as the power goes onto the hands of companies, it is obvious that countries would be talking through economic influence. Conflicts by a "physical" war would gradually decrease while poverty and wealth would enter as the main issue of the 21th century.