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Well, don't forget this,either. The military is screwed when it comes to recruitment. They're lowering the bar for entry more and more each year. I think we're definatley going to see a lowering in the quality of the military, which could lead to several more issues.

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Sounds an awful much like Rome .

It's just amazing, America is heavily based on the Roman Republic and the decline is so similar, yet it seems no one is stopping it.  Do we ever learn from history when it counts?

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I'll CUT your face.

Now that I'm officially a nerd... I think I'll go.

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hella.

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America may be new but it's also a very experienced country when it comes to money. We know how to handle inflammation and economic growth. Developing countries like china and india don't. America will be here for quite a while. Don't expect an end in any of your lifetimes.

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It's not that our military is weakening, it's that China is catching up.  As you stated, they have a long way to go, true.  Rome didn't fall in a day either of course so I don't expect anything immediate, just the gradual decline we have been experiencing.  The EU, yes I believe I can see them up there with superpower status but it will be hard because those countries still have issues between each other.  They disagree alot so it has been difficult to organize between each other.  If they can become more efficent to work together then I agree with you on the EU.  China has been accelerating rather fast if you consider where it was 30 years ago, it has come a long way in such a short time.  I agree on the U.S. being ill-prepared, I can't understand how the government can take such a chance.  It's those kind of things that are gradually adding on to it's downfall

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Certainly China has made leaps and bounds in development. The thing is, that economic growth comes largely from industrialization and commercialization of an entirely new market. They can keep that growth up for a while, but certainly not for another 30 years. Coupling that with the environmental problems China is facing (largely due to unchecked industrial growth), and there's just about no way they'll keep up their current economic growth.

The EU by contrast has a much more stable growth, stronger currency, more political stability, a total GDP that is higher than the US, and greater international rapport than either the US or China. They do have many internal divisions, but so does the US, and so does China. And on international economic issues, Europe tends to work as a bloc.

Essentially all it will take to tip the US-EU balance is a major country, such as China or India, switching to the euro as a backup currency rather than the dollar. This would meam other countries would likely follow suit, not to mention many of the creditors of the US calling in our debts, whereupon the dollar goes into free-fall... (fun schenario, right?)

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If you can read this, you're not our president.

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Quote: from bdfhjl at 7:45 pm on Sep. 15, 2006

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America may be new but it's also a very experienced country when it comes to money. We know how to handle inflation and economic growth. Developing countries like china and india don't. America will be here for quite a while. Don't expect an end in any of your lifetimes.

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Hahaha.

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The great depression the 80's. Our government knows what to do now when our economy is growing to fast. An economy that is growing too fast isn't good, basing on your "simple" response I doubt you realize that.

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I wonder what will happen when Asia says "Hey, guys, show me the money."

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right.........

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Rome fell because of incompetent leadership. A string of horrid emperors, generals fighting each other and a lack of prioritization by the general civil servants. Rome also spread itself its military thin and that was centuries before it fell.  

America can avoid a similar fate by having its citizens press for important concerns (debt anyone), competent leadership and sparse use of military.

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War plays quite the role in the fall of any empire, draining resources, morale, and economic means.  Perhaps America can avoid this fate for now.  But as Apotheosis mentioned, all world powers ultimately fall.  America is young and it has eternity to decline.

Post edited at 11:05 am on Sep. 16, 2006 by anonymousss

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Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic...
...And so am I