Is America going to collapse?

[Kopikatsu]

Your overdramatizing this a bit aren't you? Germany was a lot worse off at the end of WWI, granted it is a bit overshadowed by something a little later.

Just because we had economic problems does not mean we're going to turn into a third world nation, you not getting a job doesn't mean the country is dying.

Again, its not just me. How is the nation's Poverty stricken families going to get to work when they spend $5 a gallon on gas to get to work? Maybe its worse where I am, as Florida has never been all that great.

I'm in Florida, too.

I don't drive ANYWHERE aside from school for testing (I take my courses online), and I'm pretty much broke. I'm down to under $500...that isn't even enough for rent. That was BEFORE the gas prices went up. Actually, just the other day I had the gas price go up WHILE I was at the gas station.

Have a bunch of grants and crap from the government, but...I really don't like the way this is going. (I can't find a job, either. I've searched for over two years, going door to door in shopping plazas asking...nothing.)

It seems like the only jobs that will be available are in the Government...

 

[sleeky01]

What do you think? Are we going to survive or should I start speaking Indian/Chinese?

The economy is no longer in recession [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession], and isn't forecast [http://www.forecasts.org/gdp.htm] to be. Unemployment [http://www.forecasts.org/unemploy.htm] will also decrease. The national debt is large, but that can be cleared with time.

"The national debt is large, but that can be cleared with time."

Query: How?

 

[Zechnophobe]

I've rather become MORE effluent in the past few years.

I hope you mean 'affluent'...

Uggh, yes. Very similar spelling, very different meanings. Why did I have to learn English again?

 

[Zero_ctrl]

It's most likely that America will collapse once Yellowstone explodes.
Well, I'd probably die at least.

 

[Zechnophobe]

We won't collapse, but we need a complete leadership overhall. Guy A(Bush SR) breaks his promise not to raise taxes and overall functions as a puppet of Congress, Guy B does everything you'd expect from a Liberal as well as focusing too much on, ahem, affairs of state, and the Republican House has to balance the budget while he racks up the court bill. Guy C gets in an expensive war and lets Congress walkk all over him. Guy D says spending on climate research and forcing people to buy insurance is the only way to balance the budget... what? I don't know how to fix it, but while I don't know which bacteria I can definitely see the festering boils. We need a congress and president who first and foremost drop everything else for a year or so and come up with a budget that will let us break even within a decade. I see the hope of a rebound though in that leadership overhauls usually happen when the economy tanks.

Considering that climate research may save the life of everyone on the planet, I think we can all maybe eat a few more cooked at home meals for a little while to fund it.

 

[DuderSkanks]

Yes. Plate Tectonics has ensured it...

But seriously, things are slowly and will continue to get better

 

[Blind Sight]

Meh that's just an economic downturn, if you think this is bad you should've been around in the 1870s.

Ever hyperpower collapses, it's simply the nature of it. History largely breaks it down into three periods: a beginning period of exploration and development, a Golden Age of expansion and advancement, and then the eventual fall of the power from grace. Now by all means this doesn't mean that America's going to pull a Soviet Union and have all the states break up into little countries, but I think that Americans should begin to accept that they just don't have as much sway in the world anymore, for better or for worse.

 

[Drago-Morph]

Actually, everyone will just turn to the EU and China. No one country is so important that it takes the entire world with it when it commits suicide.

Maybe - just a little problem: Europe is gonna go down too - it just takes a *slightly* more disciplined approach at it. It may not suffer as hard as the USA, but it will have to kill the EMU, sooner or later.

So, that pretty much leaves only china. Problem is just: Who's gonna buy all their stuff during the crisis, considering that they rely so heavily on export?

Exactly. China relies so heavily on America buying things from it that when America collapses, so will China. In fact, that's pretty much going to happen to most major powers. America probably will take everyone down when it goes because of all the money it pumps out buying things from everyone else. Not the most sound move on our end, no, but when we stop fueling the economies of other countries, they'll go down too.

 

[Metazare]

The Army is still hiring.

 

[Nieroshai]

We won't collapse, but we need a complete leadership overhall. Guy A(Bush SR) breaks his promise not to raise taxes and overall functions as a puppet of Congress, Guy B does everything you'd expect from a Liberal as well as focusing too much on, ahem, affairs of state, and the Republican House has to balance the budget while he racks up the court bill. Guy C gets in an expensive war and lets Congress walkk all over him. Guy D says spending on climate research and forcing people to buy insurance is the only way to balance the budget... what? I don't know how to fix it, but while I don't know which bacteria I can definitely see the festering boils. We need a congress and president who first and foremost drop everything else for a year or so and come up with a budget that will let us break even within a decade. I see the hope of a rebound though in that leadership overhauls usually happen when the economy tanks.

Considering that climate research may save the life of everyone on the planet, I think we can all maybe eat a few more cooked at home meals for a little while to fund it.

Considering Global Warming makes no ssense since the earth is entering a cooling cycle, and the amount of carbon follows the temperature instead of the other way around, I have to disagree with you on that "life saving" part. Look up East Anglia. Also note that the UN climate research center first claimed that everyone working for them supported the theory, but then when a shit ton of scientists said they didn't, they fired them but still kept on paper that they agreed. There is no basis whatsoever to believe that what we're going through is not natural and is going to keep going until the Earth is too hot to live on.

Conservation is important, but do we really need a Boogeyman to make people conserve? There has to be other incentives than another apocalyptic religion.

 

[BrownGaijin]

Because I'm getting worried. I can't find a job anywhere, I'm trying my best. Gas prices are going so insanely high my parents are having a hard time getting to work in the morning, and I know there are family way worse off than mine. I heard prices are going to be $5.00 later this year.

How much longer can this last? I want to finish college and get a career but I fear there won't even be a job market when I get out. I have this overwhelming sense of doom crushing down on me. (Mind you I do live with a dad that is the biggest prophet of doom you've ever seen.)
I know history is full of depressions, but the world is a much different place, population growth no longer bolsters an economy like it did back in the day.
What do you think? Are we going to survive or should I start speaking Indian/Chinese?

Short answer:
Don't get discouraged. It's not about the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog.


Long answer:

1.
Given that the stock market is now around the same place that it was before the crash, I'd say we're doing a lot better than people speculate. Heck, there were a lot of bears who thought that it wasn't going to bottom until 4000. It's still going to be a while before we see improvement in the economy - IMHO the effects of the present day stock market come into play with the economy about six months later.

2.
I'm looking at your profile judging by your birth year it's safe to say that you're doing the college thing in your early 20's.

The bad news about being a college grad: In a very healthy economy, it is easy to find a job as a college grad; companies are doing well and they can take in liability or two until they are polished enough to become an asset. In an economy like this however, companies are more comfortable hiring people who have spent at least a year or two polishing their skills. So it's times like these when you have to find some way to polish those skills.

The good news about being in your early twenties: Time is on your side. While you may fretting over a big shadow called debt, the good news is you still Y-O-U-N-G. Remember that whole thing I said about college. I recently went back and did it. And while you might feel that you're running out of time, there is hardly a day that goes by when I say "Man I wish I had put this same passion ten years ago. Everything would have been so much easier" and even then I am thankful that I am doing this now instead of when I'm in my forties or fifties (geh).

3.

Spoiler: Since we're both apparently men of God...

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Corinthians 4:16-18

 

[Kingshadow6]

The one factor of economy won't cause America to collapse. There needs to be multiple factors, such as running out of gas, or a natural disaster that involves most of the country (both of which very well may happen in the next few years).

 

[Zechnophobe]

We won't collapse, but we need a complete leadership overhall. Guy A(Bush SR) breaks his promise not to raise taxes and overall functions as a puppet of Congress, Guy B does everything you'd expect from a Liberal as well as focusing too much on, ahem, affairs of state, and the Republican House has to balance the budget while he racks up the court bill. Guy C gets in an expensive war and lets Congress walkk all over him. Guy D says spending on climate research and forcing people to buy insurance is the only way to balance the budget... what? I don't know how to fix it, but while I don't know which bacteria I can definitely see the festering boils. We need a congress and president who first and foremost drop everything else for a year or so and come up with a budget that will let us break even within a decade. I see the hope of a rebound though in that leadership overhauls usually happen when the economy tanks.

Considering that climate research may save the life of everyone on the planet, I think we can all maybe eat a few more cooked at home meals for a little while to fund it.

Considering Global Warming makes no ssense since the earth is entering a cooling cycle, and the amount of carbon follows the temperature instead of the other way around, I have to disagree with you on that "life saving" part. Look up East Anglia. Also note that the UN climate research center first claimed that everyone working for them supported the theory, but then when a shit ton of scientists said they didn't, they fired them but still kept on paper that they agreed. There is no basis whatsoever to believe that what we're going through is not natural and is going to keep going until the Earth is too hot to live on.

Conservation is important, but do we really need a Boogeyman to make people coserve? There has to be other incentives than another apocalyptic religion.

http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

It's like, one side argues based on drama. OMG not everyone agreed all at once! The other side has evidence. This isn't a soap opera man. Just because harsh words are said doesn't mean the CO2 levels aren't the highest they've been in 650 thousand years.

We *should* be entering a cooling cycle now. This should correlate with a decrease in CO2. It isn't. See how the chart shows the normal cycle being followed for the past 400k years, and where we are now it is supposed to be going down... but isn't?

 

[Arizona Kyle]

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.

Actually, everyone will just turn to the EU and China. No one country is so important that it takes the entire world with it when it commits suicide.

Well america could take the world with it.... but i mean we would really have to try to f**k up the world before we go under and i do mean really try

 

[Death God]

As my grandma always says, "Things are going to get worse before they ever get better". America is just having a tough time with the economy due to the war in Iran and the whole deal with Egypt. As for gas prices, those are closely related to the war as well seeing as we get most of our gas and oil from there. Though I do know very little seeing as how I have always hated politics, I do know that we are expected to have a rise in prices soon before it goes back down to the norm. All in due time I always say.

 

[Jake the Snake]

*facepalm* Ok, look, I want you take a minute and step back and actually think about what you just asked. Is America going to collapse? I'm sorry my friend, but all the doom spewin' in the world isn't going to make that true. Gas prices went up because of unrest in Libya. Worst case scenario, if Libya goes to Civil War, AND Iraq once the US leaves, goes to civil war AND Iran invades Kuwait, Then and only then when 10 - 15% of the world's oil supply is cut off, will gas prices rise to $5 dollars. Is it possible? Sure it is. It's also possible it won't.

This recession is bad. But we're recovering, we've made it out of the worst of it. Unemployment has just leveled at about 9% is all. People really need to realize fixes don't come over night, no matter what the Media would like you believe. The Stock market crashed in 1929. It took until WWII, the event that basically created jobs and kickstarted the economy to, to fix it. And that More than a decade later. Relax. This is going to take some time.

If you can't afford gas, take a bus, walk, or bike. Is it inconvenient? You bet your ass. Will you live? Yes. Most people in the world do just fine w/o a car. If you can't get a job, keep looking. Persistence does pay off in this world. If you just focus on how you continue to be unemployed, and stop trying, of course you're going to stay unemployed. Keep looking. Eventually you get hired. Somewhere. It may not be where you WANT to work, but it'll be a job none the less.

If anything rising gas prices will push the world towards energy reform. That's what I believe anyway. At that point, new energy research will be cheaper than gas, and people will suddenly flock to it. It's all about the money. It's sad, but it's all anybody cares about.

America's not doomed. Far from it. Despite what people say, we're one of the if not the most stable governments in the world. We've endured and prospered for over 200 years, I think we'll be ok.

Be happy. Be optimistic. Seriously, living your life in sadness and pessimism is pathetic and isn't good for your health.

 

[TheRobotandtheBeast]

I hope you enjoy bankruptcy or plan on moving to a different country because your screwed. normally the job market would indeed pick back up and new businesses would open and spending would increase once more after a financial F##k up. Unfortunately the banks that would make that possible don't want to lend to you when it can make more money playing proverbial blackjack.

That line of credit is what makes an economy grow, if you cut it off it atrophies. So yes america is going down and by the looks of it, it's not exactly trying to stop itself.

 

[bubba145]

Civil War yes.
Complete collapse. unlikely.
so joining the anti central government movement.

 

[CaptQuakers]

The main problem the US has is the majority of super powers hate you. So If you were to go belly up who would bail you out ? (Not trying to be a dick)

For a country like the US to go under is highly unlikely however due to the fact that you guys have put a finger in most peoples pie and when you go shits up you can cash that finger in ( World lending). All this depends on the countries called on actually having the money though.

 

[Nieroshai]

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.

Actually, everyone will just turn to the EU and China. No one country is so important that it takes the entire world with it when it commits suicide.

Well america could take the world with it.... but i mean we would really have to try to f**k up the world before we go under and i do mean really try

Did I not just get done telling you a LOT of "evidence" on Global Warming was falsified for political gain? And no, we've had a LOT higher carbon than this, and orbital charts prove nothing because they show now without showing the then. The famous "hockey stick" graph that shows the exponential rise in carbon? Falsified by the University of East Anglia. I could go on, but I don't reallly NEED to argue longer than two replies with someone on the internet. But seriously, we spend way too much money hunting down things people in charge say exist and when we don't find it they say we weren't looking hard enough. I don't know about Europe, but the US just had a REALLY cold winter, the coldest in a lonng time. Also, do you know what we've been warming up FROM, and from WHEN? Look up the little ice age. Literally the entire population of Loondon could EASILY have stood on the ice of the Thames river, and even threw festivals on it. We have been warming up from a VERY recent FREEZE-OVER, THAT is why it's hotter than it used to be. Also, bye internet person.