Has the US lost its edge permanently?

[CAM]

I say, "yes." The US is totally eclipsed as a power. It would be easy to say that China is running things, but I don't think they are. I think it is pure chaos these days. Pure chaos and a move towards Weberian sultanism.

[bluesummer]

Lost it's edge in terms of what? Not that I'm agreeing or disagreeing just yet, I need to understand the context first.

[lahnnabell]

I agree. Our "edge" at what exactly?

[the_robot]

You do know China owns 60% of the US right?

[Junket]

I hope so.

I'd like us to stop worrying about other countries so much.

[Gigabitch]

The world is a different place than it was when we really had an edge. We're not investing in ourselves, so other countries will eclipse us completely. We keep sending our raw materials and jobs overseas and our educational system is inadequate to keep up with our social problems.

[Gigabitch]

Nor should we be selling our own people short by allowing unregulated trade to suck the very life out of this country. ****ing greedy corporate Republicans.

[doppelgaenger]

This is why I decided to become a teacher... to make a difference.

[Junket]

This is why I decided to become a teacher... to make a difference.

No, f*cking, way.

Are you serious?

[doppelgaenger]

Yes ****ing way.

[Junket]

Yes ****ing way.

Oh.

God.

_______

[doppelgaenger]

That's right.

______

[dewilliams2]

I don't think any country is as powerful in terms of finances as they have been in the past...thats just the current economic climate.

But with that said these things happen. The economy will come back.

I would like to know what edge you mean?

I mean militarily we are spread sort of thin but I don't think anybody is stupid enough to attack us and not expect us to come at them ****in tooth and nail. Americans get kinda pissed when other Americans are attacked without cause...Pearl Harbor, 9/11...it only rallies us.

Economically it will take time these things don't fix themselves over night. It will take a little time. Reforms need to be made to insure that we don't find ourselves in this situation again. If we fall in a hole again it should be an all new one. We have to approach it though realizing that it is a world economy and that we need to have a product to sell. That means we need to bring back production to this country. I think an American corporation should be taxed heavily when they move an operation out of this country. Make them think about is it worth paying that high of a price for cheap wages.

In the mean time while the private sector isn't hiring the public needs to. Pay people to update Americas infrastructure from roads to power grids to telecommunications. When the economy comes back this country will have state of the art infrastructure.

The more people working means the more people spending. The way I see it there are almost 10% of the population collecting unemployment. Why instead of paying tax money in unemployment you don't give them a task. Your still using tax money to pay them but at least then you are getting something for it. When the economy is bad put people to work.

[Mish]

No country can stay a superpower forever. History is full of all sorts of superpowers rising and falling again. US became a superpower mainly because it was spared the devastation of WW2 that ravaged most other countries, but it was only a matter of time before other countries would rebuild, resurge and get back onto their feet.

[bluesummer]

Just when I was starting to capitalize on the US subprime fiasco, Europe and Asia had to go have their turn screwing with the world economy. My investment portfolio is wobbling all over the place like a drunk guy on stilts.

The US has certainly had one thing to its advantage historically, and that's when those two markets start to suck, everyone else starts investing in the greenback. Although, I would say THAT is where the US has lost its edge......in most recent times, it has been considered a source of stability when other markets flounder......a safe investment. While the tendency for most is still to go that direction, there has been a lot of loss of investor confidence in the US. It's going to take awhile to earn that back.