You know, I'm reminded of an old quote about Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander who went over the Alps to beat the crap out of what was, at the time, the world's most powerful empire in their own home.
"Hannibal knew how to gain a victory, but not how to use it".
The US' superior equipment and military budget can give them victory over anyone else with relative ease (except, perhaps, Europe), but I'll be damned if they know how to *use* those victories for anything worth a crap. They go to war, kill 10 enemies for every one of them, yet they breed so much hatred in those they're allegedly "saving" they increase the enemy's manpower tenfold, turn both their own citizens and the entire world's opinion against them bringing their country instability in both economic and social matters, and no matter the goal they set themselves beforehand, they never seem to reach it.
The US is, and has been since the '70s at least, a country-wide Hannibal relying on their technological development and military spending rather than tactical genius for short-term victories, but being ultimately just as successful as his Punic War predecessor was. Simply put, real war isn't like some online FPS where if you kill more often than you die you win, and the US leadership still doesn't seem to grasp that fact.
However, the next world power won't be decided in a large-scale war like the Hundred Years War, or World War II, all the major superpowers in the world are too strongly tied up to allow one to survive economically in a war against the others. The next world power will simply be the one that controls the world's economy and currency, and through it gains the most leverage over other nations in matters of war and peace.
During the '80s that was clearly the US for the western world, with the US dollar as the golden standard, but as I've argued before, these days the Euro is gaining a *lot* of relevancy, while the importance of the dollar diminishes along with the US' economy and popular opinion throughout the world. The other obvious candidate would be China, of course, but the ineffectiveness of their Communist government coupled with recent scandals of censorship and oppression represent considerable obstacles to a China-led world state, that the European Union for the most part lacks.
Also, check this forum. It sort of has to do with this.
Please tell me when war has actually worked in someones favor and accomplished long term goals? War only comes around because of issues that will become Long term issues and the goal is to snuff out that problem. Alot of trash talk about the US but how about Europe...............The idiots over there were the direct reason for WW1 and WW2. But somehow all these smaller conflicts that cant stand up to the amount of lives lost in those wars, is a big enough reason to make the US the BIG BAD SUPER POWER. Yet countries like Germany, Brittian and France were the ones to pop off some of the most hellish fighting in known history. Not to mention that France has a very spotty history supplying weapons (just like the US) to very questionable Governments. Yet somehow its the US thats the only bad guy. Seriously one of the biggest motivaters for people to talk down about the US including its own citizens is because its on top.
Very good post Draek Almasy. I agree with your point, although it is debatable whether Hannibal didn't know how to use victory. Maybe he lacked the manpower, time and resources to use his victory. Maybe he didn't.
Excellent points there. WWII stopped Hitler, but thats about it. Most countries have done pretty bad things in their history, but only a few receive most of the criticism namely, Nazi Germany and the US. The US is on top and people look up to the US so it draws all the criticism. Tall Poppy Syndrom: everyone loves to cut down anyone who is above the rest.
Since the US is a world leader, people view it as being responsible for solving issues. Its like a political election. Before the election everyone loves one of the candidates, but when he gets into power all he receives is criticism. Some nations might be just jealous. I wouldn't be surprised if France hates the US because they are jealous.
All of them. The Vietnam War, for instance, was an attempt of the US to diminish Soviet influence in eastern Asia, as part of the much larger Cold War. They failed, not because they didn't kill enough vietnamese but because all their efforts *increased* Soviet influence in the area as backlash for their actions. Perhaps you're thinking as World War II, when the US had no choice but to get in after the Japanese attacked them, but you have to think then: why did Japan attack the US? why did they ally themselves with Germany? why did the Germans start the war in the first place? and even finer things, such as Germany's invasion of Poland or the Russian's counter-attack after Germany's invasion, none of them can be adequately explained by a simple "because they had a problem they had to snuff out", they were all part of a greater whole.
No, they weren't. Their grandfathers may have been, but then again yours went to war over their right to have slaves. The problems of the US, on the other hand, are something present *today*, supported by today's government and accomplished by today's soldiers. The US has shown itself, *today*, that it is unfit to call itself a "land of the free", not yesterday, not 80 years ago, today. Big difference.
France, like Britain, has a very troublesome government but my personal criticisms of Sarkozy et al are for another time. The difference, however, is that they don't control the whole of the European Union, and have *very* strong economic incentives not to go counter to it, so it's fair to expect that saner heads in Germany and Spain, for instance, would prevail in the end. Not so for the US where the problem isn't with any one state but rather with the government above them all, and it doesn't matter if Florida and Nebraska's governors are a peace-loving hippies, the US will still continue their invasion of Iraq as long as the president says so.
Besides, hell, we're not discussing who *should* be a world power, we're just discussing who'll eventually be. Me, I'd rather have Sweden or Finland as leaders of the New World Order than the entirety of the EU and would rather bow down to the italian mafia than have China be the world's only superpower, but life and politics are what they are, and there's not much we can do to change them.
The United States is estimated to produce between 1/5 to 1/3 of the world's food production. We are the World's largest exporter of grain. Unless you can eat about 1/4 less food, im sure you miss the US for more than movies.
No simply look at history, it is forever repeating itself, like the britan empire, The roman empire they all rise and they all will fall one day, and americas no different.
Where did you get those numbers from snowboard? A quick googling appeared to reveal a number close to 10-15% for % of world production produced in the US.
He probably means export wise. Yes some countries produce more food than US, but most countries need this food for themselves. Many countries require food imports, without which there would be quite a bit of starvation. For example, China produces more food than US, but it is a net importer of food. So if China disappeared, no one would go hungry, in fact there would be more food to go around.
How can anyone think America will always be a superpower and not be delusional? Unless someone has figured out to make the perfect government and cured all diseases and solved world hunger and created permanent world peace then no of course America will not always be a superpower.
I am always dismayed to see people acting like America will be around for a billion years or something. No nation has ever lasted for all of human history and those that were very long lived eventually collapsed or were destroyed or became a mere shadow of their former selves. Take the British government for example. They are long past their prime. America will inevitably be the same just as the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Greeks, etc. etc.
If we were to stop raising animals and use the feed itself, America could feed at least 700-800mil. people. (not too mention all the land it'd free up.)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/08/970812003512.htm
If we started using rabbits (the flemish giant is one good breed in particular,) we'd see much MUCH greater efficiency in protien rich diets. Take a look (yeah, I know its just a pic, but this is just to give you an idea. My friend owns one, it eats mice. No joke.) Fast breeding, larger litters, and good diet efficiency, these things are almost as good as ostriches. At any rate, cows suck in comparison.
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/giant-rabbit.shtml
Hemp is another industry that isn't being used efficiently in America. I'm not just talking about pot; textiles, medicine, fuel, food, the crop has it all. Its the ideal cash crop & our founding fathers are turning in their graves right now over this one. Anyone who says otherwise is a tool or lying. Or both. As for all those "moralists" that try to be politicos & say, "our founding fathers never got high," I'd have to say: there's a damn good reason why George W. bitched in his diaries about not getting his females apart from the males.
"We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption."
>John Adams. "Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere."
> George Washington. Notice how he says indian hemp. "Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country." > Thomas Jefferson.
So I guess that covers it, grain, livestock, and wondercrop. War becomes a matter of choice once a nation posseses nukes. If we were doing these things I might just belive that we could last indefinately. But such is not the case.
Anywho, yeah. America rocks while being inefficient. One day we'll fall. It is inevitable.
But on that day, you'll all be glowing in the dark (:
anteachtaire, Of all the thread-synaptic anarchy, yours shows some promise. America, as stated in the original post, is not a nation, but many nations... including Brazil and the brillient minds at Stardock.. Canada. This was on purpose. When the blunt focus of rants form the rest of the world point to "America", I am guessing their meaning is the USA. I am a citizen in the USA and I call myself an American, not because I think I own the largest Northern and Southern hemispherical land mass, but because I know that our specie can not survive on primiative instincs any longer. Thank goodness, the founders of my country created a nation with to many sylabols for octolcracy rants. Can you imagine it... "I am a United Statesian". I believe, and I hope I can get some feed back, that the reason the US has been so successful is because in every intelligent, sentient human ever born, that in their "mind of heart" beleives that we started something original, that shows our commitment to humanity as a specie. Sure, there's alot that doesnt work right and alot that needs fixin'. What are the alternatives? Communistic Capitolism? Religeous Dictatorships? Nationalistic Dominions? If we stray, as a specie, from working together from the betterment of all, including the individual quality of life, it will be at the risk of everything we stood for including the question "Is mankind a worthwhile creation?" No one thing makes for a superpower. Technology can be erased with the chain of knowlege. Engineering with infrastructure. Society with betrayal. The US problems of the last decade have everything to do with distrust. The Republican charge to the whitehouse marred with personal greed and leaving a trail of broken promises including a wholesale dismantalisation of "the new deal" squeezed behind the wealthy artificaily weighting inflation so that the quality of life would be squeezed to fit trade with china. So here is my rant back;
China, Keep being fiscaly restrained and watch how economics alone can be a bowling gutterball.
Russia, Find your identity and start getting involved... what are you waiting for? Money is just paper unless you act with compassion and courage. Dont mimic our stock market. Professors from the cold war have finaly educated this generation into pure idiot-greed mongers. Remember Khrushchev? His plan to agitate and condition US capitolists into greed mongers has worked flawlessly. Pavlov would be proud to see how what should be considered intelligent can be conditioned to blindly kill each other. It is true that capitolism can matabolise to eat anything, including its environment, physical and social. Skull and crossbones sat idlely by while the public was being raped.
India, Apply your moral distinctions but dont loose your identity otherwise you will be burried by your own industry and over-population.
Brazil, Good for you! Hope you make it and keep it. We have learned what it means when they say "Be carefull what you wish for". Economic persuations can enslave a population like no other social mechanism. Try an remember that the US faught communism and drug lords to give you that chance or at least some manifest destiny.
Europe, You make us proud. Try to keep working together. You may have the long term solution. We are glad we had a chance to make it possible.
The rest of the world; follow your conscience, when the US falls, god help us all what rises to fill the void and the termoil it will produce.
To my fellow US'ians; you were so conservative you forgot to breeth, think, feel. It is your lack of compassion and empathy for the human you dont know that has caused your demise. Since you are solely focused on "the DOLLAR", you have more dollar stores than any other nation. They arent sustainable either... nothing is... but change. What were you thinking we'd change into when you listened to the auto-makers "steady as she goes.." montra? Yeah... not any one thing caused the US demise. I am not sure it is preventable... but here is the list of things that might slow the decay,
1) clean-up the inner cities and infrastructure! WTF are you waiting for? Get each city to focus on a green technology posture and compeat. Kill gangs, I mean genocide! If it has a tatoo and flicks hand signs, kill it! This is primal tribalism and reason for systemic decay.
2) You talk about budgets and taking social security... stop it. IT IS PAPER! That paper aint worth shit to have another rot hole society that feeds aristocrates and steals from workers. Our founders were unique, aristocrates, yes, but involved in the country's wellbeing. Not the "Another CIO rumpranger for sell". "Board- bored of making something... found better money in submarining the business"- be back later. The price for this betrayal needs to be paid! Keep the social programs until every last one of them has a yard sale. "Your balance is, money is only as good as the promise. The promise was paid with american lives. Not to come home to service jobs that prey on vapor consumerism, or some ambiguous self-serving "America for sale" scheme.
Opps. Was that me?
Sorry Moderators. I got tourettes..... and didnt know I had it. dawg gone French
I think that america will eventually fall. This will happen because every empire has fallen and america is no exception. A few problems are wars, econimic problems, corruptin, etc. I dont think that america will fall soon and it will probably be slow spiral into collapse also