So I was thinking about this last night, on my drive home.

When I debate with a lot of people on this site, I get the sense that they feel this country has always been here, and so no matter what we do, it will always be here.

Something to think about: My grandfather is in his 90's. That means for 40% of the time the US has been around, he has been in it. This is how young this country is.

To think that somehow it's an infallible nation that no matter how we act in government, will be around is incredibly irresponsible.

Am I saying we are on the verge of destroying the country? No. But the choices we make to day will contribute to it's success or failure.

Just think about that, and what 40 years down the road will look like based on the choices we make today.

The USA is one of the younger of the industrialized nations. Given our dependence on the global absorption of our debt we are quite fragile.

The USA is quite fragile... I reckon that in the not so long future, the USA will no longer be THE dominant power but rather a dominant power perhaps behind nations such as China, India or even Germany if the chips fall right/wrong

the reason the US even got so powerful to begin with was because all the other major powers destroyed themselves during WW1, leaving US to be the lender to a bunch of countries in Europe who were rebuilting their infrastructure; only to be wiped out AGAIN in WW2.

Infrastructure wise, the US has been pretty much unscathed.

We've become fragile thanks to our dependence on everyone else.

We became great because we had no one to rely on. We fought our only connection to Europe in the war for independence - a move few other colonies tried.

Now, we risk becoming insignificant because we are relying on everyone else for our own personal needs. We beg the arabians and OPEC to drive our need for oil. We plead with the Chinese to supply cheap goods and government notes.

America should be known for it's greatness due to what we give to the world, and not take away. We've gone from being the great giver to the world, to the great taker - all in a matter of a few decades.

Hopefully, we learn to go back to the old ways, even in the face of globalization. Even though I don't think globalization is a bad thing, per say, I think that we've just become to interdependent in a very, VERY bad way. You should look to trade to make up shortfalls, not rely on it to exist like what we're doing. I worry my children will pay for this crude, bad, behavior.

The U.S. became great because we had shit you couldn't find anywhere else. Tobacco, cotton, indigo, corn, all sorts of stuff. We mooched off of Britain for a century straight, much like China is doing to us now. However, the economy is now worldwide, and we lost that exotic edge. And another part of our economy was the labor side, but we keep outsourcing most of our workers.

For the U.S. to become great again, we must discover the next big thing. And I don't think we're smart enough to do that anymore.

No other nation has any chance to become a bigger superpower than the USA.

China has a lil chance to come somewhat close economically, but never surpass the US it won't. In military, political and cultural influense China and every other nation will remain peanuts compared to USA.

Montana - We have the big next thing. Unfortunately, we're squandering it.

The next big thing is space travel and space acquisition. I think it's only fair and feasible that the country that is made up almost entirely of immigrants should take the first step into space economics.

There have been a few studies by experts in game theory, national intelligence, and other high-level think tanks that agree with this line of logic. In order to head into space, and utilize it, you need to be a superpower much like Britain was during the colonial period.

No other singular nation has the ability to do it like we do. Some have the land, some have the money, some have the technology. But we're the only one that really has all 3, and in great amounts, to do it.

lol. mrstick, I think you have watched too many SciFi movies lately.

Well, I don't think the US is that fragile. It still holds an enourmous amount of weight when it comes to trade, politics, and military.

However, with that said, history shows, what comes up, will eventually also fall.
Just the way it is.