steve on Nostr: “Empire of the Air: Aviation and the American Ascendency” by Jenifer Van Vleck ...
“Empire of the Air: Aviation and the American Ascendency” by Jenifer Van Vleck
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The advent of the airplane aligned perfectly with a unique moment in American history. The rising power of the nation following WWI led the US to begin experimenting with commercial aviation in it’s own backyard: Latin America. The founding of Pan Am airways during the interwar period was not a private venture, but a government-backed project aimed at exporting American culture, gaining market access, and most of all… providing vital access, basing, and overflight for potential military operations. Van Vleck uses historical records and cultural references to show how Pan Am was a proxy for the rise of American hegemony. Her narrative emphasizes the influence that “soft power” can have in shaping world events. The US shaped international norms and institutions to favor free market capitalism with policies like Open Skies and institutions such as the ICAO… both still in effect today. America’s efforts to shape the global commercial aviation industry had skewed it in her favor, similarly as it did at with the global monetary framework at Bretton Woods. In doing so, the US established itself as a “market empire” standing apart from previous hegemons such as Great Britain. This was an insightful book that resonated on all wide array of themes—it is well worth the read. 💵✈️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The advent of the airplane aligned perfectly with a unique moment in American history. The rising power of the nation following WWI led the US to begin experimenting with commercial aviation in it’s own backyard: Latin America. The founding of Pan Am airways during the interwar period was not a private venture, but a government-backed project aimed at exporting American culture, gaining market access, and most of all… providing vital access, basing, and overflight for potential military operations. Van Vleck uses historical records and cultural references to show how Pan Am was a proxy for the rise of American hegemony. Her narrative emphasizes the influence that “soft power” can have in shaping world events. The US shaped international norms and institutions to favor free market capitalism with policies like Open Skies and institutions such as the ICAO… both still in effect today. America’s efforts to shape the global commercial aviation industry had skewed it in her favor, similarly as it did at with the global monetary framework at Bretton Woods. In doing so, the US established itself as a “market empire” standing apart from previous hegemons such as Great Britain. This was an insightful book that resonated on all wide array of themes—it is well worth the read. 💵✈️