The U.S. as a Superpower

[Nolan]

Is it fair to say that its best days economically and militarily are behind it, or is it stronger than ever? Will it slowly give way to China, Russia, European countries, or a mix of these? How much longer will it be a superpower, if it's going to end anytime soon?

[death_by_semicolon]

It's best days are ahead of it...as a result of socialist revolution. :thumbup1:

But as a capitalist power, yes, it is certainly in decline. The capitalists here are running out of tricks to keep their ship afloat, aside from reactionary politics.

[A.R.Amistad]

Is it fair to say that its best days economically and militarily are behind it, or is it stronger than ever? Will it slowly give way to China, Russia, European countries, or a mix of these? How much longer will it be a superpower, if it's going to end anytime soon?

I don't think the US is on the brink of collapsing into being a third world country, or that it is leaving the scene as a world superpower, but I don't think it will be the world superpower for much longer. The stereotypical lifestyle of the United States, which was considered to be the highest standard of living in the world, is really confined to a few periods, such as the 90's or the early 60s. In terms of living standards for people in the US, they aren't particularly unique or even all that high, just higher than many. As for the economic, military and other aspects of being a superpower, I do think the US is moving slowly on its way out, but the US is not becoming any less influential or important on the world scene.

[Nolan]

What's the chance of Russia becoming a superpower again, along with some of its CIS satellites like Belarus?

[FreeFocus]

I don't think the US is anywhere close to being done as a superpower. Unwise imperial wars have accelerated its demise, but it's got quite a bit of juice, and at this stage is still much stronger and influential than any other empire in history.

[ContrarianLemming]

Is it fair to say that its best days economically and militarily are behind it, or is it stronger than ever? Will it slowly give way to China, Russia, European countries, or a mix of these? How much longer will it be a superpower, if it's going to end anytime soon?


Nothing lasts forever.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I think the U.S still as a good long while to remain as a military superpower.An economic superpower on the otherhand I'm not so sure about.

[death_by_semicolon]

I think the U.S still as a good long while to remain as a military superpower.An economic superpower on the otherhand I'm not so sure about.

A very good point, considering the percentage of GDP the US devotes to defense (in order to hunt down cave rats). But how long can the US maintain that level of defense spending and expect a shrinking middle class to continue going along with it?

[Raúl Duke]

I doubt you can still call it a superpower anymore...at least in comparison to the US of the 80s-90s... Not even militarily per se (the US may be strong, extremely so, in conventional warfare but seems easily bogged downed by guerrilla warfare); the U.S. of the 80s in particular had Latin-America under its vise grip but that's no longer the case now and there are even Latin American governments that are highly critical of the U.S. in South America.

Economically, it's so laughable really. They have a very large trade imbalance with China, perhaps less of an industrial base than some countries in Europe (although they too have dismantle some of their industrial base), etc.

But the US is still a world power, alongside many countries and will be for quite some time unless something drastic occurs.

[RadioRaheem84]

The US has been in decline since the late 70s, we've just been postponing the inevitable for nearly thirty years with finance capital and record deficit spending, especially on the military.

[Boboulas]

Is it fair to say that its best days economically and militarily are behind it, or is it stronger than ever?

Its certainly stronger than ever and will only get stronger, the military budget has increased under obama. Conventional wars are now longer profitable, these have been the lessons of iraq and afganistan which are failed wars. Most of the new money which obama is giving to the military is reaserch and development of high tech weaponry such as new long range strategic bomber drones and space weapons.

Not forgetting that new missile (you may have heard of it) which can effectively be launched from the atmosphere and reach any target in the world within 30 minutes, these are good for destroying nuclear bunkers deep underground or as a BBC report put it "Al qaeda terrorists and iranian nuclear facilities" Clearly both of these present national security problems for the USA :rolleyes:



Will it slowly give way to China, Russia, European countries, or a mix of these?

Russia? Russia is now part of the 3rd world and will most likely never be a super power ever again. If it ever really was, that was the price of losing the cold war. China and europe on the other hand are not so much threats to the US as they are mutualy respected competition. China for instance, the USAs biggest trading partner in asia, is not a threat to the US, why would it be. Its not threatening any buisness class interests and infact its slowly bieng folded into these interests until they have their own buisness class and become a state like western europe is now.

Europes power is growing, the euro is facing difficult times and social unrest will spread because of the huge wave of cuts that are coming, an attack on the working class of europe and essentialy the world. But its still a strong currency, infact india and china were thinking of a new deal of trading oil in euros, which as independant thinking, the USA will oppose.

Militarily europe has nothing on the USA. Technologicly european corperations help the US with some of the latest military technology, the US however doesnt offer the same back to the european states, with mabey the exception of the UK from time to time.

China will in my opinion, purposefully slow down its military spending as a consession to the states and as a reward america will further reward the growing buisness class in china (more so than it allready does). America will probibly offer china some of its old 90s era technology and china will greatly accept it.



How much longer will it be a superpower, if it's going to end anytime soon?

Superpowers are going extinct. All america is, is enforcer of the global buisness classes desires. As soon as someone can do it better thats where the party will be, mind you i dont expect anyone will be able to hold a candle to the US. China is in no way able to cover the globe like the US does militarily, economicly, socialy and in propaganda.

Overall, all this talk of the US becoming weaker should be subtracted for working class power becoming weaker, for as long as corperations need america for force of hand, america will need corperations for the sweet sweet capital. Only way to stop it is for people to do something, anything at this point.