The End of USA as a Super Power is approaching

[ChewChewTrain]

Large scale world wars are passe. I believe brute strength will no longer be part of the definition of a Super Power. Super Power definition will lean more towards Economic Power, which will provide a more powerful world influence than bombs.

Thoughts?

[trollbait]

Super and great power definitions are based upon how much influence a nation has beyond its own borders. Military power is part of that, but economic and social power is already a factor.

[gregsfc]

I'm not suggesting that anyone is totally wrong with any of the pessimistic, anti American system faith theories that suggest all of this came to us either my luck or circumstance; but America's biggest asset was and still is her people and culture. And we have huge intellectual capital; and we have huge creative minds as a collection of people; and yeah, yeah, I get it; we spend too much on our military and do some stupid things and always have, but we are a super power despite all of these mistakes. And it could be argued that we're losing alot of our exceptionalism, with ideals and qualities such as a great work ethic going away; but we still are a massively, creative society as a whole that has alot of people willing to risk relative comfort and security to delve into entrepreneurial endeavors that most peoples of other countries would not consider. Although most of these endeavors fail, it is the fact that so many try and a few succeed, that makes us great, because look just how many ideas of ours become products and services endeared by the world. And it's still happening today!

[LDB]

America will cease being a superpower when the left imports enough outsiders to dilute our national identity while simultaneously indoctrinating youth to the left in our now failed education system. It is likely too late and unstoppable. As many predicted we will be destroyed from within by the liberal left.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by gregsfc

I'm not suggesting that anyone is totally wrong with any of the pessimistic, anti American system faith theories that suggest all of this came to us either my luck or circumstance; but America's biggest asset was and still is her people and culture. And we have huge intellectual capital; and we have huge creative minds as a collection of people; and yeah, yeah, I get it; we spend too much on our military and do some stupid things and always have, but we are a super power despite all of these mistakes. And it could be argued that we're losing alot of our exceptionalism, with ideals and qualities such as a great work ethic going away; but we still are a massively, creative society as a whole that has alot of people willing to risk relative comfort and security to delve into entrepreneurial endeavors that most peoples of other countries would not consider. Although most of these endeavors fail, it is the fact that so many try and a few succeed, that makes us great, because look just how many ideas of ours become products and services endeared by the world. And it's still happening today!

You're right. The entrepreneurial spirit and creativity is a unique American "personality trait", which seemingly can't be duplicated anywhere else on the planet.

I attend a lot of Startup-centric Meetups in the greater Silicon Valley area. Several Venture Capitalists say that the startup culture in Silicon Valley is like no other place on earth, despite foreign gov'ts trying to jumpstart the same.

In Germany, if your startup fails, you're essentially blackballed. A German national subsequently confirmed that.

Whereas, in Silicon Valley, after you fail, we say, "So, what are you gonna do next?"

One VC said as soon as a foreign startup begins to get traction they move to Silicon Valley. Living is quite expensive here, so the trend is that the startup management team will move here, while the engineering team stays in their home country.

Aside from high tech, I heard immigrants are attracted to the USA, because starting a business is easy compared to their home country.

I feel the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity is part of the American personality DNA leftover from the pioneering days.

Can you name one other country that can nurture the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk?

[Draigflag]

I would say the UK has done well over the years with inventions and ingenuity, especially for such a small nation. Here are a few considered the best by some.


Reflecting telescope: Isaac Newton, 1668

Seed drill: Jethro Tull, 1701

Marine chronometer: John Harrison, 1761

Spinning frame: Richard Arkwright, 1768

Toothbrush: William Addis, c. 1770

Soda water: Joseph Priestley, 1772

Hydraulic press: Joseph Bramah, 1795

Steam engine: Richard Trevithick, 1801

Glider: George Cayley, 1804

Tension-spoked wheel: George Cayley, 1808

Tin can: Peter Durand, 1810

Modern fire extinguisher: George William Manby, 1818

Electric motor: Michael Faraday, 1821

Waterproof material: Charles Macintosh, 1823

Cement: Joseph Aspdin, 1824

Passenger railway: George Stephenson, 1825

Lawnmower: Edwin Beard Budding, 1827

Photography: William Henry Fox Talbot, 1835

Electric telegraph: Charles Wheatstone & William Cooke, 1837

Chocolate bar: JS Fry & Sons, 1847

Hypodermic syringe: Alexander Wood, 1853

Synthetic dye: William Perkin, 1856

Bessemer process: Henry Bessemer, 1856

Linoleum: Frederick Walton, 1860

Sewage system: Joseph Bazalgette, 1865

Modern Torpedo: Robert Whitehead, 1866

Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell, 1876

Light Bulb: Joseph Swan, 1880

Steam turbine: Charles Parsons, 1884

Safety bicycle: John Kemp Stanley, 1885

Pneumatic tyre: John Boyd Dunlop, 1887

Thermos flask: Sir James Dewar, 1892

Electric vacuum cleaner: Hubert Cecil Booth, 1901

Disc Brakes: Frederick William Lanchester, 1902

Stainless Steel: Harry Brearley, 1913

Military tank: Ernest Swinton, 1914

Television: John Logie Baird, 1925

Catseye: Percy Shaw, 1933

Jet Engine: Frank Whittle, 1937

Electronic programmable computer: Tommy Flowers, 1943

Hovercraft: Christopher Cockerell, 1953

Automatic kettle: Peter Hobbs, 1955

Float Glass: Alastair Pilkington, 1959

Hip Replacement: John Charnley, 1962

Carbon fibre: Royal Aircraft Establishment engineers, 1963

Collapsible baby buggy: Owen Maclaren, 1965

ATM: John Shepherd-Barron, 1967

World Wide Web: Tim Berners-Lee, 1989

Wind-up radio: Trevor Baylis, 1991

Steri-spray: Ian Helmore, c. 2008

[R.I.D.E.]

Lets see, any country out there want to be where the USA was post WW2. Go in debt 60k per citizen (YOU REALLY WANT TO COME HERE LOL!), be the global cop for countries who didn't want to spend money on defense, at cost per citizen of say 30 of that 60k.
Not so sure that deal sounds that good to me today, one of the reasons there is a discussion of moving elsewhere on this forum.
It's tempting to think about moving to a tropical paradise, only problem is there aren't any. Did the Florida Keys for a while, two years and I missed my seasons and bugs going away.
It's 1939, the USA military forces are barely adequate for defense. Now imagine the US never had to participate in WW2, because Europe had learned the lesson of WW1.
Where would we be today.

Thought WATT invented the steam engine, but liquid Mercury is a messy thing.

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by LDB

America will cease being a superpower when the left imports enough outsiders to dilute our national identity while simultaneously indoctrinating youth to the left in our now failed education system. It is likely too late and unstoppable. As many predicted we will be destroyed from within by the liberal left.

The left?
Who is employing those immigrants; legal and otherwise?

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

I would say the UK has done well over the years with inventions and ingenuity, especially for such a small nation. Here are a few considered the best by some.


Reflecting telescope: Isaac Newton, 1668

Seed drill: Jethro Tull, 1701

Marine chronometer: John Harrison, 1761

Spinning frame: Richard Arkwright, 1768

Toothbrush: William Addis, c. 1770

Soda water: Joseph Priestley, 1772

Hydraulic press: Joseph Bramah, 1795

Steam engine: Richard Trevithick, 1801

Glider: George Cayley, 1804

Tension-spoked wheel: George Cayley, 1808

Tin can: Peter Durand, 1810

Modern fire extinguisher: George William Manby, 1818

Electric motor: Michael Faraday, 1821

Waterproof material: Charles Macintosh, 1823

Cement: Joseph Aspdin, 1824

Passenger railway: George Stephenson, 1825

Lawnmower: Edwin Beard Budding, 1827

Photography: William Henry Fox Talbot, 1835

Electric telegraph: Charles Wheatstone & William Cooke, 1837

Chocolate bar: JS Fry & Sons, 1847

Hypodermic syringe: Alexander Wood, 1853

Synthetic dye: William Perkin, 1856

Bessemer process: Henry Bessemer, 1856

Linoleum: Frederick Walton, 1860

Sewage system: Joseph Bazalgette, 1865

Modern Torpedo: Robert Whitehead, 1866

Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell, 1876

Light Bulb: Joseph Swan, 1880

Steam turbine: Charles Parsons, 1884

Safety bicycle: John Kemp Stanley, 1885

Pneumatic tyre: John Boyd Dunlop, 1887

Thermos flask: Sir James Dewar, 1892

Electric vacuum cleaner: Hubert Cecil Booth, 1901

Disc Brakes: Frederick William Lanchester, 1902

Stainless Steel: Harry Brearley, 1913

Military tank: Ernest Swinton, 1914

Television: John Logie Baird, 1925

Catseye: Percy Shaw, 1933

Jet Engine: Frank Whittle, 1937

Electronic programmable computer: Tommy Flowers, 1943

Hovercraft: Christopher Cockerell, 1953

Automatic kettle: Peter Hobbs, 1955

Float Glass: Alastair Pilkington, 1959

Hip Replacement: John Charnley, 1962

Carbon fibre: Royal Aircraft Establishment engineers, 1963

Collapsible baby buggy: Owen Maclaren, 1965

ATM: John Shepherd-Barron, 1967

World Wide Web: Tim Berners-Lee, 1989

Wind-up radio: Trevor Baylis, 1991

Steri-spray: Ian Helmore, c. 2008

MOST DEFINETELY, Paul!!! Interestingly, in the US, we credit Philo T. Farnsworth with the invention of TV. But, for all the productivity that TV entertainment has swallowed, you guys can HAVE the credit.

Actually, one historian reported the Middle Eastern civilizations were prolific inventors until the Mohammid-ism religion swept the region.

[trollbait]

And other historians say they continued to be with the change in religion. It likely provided a uniting force for all the different tribes.

Then again, much of what the West credits to the Middle East, like the number system, might have come from India.