Is America going to collapse?

[SinisterGehe]

Well, yeah, all empires will eventually collapse. We've had over three hundred years of fun.

The economy? Eh, we'll sludge through it and act like it didn't make us lose any power.

Or maybe you could take few dollars off from your military funding. Because I am very sure you wont be fighting a war on your homeland. (Terrorism doesn't count as war, it is supposed causing fear. War is total destruction until goal is achieved)

 

[SimpleJack]

if it does you guys can stay in like the northwest territories or something.. we have nothing up there right now...
or the yukon...

 

[Haydyn]

I don't see us lasting up to 2025. It was predicted by the forefathers that America would collapse from the inside. I tried for months to find any job I could, but eventually opted towards going to college.

 

[philzibit]

1. Get Crappy Job
2. Become Lower Level Manager of Crappy Job
3. Use Manager Experience to get slightly less crappy job
4. Repeat

 

[EvanJO]

No, the United States is not going to collapse anytime soon. Even if we were close, and we are not at all, the rest of the world would simply would not allow it to happen. We have a fairly minor economical hiccup and countries like Ireland and Greece collapse. If our government were to collapse and the economy be de-centralized, the world itself would be thrown into turmoil.

We're still the largest economy by a wide margin. China has yet to become a world player even though their economy has been seeing annual growth in the double digits.

The country has been through MUCH worse multiple times, and we've actually seen annual growth for multiple quarters in a row, basically marking the end of the recession.

The United States has problems, but their fairly minor when compared to countries like India or China.

Also anyone who thinks cutting the defense budget would solve problems is a retard. The defense budget creates some of the most competitive jobs in the entire world and the entire military and its associated contractors are a massive investment in both the economic and technological fields.

 

[scott91575]

If you look at GDP on a percentage basis, the US actually continues to hold steady if not actually grow. Now, there is a major blip in there. After WW2 US GDP skyrocketed. Which makes a lot of sense since many of the other industrialized nations were turned into rubble while the US was barely touched. So, there has been some decline vs. those numbers (hence why the 50's were considered the golden age in America). Yet if you look at the start of the industrial revolution until now, while eliminating the blip after WW2, the US continues to slowly grow while being the largest GDP nation in the world. Asian and Latin American countries have grown at a faster rate in the last 1/2 century, but much of that was at the expense of Europe and 3rd world countries, not the US.

On top of all that, it may be tougher than usual right now, but there has been much worse. Also, if you are worried about college, just realize that the unemployment rate for people with Masters degrees is around 2% (that is actually up, normally that is the bachelors degree number), and that includes every Masters degree. Get an advanced degree in a real field with a good job outlook and you won't need to worry about work.

If you are wondering how to pay for it? Go to the best public university in your state, get scholarships (if possible), get grants, get loans, and it's a piece of cake. I did it with no financial help at all from my family. Sure, there were some days I had about $1 to my name (literally!), but I got through and enjoyed the hell out of it.

 

[Nexus4]

Yes, every superpower will eventually collapse. Soon? Nah, their slowly getting better.

 

[Denamic]

It's not a matter of "if", but when.
Nothing lasts forever.
But for the immediate future?
I doubt it'll implode any time soon.

 

[Kortney]

Your outlook on America probably depends on where you live. There are some areas that are doing fine right now, and others that are like this [http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/].

 

[geldonyetich]

By all rights, America should have collapsed a long time ago. Our debt has reached such levels that there's little doubt remaining as to its infinite elasticity.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Well as it stands theres three threats (posted in order of severity) to the US economy:

1: De-dollarization:

Ethically I'm against the the dollarized world as it stands as it is a form of rigid imperialism by which many economies find themselves pegged to in order to create unfavourable trading conditions and continue to support the facade of the US being 'too big to sink'.

Nevertheless a de-dollarized world would crush the US' ability to support it's military budget or beable to maintain it's laughable balance of trade.

That means, no more steady supply of oil and a de-fanged and de-clawed lion who has pissed off more than it's fair share of countries.

2: Crushing debt and stagflation:

Make no qualms about it, even if the world does not de-dollarize, no one is going to continue to loan the US money to trade once it's debt to gdp reaches 200%. Debt repayment and austerity programs are necessary to keep the US afloat or it will default. Expenditure is the core culprit and continual deficits will make it impossible for futue social services to operate.

It will get to the point where even having a whole lot of 'cheap credit' in the market will no longer beable to support business epansion given largely zero internal consumption.

3: Savings, culture and individual liabilities:

Unless the US recreates it's culture on the basis of saving inflows rather than living fortnight to fortnight you're going to continually have a reduction in the quality of life.

This one is the trickiest to solve ....

If people save money rather than spend, then local businesses fail .... which means more lost jobs, which means more debt.

But if people increase their liabilities ... and spend lots ... then local businesses stay afloat, but there is no safeguard for the majority of people against growing uneployment and grievous market cycles.

-------------

I'd say that the US is already collapsing ... the market isn't recovering, it's getting sicker and sicker.

But I don't think a full collpase and default will happen until 2030 ... earlier if the world pursues de-dollarization.

 

[Vorpal Chill]

I don't see it in the near future but sometime it will.

 

[WolfEdge]

If America collapses, it is taking the whole world with it, and I do not think that anyone wants that. So, yes, I think we are going to survive, at least for a while longer.

Name one thing that the world will miss if America disappears? All the corporations will just move to other countries. We don't export jack.
I'm sure a lot of countries would be happy they don't have a giant douchbag nation lording over them with military threats.

EDIT: disregard this post. I don't want to go political. Stick to the OP topic.

I can give you one very good non-political reason:

The US. dollar is the economic standard.

When foreign companies make transactions, they convert most of those profits to the dollar. It's the standard that all other forms of money bend to. The American dollar is accepted in nearly all regions of the world as legal tender because of this. It's also for this reason that the US. Government can pump out so much money without having an adverse effect on its economy. Let me reiterate: most major companies - from ANY nationality - use and bank the dollar.

Now imagine what would happen if, say, the dollar's value went through the floor. If it became worth less than the paper it was printed on...

Hundreds of thousands of companies would be immediately shut down. The life savings of countless people would equal about bunk. The entirety of the world would be dragged into an economic depression of such magnitude it would make The Great Depression look like a day at the beach.

 

[DRSH1989]

For as long as I know people have always dealt with one form of crisis or another. I'm no American & I'm certainly not old enough to judge anyone, but as far as I'm concerned, no matter how much shit there is in this world (America or anywhere else), there is always room for improvement, if people with power weren't so stubborn & didn't have their own agendas... nothin' else I can say, except: I hope you find a good job with a decent work/wage ratio. (keyword: hope)

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

If America collapses, it is taking the whole world with it, and I do not think that anyone wants that. So, yes, I think we are going to survive, at least for a while longer.

Name one thing that the world will miss if America disappears? All the corporations will just move to other countries. We don't export jack.
I'm sure a lot of countries would be happy they don't have a giant douchbag nation lording over them with military threats.

EDIT: disregard this post. I don't want to go political. Stick to the OP topic.

I can give you one very good non-political reason:

The US. dollar is the economic standard.

When foreign companies make transactions, they convert most of those profits to the dollar. It's the standard that all other forms of money bend to. The American dollar is accepted in nearly all regions of the world as legal tender because of this. It's also for this reason that the US. Government can pump out so much money without having an adverse effect on its economy. Let me reiterate: most major companies - from ANY nationality - use and bank the dollar.

Now imagine what would happen if, say, the dollar's value went through the floor. If it became worth less than the paper it was printed on...

Hundreds of thousands of companies would be immediately shut down. The life savings of countless people would equal about bunk. The entirety of the world would be dragged into an economic depression of such magnitude it would make The Great Depression look like a day at the beach.

Hence why multiple countries are pursuing de-dollarization?

 

[Gabe Koszegi]

I don't know about that, there are lots of American Companies overseas that export resources back to America (Oil companies like Chevron in the Amazon). I had read something about meetings between countries in the EU talking about making the american dollar the worlds reserve currency, which would mean it would get printed like nobodies business and the value would drop like crazy.

Pretty sure your dollar is still worth more than ours up in Canada though, so that's good news.

 

[eezaak]

Go raid some rich peoples houses. Redistribute the wealth!

 

[crazypsyko666]

Honestly, we are the second Roman Empire. They got into too many wars, were overwhelmed in battles where conventional tactics were no longer relevant, had too many shitty leaders, too much corruption (just look at the teacher's union) and had far too much inflation.

That sounds a lot like where we Americans are headed. If it doesn't get better by the time I'm done with my college education, I'm probably going to try to move to another english speaking country. Preferably one with more relaxed drinking laws.

 

[Soods]

I think it will slowly lose its spot (if it hasn't already) as the most powerful country, but not collapse.

 

[CrazyMedic]

I very much so doubt that America is going to suffer anything along the lines of collapse, but it is very possible and likely right now that we are going to be surpassed as the worlds number one superpower by China or India. Oh and I empathise, I myself am trying to get a job right now, and none of my attempts are really panning out.

there is no way in hell china(I don't know about india) that china will ever permanently overtake the US(assuming something doesn't destroy us) see the chinese can barely make a good jacket there is no way in hell they will be able to overtake america permanently besides the fact they have little to no natural resources(That I know about), and there is no way they could produce better military hardware then the united states their tanks would breaking down every half a mile all they have going for is numbers. This just like the scare in the 80s about Japan taking over the world.