The US - The end of a Superpower

[andysayshi]

If you have the patience for the long article, here's a fascinating opinion piece in an Australian newspaper today about the juxtaposition of two globally significant events today: while the US Treasury Secretary sank to one knee to implore a congressional leader to vote for a bailout package to save the American economy, Colonel Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese astronaut to walk in space.

The point of the discussion is that, while the US flounders to survive, China is prospering, growing and advancing at a rapid rate. The British political philosopher John Gray says "The era of American global leadership, reaching back to the Second World War, is over."

The conservative American commentator, one-time adviser to Ronald Reagan and former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan agreed. Comparing the crisis to a devastating hurricane, he said it was "a Katrina-like failure of government, of our political class, and of democracy itself. The party's over. What we are witnessing today is how empires end."

Fareed Zakaria, the editor of Newsweek International and an expert on US foreign policy, this year published a book, The Post-American World. He identified three "tectonic power shifts" in the past 500 years. First was the rise of the West. Next came the rise of the US. And we are now living through the third: "It could be called the rise of the rest." He points out that economic growth in the past five years has been more widely shared among the nations of the world than at any time in history. In 2006 and 2007, 124 countries grew by more than 4 per cent.

"Look around," Zakaria writes. The world's tallest building is in Taipei, the richest man is a Mexican, and the biggest listed corporation is Chinese. The world's biggest casino no longer is in Las Vegas but Macau, and the biggest movie industry is no longer Hollywood but Bollywood. Even shopping, America's greatest sporting activity, has gone global - of the top 10 malls in the world, only one is in the US; the world's biggest is in Beijing."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/is-it-the-end-of-the-american-century/2008/10/03/1223013791575.html

There is also discussion of the US's politico-military strength waning - the belief that the US could survive any attack militarily, with or without allies, has faltered for obvious reasons over the past 5 years.

What do you think? Is the era of US global supremacy fading? Is this the beginning of a new global hierarchy?

 

[NickCole]

In a word, yep.

And it's a result of our own choices and behavior over the past 30 to 40 years.

 

[PabloZed]

First, there was a long period of time when there were two superpowers, even if one was a little less super than the other. The collapse of the USSR left America the lone superpower, but even then there were economic powers on the rise.

The last 7-8 years has cost America dearly because its not only the disastrous mistakes Bush made but also the lost opportunities such as energy independence and universal healthcare. If we were not already $11 trillion in debt we would be better able to address the current financial crisis. If we weren't already fighting two wars we would be better able to confront Iran. Bush and the GOP put America in a bind.

But America is not about to fold or quit. This crisis will pass and we remain the world leader in many industries. All we need is new leadership and providence will grant us that.

I personally am happy to see other countries climb the economic ladder of prosperity, especially Brazil and India because they are vibrant democracies. The world will be a better place with growing economies and political freedoms.

 

[TX-Beau]

...the US flounders to survive.....

???

I didn't realize that the Canadians had invaded.

unfortunately for Australia and England, if we go down, we'll take them with us.

 

[sixthson]

World government is no longer in the realm of science fiction. We can kiss our autonomy good bye.

 

[smelter]

The impending financial collapse is not limited to the United States. Europe is next and China will follow. I view this as a much needed purge of a bloated credit driven world that needs to slim down or die of arterial sclerosis. The United States might take a few years to recover but we will be the first ones sent home from the hospital. (LOL, I luv metaphors!)

 

[naked gent]

The point of the discussion is that, while the US flounders to survive, China is prospering, growing and advancing at a rapid rate.


What do you think? Is the era of US global supremacy fading? Is this the beginning of a new global hierarchy?

I think the rise of the rest of the world is a good thing and even a goal of post war U.S. policy. U.S. post war policy was to contain communism and expand the number of democratic capitalist countries, only the very dim believe others doing well always comes at your expense.

This is not a zero sum game.

I'm also not sold on the idea that China will be the country which rises to challenge the U.S. Given their one child policy it will soon be a rapidly aging country and with 700 million people still living on less than a dollar a day and a government which is something less than legitimate they have plenty of domestic problems with which to occupy themselves.

 

[sixthson]

The United States might take a few years to recover but we will be the first ones sent home from the hospital. (LOL, I luv metaphors!)

Unless our politicians euthanize us first.

 

[smelter]

Unless our politicians euthanize us first.

Touché sixth, touché!

 

[Orlandude]

I don't think American global leadership is over. I think it has been set back by the past 8 years of mismanagement, lack of leadership and the absurd and failed "doctrines" and "policies"of a narrowminded, ineffective administration. We will bounce back.

 

[TX-Beau]

How about we Americans start calling for some Global Coalition for a change of pace.

 

[Willie Boy]

The Great American Empire is falling, long live the Global Chinese Empire!

 

[future_boy]

Almost all of my friends think China will definitely replace Americas as the strongest nation on earth. Somehow,I doubt that.I still think US has a lot of chances to rebuild herself and maintaining your position on the top

 

[Willie Boy]

Almost all of my friends think China will definitely replace Americas as the strongest nation on earth. Somehow,I doubt that.I still think US has a lot of chances to rebuild herself and maintaining your position on the top

If you check you history, all great powers have fallen sooner or later. Its America's time, and China is preparing to be there to pick up the pieces. I only hope they can do a much better jop than we did.

 

[TX-Beau]

I'm tired of Empire, it costs too much in blood, cash, and self respect.

Would it be so bad to be part of a real coalition?

 

[TX-Beau]

Isn't that exactly how we've been defining it?

 

[TX-Beau]

That seems to me pointless semantics in the Era of the Bush Doctrine, and Team America: World Police.

 

[TX-Beau]

For a few people perhaps, but the majority of humanity didn't take your class and we in the U.S. decided we were the only moral voice that mattered while blithely giving ourselves the right to invade anyone for any reason, then we acted on it.

Call it what you will, in effect, we told the world that we will do as we please, and you don't have the military power to stop us.

That's pretty Imperial.

 

[Willie Boy]

For a few people perhaps, but the majority of humanity didn't take your class and we in the U.S. decided we were the only moral voice that mattered while blithely giving ourselves the right to invade anyone for any reason, then we acted on it.

Call it what you will, in effect, we told the world that we will do as we please, and you don't have the military power to stop us.

That's pretty Imperial.

I concur. We are the Lunatic Empire.

 

[syntax]

In his history of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides wrote that a Democracy cannot control an Empire. Athens kept its democracy and lost its Empire. Later, Rome kept its Empire, but lost its democracy. Perhaps the US will lose both?