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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/opini ... ef=general

Is it too late already ? Or just more fear mongering and manipulating stats ?

Is it also unfair to compare a country with a population of over 300 million( USA ) with a the country of around just 20 million ( Australia ) or its perfectly relevant. For example the prison population of 133 per 100,000 of Australia vs the 743 for the US. Which in my view is overwelhming even on the per 100,000 scale.

It's all over bar the shouting.

There's no credible theory for the US to regain it's top spot again - only some wild ones about a nuclear Armageddon where the East is relatively destroyed more than the US. Economists are pretty much all resigned to the fact that China will over-take the US - (sooner than I was predicting 10 years ago, when some were doubting that China would even overtake Japan).

Fundamentals always apply - and history does repeat itself. Empires in decline always go through a phase of denial, but the US is going the way of the British, Persian, Roman, Greek, Egyptian etc etc Empires that came and went before.

The graphic is actually only listing the main symptoms of this decline, IMO.

Cheers,
Shafique

I don't think its ever too late, look at Putin he turned russia around, ok not perfect but still a very worthwhile effort and no one can argue that the economy is in much better shape now then when he first came on to the scene.

Only problem with the US is that there is too much infighting among the politicians and policy makers for any actual reforms to take place. What USA needs is a couple of back to back good solid presidents who can get stuff get done insted of the opposition shooting down everything just for the sake of opposition. Stop wasting large amounts of money in overseas wars and building up their armies and concentrate on domestic problems.

Another heavy dose of " A car in every garage and a chicken in every pot" I think, instead of a war in every country and a tank in every city.

Oh, I think that the US can claw it's way out of the recession - definitely.

Greece was once a mighty empire, so was Portugal. Indeed, the biggest empire ever by land mass was Britain - and now look at it, full of former colonials who don't know their place (according to some, at least)

Russia is a pale reflection of the USSR (in terms of influence) and perhaps that is a good analogy for the US - both are big, resource rich etc. However, Russia too isn't out of the woods yet - some are indeed very rich, but most aren't.

Cheers,
Shafique