Will we go the way of the british empire

i dont get your great admiration for being a super power. id rather be the best friend of a superpower.

 

Too much being world cop for us to afford. On the other hand when we disengaged from the world stage we still got sucked into two world wars.

 

I think someone has been watching too much Glenn Beck. Next thing you know the word Caliphate is going to be flung around everywhere, and progressive Jews and progressive non jews are going be linked to muslim extremists.

 

1) The UK's priorities changed post WWII.
2) There will be no "next" superpower in a global economy.

 

MLUTiger is right - there will be no "next" superpower.

 

Another thing: We should hope that we fall so far as to become the UK. No one's ever filed bankruptcy because of medical bills, their currency is still strong enough to stand up against the more fashionable Euro, and still maintains a position of strength and leadership in global affairs. All of that despite a fraction of the resources of a country like ours.

 

not entirely true, we would be ok with an economy like theirs, but we would be worse off. so we shouldnt actually "hope" to be at the level.

and while nobody is filing for bankruptcy for medical bills there, i am sure there are plenty of people needlessly unemployed because the tax rates are a drag on the economy.

 

The beast friend jumps on the grenade while the superpower gets to frick the head cheerleader. I prefer to frick the cheerleader...

In regards to the OP, throughout recorded history there has always been a "superpower" so to speak. Arguably, it started in the Mediterranean with the Greeks. They were for a long time the focus point of trade and culture. Then it shifted east towards Rome because the Greeks colonized the area and started to rely on the new area for grain. Rome over extended their power, and started to rely on outsiders (the barbarians which would later inhabit Spain, France and Germany) to protect their exterior borders in exchange for land. This coupled with internal issues among the classes caused their decline and the power shift to Europe.

In Europe the baton of power was first held by Germany and eventually ending up in England with the industrial revolution. We, the US, got the baton after the Second World War.

It is inevitable that the center of trade and power will continue to shift east. The question is what will be "the event" that causes the US to pass the baton.

 

I have to agree with Martin here...I would prefer to take the risk of filing for bankruptcy (which is not that bad by the way) then to hand the gov'ment over a huge percentage of my money that I worked hard for.