The end of the American Century sidebar.

[Mycroft]

You don't know how the whole NATO thing works, obviously.
But hey, never let ignorance stop you, right?

If you can't provide answers to questions asked of another member, you should probably just keep your nose out of other's business.

 

[mrjurrs]

What has been [rightly[ described by some as the American Century -- that period of world history beginning in 1941 and continuing through the present day -- is slowly coming to an end. America's ability to impress its goals and desires upon a number of other nations is waning. Only one of the three pillars supporting the US hegemony, military superiority, remains intact. The other two, economic and 'soft' power [Ed.: 'Soft power' is something of a catch-all,] can be shown to be in recession.

Interestingly, the presidency of President of the United States of America Donald Trump can be shown to have accelerated the process of bringing the American Century to a close. One specific example is the push exerted by the Trump administration on NATO members to 'pay their own way'. There has been, for many decades, an unwritten agreement between the United States and the other members of the NATO alliance. It goes like this: 'America will underwrite your NATO dues and you will follow America's lead.' Nations that pay their own way need give America no special heed. There is, as yet, nothing to indicate that President Trump understood this relationship nor the full implications of his position regarding it.

If one thinks about it a bit, other instances in which American dollars have purchased American power will come to mind.

Empires come and, history has shown, empires go. America's empire, when all is said and done, hopefully will be shown to have been one of the more benign.

Regards, stay safe 'n well. Remember the prophylactic Big 3: masks, hand washing and physical distancing.

Reminder. I try to respond to all who quote my posts. If you do not get a response from me, it may be that you've made it onto my 'Ignore' list.

Are you saying America economic superiority is based only on gdp? Pretty sure the dollar is still the world's currency.

 

[Grand Mal]

If you can't provide answers to questions asked of another member, you should probably just keep your nose out of other's business.

Best thing for NATO would be if America pulled out. Close all those bases in Europe and bring everyone home. Know how many U.S. Army facilities there are in Germany alone? 34. One service, one country. Never mind all the other countries, or all the Air Force bases. Naval bases in Greece and Italy and Spain. Close them all, Bring them home.

List of United States military bases - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The US complains because other NATO countries don't spend 2% of their GDP on defense. The US 3.4% would be reduced by a yuge chunk by closing all those European bases. If you all closed all the other facilities world-wide you could be down to half in no time! Not to mention getting a handle on the corporate welfare scheme you call defense contracting- that would cut you down to Iceland's defense budget!
Just a reminder- the NATO mutual defense clause has only been invoked once, when the USA was attacked on 9/11. Two Portugese soldiers died in Afghanistan on your behalf.

 

[Grand Mal]

Are you saying America economic superiority is based only on gdp? Pretty sure the dollar is still the world's currency.

Pretty much.
Just coincidentally, the invasion of Iraq happened not long after Saddam said he would accept Euros for oil.

 

[mrjurrs]

Pretty much.
Just coincidentally, the invasion of Iraq happened not long after Saddam said he would accept Euros for oil.

Who is accepting euro's bitcoin or yuan for oil today?
GDP is only one measurement of economic activity. If you want to say the US no longer leads the world in GDP I can't argue. If you say that America no longer is the dominant global economy, I disagree.

 

[Torus34]

Where were you in the 1980s when the Reagan Admin. was constantly both publicly and privately urging U.S. NATO allies to pay their fair share of the alliance defense burden?

Hi!.

Let's see ... the 80's. I was living on Staten Island and Working in Long Island City.

Hope that helps.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

 

[Torus34]

Are you saying America economic superiority is based only on gdp? Pretty sure the dollar is still the world's currency.

Hi!

No. That is not what I said.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

 

[mrjurrs]

Hi!

No. That is not what I said.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

Looking at global economic data, I wonder what you are using to determine that the economic pillar of US soft power is no longer that important?

 

[Torus34]

Looking at global economic data, I wonder what you are using to determine that the economic pillar of US soft power is no longer that important?

Hi!

Once again, I did not say that either.

I will not respond further to you on this thread.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

 

[swing_voter]

America has 18 million, millionaires.



.

 

[Grand Mal]

Who is accepting euro's bitcoin or yuan for oil today?
GDP is only one measurement of economic activity. If you want to say the US no longer leads the world in GDP I can't argue. If you say that America no longer is the dominant global economy, I disagree.

Nobody. Oil is traded worldwide in dollars. But that's not what makes the US the dominant global economy. Consumerism does. Every manufacturing country in the world, including the US, has gotten to be so over-productive that the whole system would wind down like a dying clock if people stopped buying useless crap they don't need and didn't know they wanted until they were told. And America consumes so much of that over-production that the world economy depends on them.

 

[mrjurrs]

Hi!

Once again, I did not say that either.

I will not respond further to you on this thread.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

You said, "What has been [rightly[ described by some as the American Century -- that period of world history beginning in 1941 and continuing through the present day -- is slowly coming to an end. America's ability to impress its goals and desires upon a number of other nations is waning. Only one of the three pillars supporting the US hegemony, military superiority, remains intact. The other two, economic and 'soft' power [Ed.: 'Soft power' is something of a catch-all,] can be shown to be in recession. "

Can't say I'll miss you...

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Who is accepting euro's bitcoin or yuan for oil today?
GDP is only one measurement of economic activity. If you want to say the US no longer leads the world in GDP I can't argue. If you say that America no longer is the dominant global economy, I disagree.

The US has the largest GDP when measured in USD

When measured using GDP (ppp) China has the largest economy, (ppp) is a measure to see what each economy can buy. Ie a hair cut in China will cost 25% that of one in the US ( location dependent )

When it comes to manufacturing, China produces 30% of the worlds manufactured goods. For high tech manufacturing Taiwan and SK are ahead of the US.

Right now the US economic power inflated to a significant amount by the USD being the worlds reserve currency. If that was to change, the US would take a large economic hit.

 

[mrjurrs]

Nobody. Oil is traded worldwide in dollars. But that's not what makes the US the dominant global economy. Consumerism does. Every manufacturing country in the world, including the US, has gotten to be so over-productive that the whole system would wind down like a dying clock if people stopped buying useless crap they don't need and didn't know they wanted until they were told. And America consumes so much of that over-production that the world economy depends on them.

Which would appear to me to make America the world's dominant economic power.

 

[Grand Mal]

Which would appear to me to make America the world's dominant economic power.

Yeah, like I said.

 

[mrjurrs]

The US has the largest GDP when measured in USD

When measured using GDP (ppp) China has the largest economy, (ppp) is a measure to see what each economy can buy. Ie a hair cut in China will cost 25% that of one in the US ( location dependent )

When it comes to manufacturing, China produces 30% of the worlds manufactured goods. For high tech manufacturing Taiwan and SK are ahead of the US.

Right now the US economic power inflated to a significant amount by the USD being the worlds reserve currency. If that was to change, the US would take a large economic hit.

I concur. IMO that possibility is still a ways off.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

I concur. IMO that possibility is still a ways off.

Potentially not, the last two years has seen the US debt reach levels on % basis not seen since WW2 ( end of) which was when the US was the only major economy that had its industrial capacity not destroyed by the war. It was the wealthiest and most competitive at that time. Which helped it reduce debt levels quite quickly. Now it is the most indebted country, the fed is monetizing the debt ( ie buying the federal debt rather than selling it on the open market)

All of which are bad signs for the future, as for when it will burst, I can not say but 5 years or less would be my expectation. By that time Debt to GDP could very well be 135%. Yes Japan is worse but it is funded heavily by the Japanese and their high savings rate

 

[mrjurrs]

Potentially not, the last two years has seen the US debt reach levels on % basis not seen since WW2 ( end of) which was when the US was the only major economy that had its industrial capacity not destroyed by the war. It was the wealthiest and most competitive at that time. Which helped it reduce debt levels quite quickly. Now it is the most indebted country, the fed is monetizing the debt ( ie buying the federal debt rather than selling it on the open market)

All of which are bad signs for the future, as for when it will burst, I can not say but 5 years or less would be my expectation. By that time Debt to GDP could very well be 135%. Yes Japan is worse but it is funded heavily by the Japanese and their high savings rate

Doom and gloom not to be seen imo. America could probably get $15 trillion for Hawaii and our other Pacific interests. More likely unfortunately would be the smoking wreckage left after America went to arms to defend our economic interests.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Doom and gloom not to be seen imo. America could probably get $15 trillion for Hawaii and our other Pacific interests. More likely unfortunately would be the smoking wreckage left after America went to arms to defend our economic interests.

There is no one to sell that much property to

The doom and gloom would be largely seen and felt in the US. The economic malaise of the 70s but on a larger deeper scale, an expanded rust belt but also hitting the service sector

 

[mrjurrs]

There is no one to sell that much property to

The doom and gloom would be largely seen and felt in the US. The economic malaise of the 70s but on a larger deeper scale, an expanded rust belt but also hitting the service sector

Your missing the obvious buyer, China. US would cede the Pacific to China, and we have a more than $1 trillion downpayment by canceling the US debt they hold. Obviously this won't happen, I guess my point is that the US economy is too big to fail.

 

[LetsGoBrandon]

What has been [rightly[ described by some as the American Century -- that period of world history beginning in 1941 and continuing through the present day -- is slowly coming to an end. America's ability to impress its goals and desires upon a number of other nations is waning. Only one of the three pillars supporting the US hegemony, military superiority, remains intact. The other two, economic and 'soft' power [Ed.: 'Soft power' is something of a catch-all,] can be shown to be in recession.

Interestingly, the presidency of President of the United States of America Donald Trump can be shown to have accelerated the process of bringing the American Century to a close. One specific example is the push exerted by the Trump administration on NATO members to 'pay their own way'. There has been, for many decades, an unwritten agreement between the United States and the other members of the NATO alliance. It goes like this: 'America will underwrite your NATO dues and you will follow America's lead.' Nations that pay their own way need give America no special heed. There is, as yet, nothing to indicate that President Trump understood this relationship nor the full implications of his position regarding it.

If one thinks about it a bit, other instances in which American dollars have purchased American power will come to mind.

Empires come and, history has shown, empires go. America's empire, when all is said and done, hopefully will be shown to have been one of the more benign.

Regards, stay safe 'n well. Remember the prophylactic Big 3: masks, hand washing and physical distancing.

Reminder. I try to respond to all who quote my posts. If you do not get a response from me, it may be that you've made it onto my 'Ignore' list.

if I had $100.00 for every time I have heard or read some librul predicting the end of the American century, I could buy a small country.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Your missing the obvious buyer, China. US would cede the Pacific to China, and we have a more than $1 trillion downpayment by canceling the US debt they hold. Obviously this won't happen, I guess my point is that the US economy is too big to fail.

China does not have $15 trillion to buy some islands in the Pacific with a population that does not want to be Chinese. The resources would not provide anywhere close to a reasonable payback

Hawaii at most could fetch $2 trillion, and the US would be required to move any people who wanted to leave at its expense

For any modern economy, land is not that valuable anymore. The skills and knowledge of the people are far more important

 

[mrjurrs]

China does not have $15 trillion to buy some islands in the Pacific with a population that does not want to be Chinese. The resources would not provide anywhere close to a reasonable payback

Hawaii at most could fetch $2 trillion, and the US would be required to move any people who wanted to leave at its expense

For any modern economy, land is not that valuable anymore. The skills and knowledge of the people are far more important

The land wouldn't be the valuable part. The extension of power would be. Why do you suppose they're creating islands in the South China Sea?

 

[Peter]

All empires come to an end.
China will eventually overtake the US economically just because of the number of people and some day China will lose top spot to someone else.
Things change and you just have to accept it.

 

[mmpsdn]

@Torus34 though America will still be the 2nd-most power in the world right?

By the way, maybe you'd like to check out my map on the neo-blocs.