Poll: A threat to American Hegemony?

[EclipseoftheDarkSun]

And, ironically, despite all its faults, I'd rather live in the USA than 90% of all the other countries in the world...

That doesn't necessarily mean much, most people don't want to move from where they are, even if there are much better places - why do people live near occasionally active volcanoes after all? Inertia tends to rule, coupled with certain other real risks are involved with moving to a new place where you tend to be at the bottom of the pyramid and lose most of your previous family/friend connections.

 

[ablac]

You really need to fix the paragraphing in your post, but that was a really nice read.
As a citizen of Israel I'm terrified at my future prospects and hope I will start learning how to speak German pretty soon or else I'm screwed.

Could you explain why you are so frightened?

 

[EclipseoftheDarkSun]

Well I don't disagree that America has many real strengths and China could be devastated if the US suddenly destabilized, affecting the world economy, but China is expanding its influence across the world, tapping farmland in Africa and other resources throughout the pacific and asia and it will be interesting to see if it can translate this into a new economic empire. It will also be interesting to see what happens in China and America re the political/human-rights tensions that obviously exist in both places.

 

[ablac]

America is on the decline only because what they have had in the past is frankly amazing, generally good conditions for all in a democracy of millions of people. Thats unprecedented. Your politics is dum because you allow it to be, if you formed effective protest against the main parties behaviour they will listen. Unlikely but certainly possible. Every nation has its golden age and not one has ever stayed in that age permanently. China will surpass you then India will surpass China then who knows what will happen. The only way for america to stop declining would be to mimic these nations in terms of politics and workers/human rights. Decline is a hell of a lot better than that.

 

[lacktheknack]

Sorry, I've improved the layout so it's easier to read. And hey, just because it's a 'know-it-all' European, doesn't mean he might not have some valid points, and hearing Americans' informed rather than jingoistic opinions on those points would be interesting.

I think that is my signal to step in.

I seems to me that the United States is just coasting along on it's past glories, both parties seem to squander any real chance to fix anything, they just bicker and fearmonger to get themselves back into office.

I think that the decline of the United States will be much like the decline of the Byzantine Empire, it will remain a portent cultural force, but it's world influence will degrade to that of a lesser power. But the United States will not just die and go away, it will remain, slowly becoming the play thing of more powerful nations...

...and now I feel a little bit sad.

I really don't think things here are that bad (the media would have us believe the worlds on fire, but it's just not so), and it's going to be a long time still before we're a more powerful nations plaything. I wouldn't be surprised if our countries in a decline, but remember the great depression? We've been in a decline before and came out of it, so there is no reason to become doomsayers now, just because some Brits trying to sell his book through fear-mongering. Also, in terms of a decline in Americas participation in world politics I don't think that would be a bad thing at all as I have already said in another post in this thread.

The world may not be on fire, but I'm VERY VERY concerned about the USA's national debt. As in, I'd want my government to deeply slash ALL their expenses (even the military, social security, health care and education) and get rid of it. Even if the world ISN'T on fire, that big of a debt is the next best thing.

I agree that it is extremely important that our government takes care of the national debt, but I still don't think it's reason to panic, or start predicting the end of our country.

I think it is.

I'm normally not easy to disturb or freak out, but keep in mind that if China finally demands their money back, you're screwed. And that would be still OK, if not tense, if the debt wasn't actively growing.

Nothing would make me happier than if you guys would stop leaving it on the backburner and actually did something about it.

"you guys" what does that mean? Anyway, china's economy depends to greatly on us for them to "demand their money back." Like I said it's a serious problem that the government needs to take care of, but there's no need to freakout and jump ship. We live in an age of anxiety, and what we need most are level-headed individuals that fix the things that are broken instead of shitting themselves and crying. Unfortunately, I don't have the power or know how to fix things, but I still have a choice as to whether I freakout or not, and I choose not.

You guys = I'm not American.

And good for you. I still can't get over ten trillion plus in debt. I'll admit that you're probably the better man, but I reserve rights to say "I told you so" if the debt is what takes America down.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[TheVioletBandit]

Sorry, I've improved the layout so it's easier to read. And hey, just because it's a 'know-it-all' European, doesn't mean he might not have some valid points, and hearing Americans' informed rather than jingoistic opinions on those points would be interesting.

I think that is my signal to step in.

I seems to me that the United States is just coasting along on it's past glories, both parties seem to squander any real chance to fix anything, they just bicker and fearmonger to get themselves back into office.

I think that the decline of the United States will be much like the decline of the Byzantine Empire, it will remain a portent cultural force, but it's world influence will degrade to that of a lesser power. But the United States will not just die and go away, it will remain, slowly becoming the play thing of more powerful nations...

...and now I feel a little bit sad.

I really don't think things here are that bad (the media would have us believe the worlds on fire, but it's just not so), and it's going to be a long time still before we're a more powerful nations plaything. I wouldn't be surprised if our countries in a decline, but remember the great depression? We've been in a decline before and came out of it, so there is no reason to become doomsayers now, just because some Brits trying to sell his book through fear-mongering. Also, in terms of a decline in Americas participation in world politics I don't think that would be a bad thing at all as I have already said in another post in this thread.

The world may not be on fire, but I'm VERY VERY concerned about the USA's national debt. As in, I'd want my government to deeply slash ALL their expenses (even the military, social security, health care and education) and get rid of it. Even if the world ISN'T on fire, that big of a debt is the next best thing.

I agree that it is extremely important that our government takes care of the national debt, but I still don't think it's reason to panic, or start predicting the end of our country.

I think it is.

I'm normally not easy to disturb or freak out, but keep in mind that if China finally demands their money back, you're screwed. And that would be still OK, if not tense, if the debt wasn't actively growing.

Nothing would make me happier than if you guys would stop leaving it on the backburner and actually did something about it.

"you guys" what does that mean? Anyway, china's economy depends to greatly on us for them to "demand their money back." Like I said it's a serious problem that the government needs to take care of, but there's no need to freakout and jump ship. We live in an age of anxiety, and what we need most are level-headed individuals that fix the things that are broken instead of shitting themselves and crying. Unfortunately, I don't have the power or know how to fix things, but I still have a choice as to whether I freakout or not, and I choose not.

You guys = I'm not American.

And good for you. I still can't get over ten trillion plus in debt. I'll admit that you're probably the better man, but I reserve rights to say "I told you so" if the debt is what takes America down.

Fair enough, though I hope you never get a chance to say it. I think people here are starting to wake up to the fact that our media lies to us, that our government lies to us, and that the whole thing is run by crooks and idiots. I think people my age are sick of the embarrassment our government and media causes us, and I don't think it will be long before people start demanding that congress stops setting on their hands, and we see some actual positive results. The occupy wall street movement has been an unorganized mess downplayed by the media, but I think it's simply the first of many, and that the next time people will be more organized and unified in their opposition to the way our country is being run. Hopefully things will change for the better before they get worse.

 

[craftomega]

I like how you start the conversation off by insulting my grammar or spelling, it really helps us start on friendly terms. It also lets me know right away that your not worth speaking to, but nevertheless when did Canadians acquirer psychic powers?

I wasn?t insulting your grammar or spelling... I was wondering why you had 3 posts in a row... Someone likes to assume then insult much. So you don?t like the fact you?re a brain washed peon its ok we still love you.

Also the fact that I?m Canadian has nothing to do with my psyc-I mean special... no never mind. Anyways the fact that I have a brain is why I can see that the states are falling apart just like... who was it in the early 90's..... Oh I know china... no that can?t be right.... I?m sorry if you can?t see it. I'm sorry you enjoy being a big bad wolf, so huff and puff all you want, you special person you.

*Edit (Gasp it works!)

Our government is disfunctional.

Our people are either apathetic or clearly insane.

Our left wing wants to destroy our right wing.

Our right wing wants to destroy our left wing.

We have the most backward social standing among all 1st-world countries, which is saying something.

We are a Christian nation masquerading as a free religious country, and we let religion control our country even more than the Islamic nations we demonize.

We outsource our jobs, and cling to the time when we saw ourselves as the heroes of the world.

We are the worst of each sector of life, and refuse to change because we've never had to before.

And this will not change. We will fall, and I hope it comes soon, because only then will we learn and get better.

Basicly this.

Also your own prison system and corruption is bankrupting you.

Captchaea Brain (Oh the irony!)

 

[loc978]

We are a nation of extremes. Any calm, reasonable suggestion is drowned out by hype on one side or fear-mongering on the other. I'm hoping living in the middle of nowhere will be a decent buffer against the backlash of our fall. If not, that's why I also live close to Canada. I'll jump ship and kiss my guns goodbye if I have to.

As for what caused the problem... mass addictions: convenience, a false sense of total security, the idiotic superiority complex we've made of "patriotism", deifying an ideal "American family" that never once existed outside of 1950s television, a court system that awards insanely high punitive damages for ridiculous bullshit, and above all... unrestricted capitalism. Now, I'm all for capitalism... within set limits. What we have is a system that has removed so many of those limits that the imbalance of power and wealth is choking us all from the bottom up. Don't need to be an economist to look at percentages and /facepalm.

 

[TheVioletBandit]

I like how you start the conversation off by insulting my grammar or spelling, it really helps us start on friendly terms. It also lets me know right away that your not worth speaking to, but nevertheless when did Canadians acquirer psychic powers?

I wasn?t insulting your grammar or spelling... I was wondering why you had 3 posts in a row... Someone likes to assume then insult much. So you don?t like the fact you?re a brain washed peon its ok we still love you.

Also the fact that I?m Canadian has nothing to do with my psyc-I mean special... no never mind. Anyways the fact that I have a brain is why I can see that the states are falling apart just like... who was it in the early 90's..... Oh I know china... no that can?t be right.... I?m sorry if you can?t see it. I'm sorry you enjoy being a big bad wolf, so huff and puff all you want, you special person you.

*Edit (Gasp it works!)

Our government is disfunctional.

Our people are either apathetic or clearly insane.

Our left wing wants to destroy our right wing.

Our right wing wants to destroy our left wing.

We have the most backward social standing among all 1st-world countries, which is saying something.

We are a Christian nation masquerading as a free religious country, and we let religion control our country even more than the Islamic nations we demonize.

We outsource our jobs, and cling to the time when we saw ourselves as the heroes of the world.

We are the worst of each sector of life, and refuse to change because we've never had to before.

And this will not change. We will fall, and I hope it comes soon, because only then will we learn and get better.

Basicly this.

Also your own prison system and corruption is bankrupting you.

Captchaea Brain (Oh the irony!)

So, from a couple post you've concluded that I am a brain washed peon, and yet in the same post you berated me for making assumptions. I guess the hypocrisy is lost on you. And I enjoy being a "big bad wolf"? Really, like I as a citizen have any power or delusions of power whatsoever, hilarious. Please write me again, all the comedy sites I usually go to haven't updated their videos yet.

 

[mrhappy1489]

Our government is disfunctional.

Our people are either apathetic or clearly insane.

Our left wing wants to destroy our right wing.

Our right wing wants to destroy our left wing.

We have the most backward social standing among all 1st-world countries, which is saying something.

We are a Christian nation masquerading as a free religious country, and we let religion control our country even more than the Islamic nations we demonize.

We outsource our jobs, and cling to the time when we saw ourselves as the heroes of the world.

We are the worst of each sector of life, and refuse to change because we've never had to before.

And this will not change. We will fall, and I hope it comes soon, because only then will we learn and get better.

I've already written my piece so I'm not going to repeat it, but if you fall, you will languish like all the other fallen empires, forced to relegation behind the new power/s that take up the mantel. If you want some advice, start a greens party, in about 20 years they'll have a frustrating minority that while getting on my tits, at least acts as some sort of questioner of the main parties (I'm Australian).

We did have a Green Party. They were second to Al Gore in costing Al Gore the 2000 election. Which resulted in an economy devastated by bad decisions, and a standing among the leaders of the world as a nation of douchebags.

I'd like to say that doesn't sound like Australia's Greens Party, but in all honesty I could see them being just as stupidly unintentionally destructive. Though I would like to reiterate that the US is not a lost cause, if some pretty big fucking sweeping reforms went through, you guys would definitely have a chance, but from the outside you appear so scarred of change you'll probably just elect another republican president and implode.

 

[TheIronRuler]

You really need to fix the paragraphing in your post, but that was a really nice read.
As a citizen of Israel I'm terrified at my future prospects and hope I will start learning how to speak German pretty soon or else I'm screwed.

Could you explain why you are so frightened?

.
Israel is alienating its other allies. If the USA falls in rank and loses its ability to project a sphere of influence then Israel is screwed.

 

[LongAndShort]

Speaking as a member of a nation that is an ally of America (Australia), I'm not all that concerned about its decline since we're an increasingly strong ally of its likely successor, China. Quite frankly, I'm excited to be able to say to my children "I watched the decline of the American Empire."

Don't get me wrong, America's got a couple a decades as top dog left, but it's in decline. Let's not forget that often the British empire is not considered to have ended until the Suez Crisis in 1956, well after WW2. Should be an interesting watch.

 

[BOOM headshot65]

I cant vote. There is no "we will not decline" button. Take it away Mr. Eastwood:


There is PLENTY we can do to ensure we stay the strongest country on the planet. So enough with the pessimistic, defeatist talk people.

captcha: Want More?

Im sure you people will.

 

[MammothBlade]

One thing to be learned from this. USA haxxx and is a cheating bastard.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Things are not going well, certainly not. However, I think what most studies and books and such fail to recognize is the upcoming generations of educated people who have been learning in the liberal system that America is not the be-all, end-all answer to civilization - a mentality that plagues the current generations in power. I'm not so much referring to my own generation, but the ones on either side. My generation is mostly populated by the apathetic group who grew up in high times and haven't yet realized that the seemingly invincible can and does become fragile. If the line can be held - if the people currently on top can die off quickly enough (natural causes of course, they're all getting pretty damn old) - if some moderate stance can come into being and keep things steady long enough, I think there's a serious chance of recovery when the two or three generations after my own come into making up the bulk of the voting population.

We are, until then it seems, on the express train to very unpleasant things ahead right now unfortunately. If you take half a look at the political situation it is grim. Then again, most of the people running that show are tipping 70s and should just the the hell out of the way already.

 

[MammothBlade]

You really need to fix the paragraphing in your post, but that was a really nice read.
As a citizen of Israel I'm terrified at my future prospects and hope I will start learning how to speak German pretty soon or else I'm screwed.

Could you explain why you are so frightened?

.
Israel is alienating its other allies. If the USA falls in rank and loses its ability to project a sphere of influence then Israel is screwed.

It's also screwed by demographics. Palestinians are outbreeding the Israelis. I can understand why Israelis are scared. However, they're not making the potential demise of Israel any easier for its Jewish inhabitants by enraging and persecuting the Arab population who will take their vengeance when the Jewish become a minority within Israel. Israel should make the case for its existence without using charges of anti-semitism against anyone who criticises its colonialist settlement policies and without the ghettoisation of Palestinians/Arabs. It really makes Israel a bad guy in international poltiics. Without powerful lobbying organisations the Israeli government would have to answer before the UN war crimes tribunal.

Taiwan is another nation which is very much screwed when the USA loses hegemony. Japan and South Korea might help sway the balance, but are they willing to risk war with China? One thing I can see happening is a war over the South China Sea and Taiwan. China, Vietnam, and North Korea on one side; Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea on the other. Vietnam is also worried about China but I think with a few concessions it might agree to be an ally.

 

[Terminal Blue]

But unlike history, where a collapse ended with a few ragtag colonials getting a country or something, America's collapse from a world superpower will leave a sizeable power vacuum that other countries will try to fill.

Yeah, damn those ragtag colonials like the United States, China, Brazil and India. They'll never do anything of importance..

And on topic.

"Collapse" strikes me as the wrong world. Britain didn't "collapse", I live here and it's still pretty nice. I haven't clubbed someone to death for their food ration for days now. What we're talking about here is other countries, namely places like China, Brazil and India, catching up, and while that could have quite a negative effect on the US economy if it isn't planned for, long term it can only be a good thing for the world as whole. It is, in fact, what everyone has been preparing for when they talk about globalization.

Politically, no longer being the pre-eminent world power might be the kind of wake up call America needs. Certainly in Britain, the anxiety over the end of the Empire seems to have pulled the sticks out of a few arses, and if there's one thing we should learn from the British empire, it's that living in the richest and most powerful country on Earth doesn't mean your life is terribly nice or even that you're terribly rich. There's room for improvement, and maybe declining global importance will make that more obvious to the average American.

So yeah, it's going to happen one day. China controls almost all of the supply of rare earths, which are vital to any modern economy. Brazil has invested hugely in high tech industry. America will find a niche in the global economy just like Britain did, but sooner or later someone is going to do better. I don't think that's anything to fear, from a global perspective it's pretty cool, and could actually mean life in America gets better, not worse.

 

[ACman]

You should be more worried about the little union in Europe. Seriously they're making me nervous.

What are you referring to?

Apparently, an organisation made up of several government bodies, with several different sized armies, with several varying agendas are more of a threat than one huge military under one government.


Yeah, I couldn't keep a straight face either.

More of a threat than the superpower that is unable to regulate its own financial system leading to unregulated bailouts because it is "too big to fail"?

The current financial crisis is not Europe's fault. America's inability to control its own finance is the cause. This exacerbated Europe's problems.

That's not to say that European nations are blameless but this all extends from an American fuckup.

 

[TheIronRuler]

You really need to fix the paragraphing in your post, but that was a really nice read.
As a citizen of Israel I'm terrified at my future prospects and hope I will start learning how to speak German pretty soon or else I'm screwed.

Could you explain why you are so frightened?

.
Israel is alienating its other allies. If the USA falls in rank and loses its ability to project a sphere of influence then Israel is screwed.

It's also screwed by demographics. Palestinians are outbreeding the Israelis. I can understand why Israelis are scared. However, they're not making the potential demise of Israel any easier for its Jewish inhabitants by enraging and persecuting the Arab population who will take their vengeance when the Jewish become a minority within Israel. Israel should make the case for its existence without using charges of anti-semitism against anyone who criticises its colonialist settlement policies and without the ghettoisation of Palestinians/Arabs. It really makes Israel a bad guy in international poltiics. Without powerful lobbying organisations the Israeli government would have to answer before the UN war crimes tribunal.

Taiwan is another nation which is very much screwed when the USA loses hegemony. Japan and South Korea might help sway the balance, but are they willing to risk war with China? One thing I can see happening is a war over the South China Sea and Taiwan. China, Vietnam, and North Korea on one side; Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea on the other. Vietnam is also worried about China but I think with a few concessions it might agree to be an ally.

.
I am not worried about the growth of the Muslim Arab population in Israel. In recent years it had decreased and gone down to somewhere are the Israeli one which is 3.2 kids per family. Women in the Muslim Arab sector nowadays go out and study and work before they get married and men need to build their own households before they may marry a Muslim woman (He can't bring her to poverty). Standard of living is slowly climbing and so does the amount of children per family decreases accordingly. I estimate they will stay a minority, as a fifth of the population of Israel.

I...wait...what... Arab population taking their vengeance when there are more Muslim Arabs in Israel than Jews. Wait, what? If that ever happens, I mean if you seriously see a war between the two groups and the front lines get blurred, then the IDF will push them back and away from the territory just like how it did to the Arab Militias in the Independence war of 47-48 (Before the declaration and the arrival of the combined armies of Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Syria). I think you're not understanding the situation.

Our politicians are inept. In stead of using the case of Golda Meir, Israel's Prime Minister at the time of the '73 war and her hesitation about the war, you see atomic ducks and antisemitism. I blame the incompetence of my elected leaders. They are still living in the 70s. (In the '73 war the Prime Minister at the time was informed that the neighboring armies are preparing to strike and she had a chance to call a massive draft and strike first at them. She refused because after the '67 war the world pretty much either hated us or didn't care for us one bit. She thought that if we play the victim we would get some legitimization. Nooooooope. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts we ever had. We face a somewhat similar decision now, though I don't have all of the info in front of me and probably never will.)

Ghettoisation ... Do not agree. Is that even a proper verb? There are mixed cities and towns and there are Arab villages, I do not see how you can reach this strange conclusion.
*cough* War Crimes *cough*. Compare the amount of human rights violations and deaths between Rwanda and Israel, and now look at the UN resolutions concerning them. There is a hidden agenda here, the same reason why the refugees from '49 do not have ther camps dismantled and they are no integrated into the local society. The Arab nations want a piece of the Israeli Pie and Jordan would like to have their west bank back. Also, *cough* Black September *cough* *cough* Jordan *cough*.