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Last ages of a power...

Do you agree the US is nearing it's last days?


  • Total voters
    29

Juiposa

is totally not a robot.
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I have full confidence that the US will collapse within my lifetime if it continues on its current path.

In the past 40 years, the US has aggravated billions of people. Invasion of Vietnam, the countless intrusions in other countries affairs. Iraq, Haiti, Panama and Grenada just to name 4. IF the US continues with this kind of Neo-Conservative actions, it will come back to bit them in the ass eventually.

Not only the foreign affairs, but the US's internal stability is a serious concern to me. No other country has such fierce hatred between political parties. The viscousness of debates on this website and abroad in the US is scary. I get the vibe the Democrats and GOP really hate each other. If the right thing were to poke something the right way, I have no doubt with the serious political and racial separation in the US, a civil war could spark.

Unless the US sees some serious social reform soon, the US will not last more than another 40 years, and I'm being very generous with those numbers.

These are my speculations.

So my question, do you agree the US is nearing it's last days?
 
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No, not at all.
 
Explain, please, I'm still willing to change my mind.
 
People love to claim gloom and doom, but the US is still very strong economically, even though we are going through one of the worst economic periods since the 70's, and the country is not nearly as divided as it was 30-40 years ago. Barring nuclear war, the US is here to stay.
 
Sorry, we're going to be around for the long haul. :mrgreen:
 
The United States is still the most powerful country in the world, its economy is a world mover, its military spans the globe, no foreign influence will take it out regardless of how they feel about our interventions into other countries, many of them the rest of the world doesn't care about. Do you really think anyone is upset with the US over what it did in Granada, or Panama? No one cares. Also one can look at Great Britain, which during its hay day was in many ways a bigger and badder player than the US is, in comparison to its time period. It declined but its still around and doing quite well.

As for internal politics I really don't think online debates mean anything, lots people come here not so much to convince anybody of anything but to feel smug and superior. Nothing feels better than to be able to tell someone they are wrong and then come up with a witty phrase to drive it home, its ego masturbation.

As for the debt, yes it is a problem and there is potential if we take it further and further to end up in a situation like Greece. However Americans haven't really had a tradition of violent outburst against the government or police, not like what is going on in Greece. Despite what you may hear from other sources the Wisconsin protests have been pretty peacefully, no one has firebombed a police officer like they have in Greece. The last riot on that kind of scale was probably the Rodney King riots in LA.

For the US to truly end there would have to be a revolution along with probably a counter revolution, a civil war in other words, and I just dont see that happening. Especially considering the obesity rate, war fighting isn't a fat man's game haha.
 
People love to claim gloom and doom, but the US is still very strong economically, even though we are going through one of the worst economic periods since the 70's, and the country is not nearly as divided as it was 30-40 years ago. Barring nuclear war, the US is here to stay.

Exactly, the US is by it's very nature a divided nation (the problem with a 2 party system), but the division is no worse than it has been in the past, if anything, it's not half as bad as back in the 1800's, as Your Star said, while the economy has taken a down turn, it's still the strongest in the world, and barring what hacks will tell you, the constitution is still upheld, there is no major external enemy, no major internal enemy, and laws are stll enforced. Barring unforseebale events (nuclear war, giant asteroid, brain-eating aliens or a Sith Lord) the US is gonna be around for a long time yet.
 
Exactly, the US is by it's very nature a divided nation (the problem with a 2 party system), but the division is no worse than it has been in the past, if anything, it's not half as bad as back in the 1800's, as Your Star said, while the economy has taken a down turn, it's still the strongest in the world, and barring what hacks will tell you, the constitution is still upheld, there is no major external enemy, no major internal enemy, and laws are stll enforced. Barring unforseebale events (nuclear war, giant asteroid, brain-eating aliens or a Sith Lord) the US is gonna be around for a long time yet.

As long as we don't let Jar Jar give him emergency ultimate power we'll be fine.
 
If we continue on the path we are, we will eventually collapse. However, I have faith that we'll get off the path we're on. We've already started to turn with the 2010 elections.
 
I have full confidence that the US will collapse within my lifetime if it continues on its current path.

In the past 40 years, the US has aggravated billions of people. Invasion of Vietnam, the countless intrusions in other countries affairs. Iraq, Haiti, Panama and Grenada just to name 4. IF the US continues with this kind of Neo-Conservative actions, it will come back to bit them in the ass eventually.

Not only the foreign affairs, but the US's internal stability is a serious concern to me. No other country has such fierce hatred between political parties. The viscousness of debates on this website and abroad in the US is scary. I get the vibe the Democrats and GOP really hate each other. If the right thing were to poke something the right way, I have no doubt with the serious political and racial separation in the US, a civil war could spark.

Unless the US sees some serious social reform soon, the US will not last more than another 40 years, and I'm being very generous with those numbers.

These are my speculations.

So my question, do you agree the US is nearing it's last days?

OH look! Another "The US is DOOOOOMED!!!" thread. You do realize that people have been saying that the US is doomed for the past 2 centuries now right?
 
Excluding general economic flucuations the US will at worst suffer a similar fate as that of the UK (British Empire aspect)

Its world wide influence will decrease as others countries rise up, not specifically because the US has declined ( a certain amount will be) but more that other countries have gained power in proportion to the US. To compare, the US economy has declined somewhat over the last few years, its military power has remained generally very strong or has grown to a degree. China's economy has grown faster and its military power has grown as fast or faster then its economy. China has risen on an absolute basis, and on a proportional basis as well. The US has had slow growth on an absolute basis, but has declined on a proportional basis. The same occured to the UK as its empire collapsed. No one today would suggest that the UK has entered its last days, it survived the absolute decrease in power and its very significant decrease in proportional power. That would be about the worst fate the US faces

Only if and this is very remote, the coastal areas and the interior of the US begin to differ culturally on a far more significant basis could the US have its last days. That does not have a chance of occuring for at least 20 years to acccount for migration paterns that would be required for it to occur
 
If we continue on the path we are, we will eventually collapse. However, I have faith that we'll get off the path we're on. We've already started to turn with the 2010 elections.

One of the great things abuot hyperpartisanship is that whenever your party is on the upswing you think a new golden age is coming, thats some confidence for the future, and of course when it doesnt happen denialism comes in and you think its a perfect world anyway.
 
One of the great things abuot hyperpartisanship is that whenever your party is on the upswing you think a new golden age is coming, thats some confidence for the future, YEP and of course when it doesnt happen denialism comes in and you think its a perfect world anyway.NOPE

.........................
 
People have been writing America's epitaph for very long time... as in, practically since the ink was dry on the Declaration. We're still here.
 
I have full confidence that the US will collapse within my lifetime if it continues on its current path.

In the past 40 years, the US has aggravated billions of people. Invasion of Vietnam, the countless intrusions in other countries affairs. Iraq, Haiti, Panama and Grenada just to name 4. IF the US continues with this kind of Neo-Conservative actions, it will come back to bit them in the ass eventually.

Not only the foreign affairs, but the US's internal stability is a serious concern to me. No other country has such fierce hatred between political parties. The viscousness of debates on this website and abroad in the US is scary. I get the vibe the Democrats and GOP really hate each other. If the right thing were to poke something the right way, I have no doubt with the serious political and racial separation in the US, a civil war could spark.

Unless the US sees some serious social reform soon, the US will not last more than another 40 years, and I'm being very generous with those numbers.

These are my speculations.

So my question, do you agree the US is nearing it's last days?

We've actually 'collapsed' several times. . .unlike other countries who 'collapse' we ALWAYS rebound - usually learning from the situations that pass and make adjustments as necessary.

Our bottom line has never changed - regardless of how much we might not get along, it all comes back to wanting to uphold the same values. We just disagree on how best to do it.
 
I don't think we're going to collapse. We've got too many resources and too many resourceful people to just go "kaboom."

I do, however, think a long slow decline would be possible.

What I think is far more likely is that the days of 5% of the world telling the rest of the world how to run their ship will grind to a halt. How well we adjust to that as a people will go a long way towards deciding how we fare collectively down the road.
 
I don't think we're going to collapse. We've got too many resources and too many resourceful people to just go "kaboom."

I do, however, think a long slow decline would be possible.

What I think is far more likely is that the days of 5% of the world telling the rest of the world how to run their ship will grind to a halt. How well we adjust to that as a people will go a long way towards deciding how we fare collectively down the road.

It would just be a change - not a decline. :shrug:
 
It would seem like you latched onto a word and are ignoring the context. I've said, in essence:
  1. We're not going to just collapse
  2. A long slow decline is possible
  3. What is far more likely is that there will be a change to the world political stage and how we adjust to it will dictate how well we end up doing down the road
In other words, I said that the most likely option is one where we could either decline or thrive.

You, quoting my entire post, say you think it would be a change and not a decline.

Since I said an implosion isn't happening and a decline is possible but that a change is more likely, I think it's safe to say I was focusing on the change possibility and not the decline possibility.

So, yeah, I used the word decline, but the possibility of a decline wasn't the thrust of my point.
 
I haven't graduated college, yet, but I believe that word there is 'decline' :D
I don't care who ya are, that there is funny right there now. :lamo

.
 
I have full confidence that the US will collapse within my lifetime if it continues on its current path.

In the past 40 years, the US has aggravated billions of people. Invasion of Vietnam, the countless intrusions in other countries affairs. Iraq, Haiti, Panama and Grenada just to name 4. IF the US continues with this kind of Neo-Conservative actions, it will come back to bit them in the ass eventually.

Not only the foreign affairs, but the US's internal stability is a serious concern to me. No other country has such fierce hatred between political parties. The viscousness of debates on this website and abroad in the US is scary. I get the vibe the Democrats and GOP really hate each other. If the right thing were to poke something the right way, I have no doubt with the serious political and racial separation in the US, a civil war could spark.

Unless the US sees some serious social reform soon, the US will not last more than another 40 years, and I'm being very generous with those numbers.

These are my speculations.

So my question, do you agree the US is nearing it's last days?

I see nothing here that, similarly, has not occurred several times during the existence of the US... and we are still around. No, this concept makes zero sense, especially from a historical standpoint.
 
I wouldnt say 'collapse,' but I do think we are due for a major league "come to Jesus" meeting. And no I dont mean necessarily a religous revival, but certainly a day of reckoning with the path we are on. A large segment of our society has lost contact with the things that have made this country great. The rugged individualism and willingness to acheive despite all odds is not present in a large percentage of us. Too many are willing to sit back and be taken care of vs willing to go and do. Our outgo surpasses our income and our debt is staggering. We have lost a willingness to stand for right and wrong. Our borders are pourous at best. We as a country and economy are busy trying to support at least two countries with dissimilar economies. We ARE divided politically to the point where even when we have united against a common threat we are still looking to see how our response can best benefit not the country but party.

At the same time...we have enough strength in the country that even though I DO believe we havent at all seen the worst of what is coming, we WILL survive. Im not at all sure what the future looks like and frankly I am a LITTLE surprised at how readily people write off the potential for the US to face radical change. The best defense against such change will come from a willingness to honestly assess our future and adjust accordingly. If we dont, I believe we will erode...not from without but within.
 
Economically we certainly will be depressed - this will trickle down into our influence over the rest of the world and our level of prestige. However, the US will continue to be around and continue to be in the top 3 nations in the world regardless, unless some calamity such as a civil war or invasion and take over would occur.
 
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