Power Essay

POWER
Dictionary.com defines power as an “ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.” To me, power means having control over another subject. Though we have seen power throughout history, the subject who possesses it tends to change.
Within the Industrial Era power was held within countries that obtained more control over land, labor and capital. The Industrial Revolution was all about factories coming into play and the migration of peasants from farm land to growing cities. With more and more factories opening, job opportunities were at a boom. Thousands of men and women migrated into growing London in hope to earn an income for families back home. With a greater demand on factory products countries had to begin looking for more labor, land to grow cotton on, and capital to produce commodities. Therefore we see England, as well as various other European countries, invading many countries in Africa as well as countries in Asia, such as India. Thus, Imperialism began.
Imperialism, defined as the policy by a stronger nation to attempt to create an empire by dominating weaker nations, was begun during the time of the Industrial Revolution when factories were in need of help. We see countries like England take over less industrialized countries for the benefit of three main reasons, gold, god and glory. Many European countries too sent their people to try and gain control over countries in Africa yet none was as successful as England. This draws us to the conclusion that during the Industrial Revolution the main source of power came from countries that obtained the most land, labor and capital.
Though, I believe power is to have a control over another subject, Capitalism and Globalization are causing power to change its subject, until now we see power help in large organizations and companies. Capitalism, found all over the world, is known for the term Laissez- Faire. Laissez-Faire means ‘let it be’ in French, which in capitalism means that private businesses should be allowed to work without government intervention. Since Laissez-Faire is a strong belief in leading countries such as the United States, less power is given to the government because they have no control over the companies. With the spread of Globalization these companies are becoming more and more important. For example, McDonalds, which use to be found only in North America is now found in India, China, Cambodia, and various upcoming super powers. Therefore, with Laissez-Faire and the rise of Globalization, we are seeing less power given to government organizations and more in leading companies.
As factories came into play during the Industrial Revolution we saw that power lay with countries who acquired the most labor, land and capital. Though, as time carried on, and capitalism became the new communism, companies began to gain more power. Hence, we see that power has always been having control of another; whether it’s taking control over another country, or gaining more control over a business, control is a key player in the definition of Power.