Re:There Once Was an Empire
by AnimalMuppet on Thursday December 14, 2023 @01:55PM
(#38645490)
> The American empire is a long way off collapse.
I wish I believed that as strongly as you do. I could see imminent collapse from several possible causes.
1. Political. We are very close to the point where neither side regards the results as legitimate if the other wins. We have Congress less concerned with governing, and more concerned with moving the lines an inch in an endless trench war. The leading candidates for president are extremely uninspiring - neither will be able to create a vision that inspires people into any unified, positive direction. The whole political scene feels like imminent collapse to me.
2. War. If we blunder into a shooting war with either Russia or China, that could be an abrupt end to the American "empire" - along with much of the American population. Even if it doesn't go nuclear, it could still be an abrupt fall from the #1 position in geopolitical power. This is made more dangerous by the childishness and amateurishness of the political leadership - a blunder feels uncomfortably likely.
3. Economic. Things came close to falling apart in 2008, in a way that could have abruptly crimped our power as a nation (which is economically based). Things feel more solid lately, but they didn't feel bad in 2007, either.
So, yeah, I would be distressed by an abrupt collapse (say, within 2 years), but I wouldn't be all that surprised...
I wish I believed that as strongly as you do. I could see imminent collapse from several possible causes.
1. Political. We are very close to the point where neither side regards the results as legitimate if the other wins. We have Congress less concerned with governing, and more concerned with moving the lines an inch in an endless trench war. The leading candidates for president are extremely uninspiring - neither will be able to create a vision that inspires people into any unified, positive direction. The whole political scene feels like imminent collapse to me.
2. War. If we blunder into a shooting war with either Russia or China, that could be an abrupt end to the American "empire" - along with much of the American population. Even if it doesn't go nuclear, it could still be an abrupt fall from the #1 position in geopolitical power. This is made more dangerous by the childishness and amateurishness of the political leadership - a blunder feels uncomfortably likely.
3. Economic. Things came close to falling apart in 2008, in a way that could have abruptly crimped our power as a nation (which is economically based). Things feel more solid lately, but they didn't feel bad in 2007, either.
So, yeah, I would be distressed by an abrupt collapse (say, within 2 years), but I wouldn't be all that surprised...