The reason the dollar is in great demand is that it's backed up by American political and financial clout and force projection capabilities. If that ceases to be the case then demand for US currency collapses.

But if the USA is able to keep doing machinations around the world so that the dollar is demand for 200 years, eg by just making it the most stable currency, then their dollars and treasuries will literally be the thing that they trade for everything else. Like what if a bank goes insolvent... ok but what if it doesn’t, then everyone wants to use its money and credit.

The USA also lobbies for strong IP protections and international treaties because that’s another one of its exports.

Manufacturing and raw materials are actually less likely to remain a comparative advtantage than this artificially enforced stuff.

But, we do produce a lot of value; we may be more specialized in intangible goods and services, but as long as those are marketable, we're fine.

> Sadly, this experiment has already been run repeatedly throughout history and it doesn't end well.

Leaving aside disagreement over whether the US is even in he scenario you propose, when has it ever ended badly for a country whose debt was denominated in its own fiat currency, rather than a commodity currency or foreign fiat?

That's why I'm trying to figure out why would even fight China trying to replace us? Surely the bigger issue would be if they only wished to sit back and make money for China without helping anyone else do anything?

It’s a bit like men being upset that feminism has led to women doing more work building careers and earning more money. Male lions sit around and have intercourse while the lionesses hunt. Maybe that is the future for humans too?

I don’t actually believe this, I think both sexes should scale down their devotion to the corporate world and focus instead on their families and other pursuits with a UBI. Robots will pick up the slack eventually.

Robots really are the only viable way forward. The idea that we can keep increasing production, but somehow force companies to continue to hire all kinds of employees at wages that support middle class lifestyles is fanciful in the extreme. I'm not sure why politicians keep putting that idea forward as viable? It's directly contradictory to the fundamentals of economics.

What's so bad for the world? Depends on how China tries to run it. But looking at the Uighurs, I'm kind of concerned that they won't run the world all that well for the rest of the world...