Bigs
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Posts: 236
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Post by Bigs on May 27, 2008 13:59:53 GMT -5
I am beginning to wonder, is this the beginning of America's downfall as the world's last superpower? With China finally joining the rest of the world with its mostly untapped potential, and the decline of the American dollar along with the neverending war, I am left wondering is this the beginning of the fall of "America the Great"?
I have my own ideas, and I'll chime in later...
Discuss.....
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Post by No Screen Name on May 27, 2008 14:03:52 GMT -5
I've been wondering the same thing.
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Post by Cambist on May 27, 2008 14:04:05 GMT -5
If America was smart, they'd put a lot of that power and resources into Africa and Latin America. Chine and Saudi Arabia are DUMPING money into Africa. We will be last to the table.
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Post by Vudu_Prince on May 27, 2008 15:00:19 GMT -5
America will always be a super power not because of Military might (outside of the Navy America's military falls way behind and many categories) but because of Consumers. America has the best consumers. The dumb american public
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Post by Search1906 on May 27, 2008 15:05:05 GMT -5
We missed the boat on Africa to a degree. Mainly by not investing in the East African Oil pipelines like China did. We used human rights issues as a reason not to. What idiots!!!!
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Post by Cambist on May 27, 2008 15:12:21 GMT -5
Funny how we use human rights issues to not go into places AND to invade others. We have folks right here in the US claiming that we should boycott the Olympics because it's in China.
I don't see those same people boycotting Wal-Mart when they need toilet paper to wipe their asses.
We are a schizo nation indeed.
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Bigs
OOA pledge
Posts: 236
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Post by Bigs on May 27, 2008 15:17:22 GMT -5
America will always be a super power not because of Military might (outside of the Navy America's military falls way behind and many categories) but because of Consumers. America has the best consumers. The dumb american public Thats exactly why a severly declining dollar ALONG with the emerging market of China could be the downfall. It may take more than that but a severe recession along with a WWIII type deal with the middle east (Iran/Iraq) and you could have the fall of the American empire as the world's superpower...... which leads to my next question.... |
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 27, 2008 15:39:59 GMT -5
America will always be a super power not because of Military might (outside of the Navy America's military falls way behind and many categories) but because of Consumers. America has the best consumers. The dumb american public
If all it took was consuming to be powerful, blacks in America would be the most powerful racial group. |
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Post by ReignMan19 on May 27, 2008 15:58:59 GMT -5
got a point Lady
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Post by Vudu_Prince on May 27, 2008 19:25:45 GMT -5
America will always be a super power not because of Military might (outside of the Navy America's military falls way behind and many categories) but because of Consumers. America has the best consumers. The dumb American public
If all it took was consuming to be powerful, blacks in America would be the most powerful racial group.Countries who have American Embargo's may think otherwise. Countries who depend on the American Consumer to purchase there goods may think otherwise when America says something like" Hey if you buy or sell to Cuba then you cant do business with our consumers." America wields its power with the mindset and consuming capacity of her population. Products mean nothing if nobody is buying it. <<I'd rather control the demand rather than the supply any day. It is the over consuming culture of Americans that make China great who up until Pres Clinton sold goods in this country sparsely. |
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 28, 2008 7:58:34 GMT -5
VP, I sse your point, but I disagree.
We Americans are known for conspicious consumption, but we were also known for producing. The ecenomic boom after WWI was spurred by consuming and producing. Look at the tech boom of the 90s and early 2000s. We were buying and selling technologies.
A strong consumer economy is great, but what happens when we can no longer afford to import everything we need? Why be at the mercy of other countries who decide they can inflate prices at their leisure because of increased demand? Look at China's and India's expanding economies. THEY are helping to strain the oil supply, which is causeing the price increases.
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Post by Cambist on May 28, 2008 8:06:26 GMT -5
What keeps us as the only superpower is that we are run by white folks and we still have a MASSIVE nuclear arsenal. Period.
All the economics are good. Yes VP, we are a huge consumer and therefore control demand but China will soon end that. Even if 1% of China's poor make a come up to the upper middle class or upper class of Chinas economic structure, that represents somee 10million people. We are scheduled to be GREATLY surpassed as the worlds leading consumer.
And Lady, we would never win the manufacturing game even if we were still playing it. LOL!
America needs to focus on making itself as self sufficient as possible. Focus on energy efficiency and fossil fuel alternatives. The UAE is spending billions on alternative energy sources. We are not spending any sig. amount.
We, as Americans, fell it's our God given right to consume! And we also feel that it's someone elses job to figure out how we can continue to consume regardless of how irresponsible it may be.
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Bigs
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Posts: 236
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Post by Bigs on May 28, 2008 8:17:16 GMT -5
Thats why I said, it seems we are in the perfect storm for a downfall. Politically the country has never been more divided, along with the struggling economy and severly declining dollar, and add in a massive war against the middle east after the never ending war in Iraq, and this country could be in a world of hurt. I don't forsee a Great depression type era, but I do see the end of America being the World's only Superpower.....
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Post by Vudu_Prince on May 28, 2008 11:08:46 GMT -5
What keeps us as the only superpower is that we are run by white folks and we still have a MASSIVE nuclear arsenal. Period.All the economics are good. Yes VP, we are a huge consumer and therefore control demand but China will soon end that. Even if 1% of China's poor make a come up to the upper middle class or upper class of Chinas economic structure, that represents somee 10million people. We are scheduled to be GREATLY surpassed as the worlds leading consumer. And Lady, we would never win the manufacturing game even if we were still playing it. LOL! America needs to focus on making itself as self sufficient as possible. Focus on energy efficiency and fossil fuel alternatives. The UAE is spending billions on alternative energy sources. We are not spending any sig. amount. We, as Americans, fell it's our God given right to consume! And we also feel that it's someone elses job to figure out how we can continue to consume regardless of how irresponsible it may be. I totally disagree with that assessment. On the military front the only thing that keeps America apart from the others is the Navy. America has the best Navy in the world. Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare are pretty much even across the board between Russia, China, and America. Hell even South Africa has Red Mercury bombs. Russia weaponized Smallpox in 2001 or 2002 with a strain so virulent their seems to be no cure. They also have claimed to weaponize the flu of 1912. America's request for samples of the weaponized pathogens were denied. This is why President Bush stated that a Chinese Naval buildup is a threat to American security. Present estimates state that by 2020 China will have the strongest Navy in the world. Thats 12 years folks. China presently pays billions to Japan and American Merchant Seamen to ship their goods around the world. They have stated this as the reason to beef up its Navy as to use its own ships and also have the muscle to protect them as Pirates still do exist. What protects America is the people. If America is destroyed and products aren't consumed then those producers will have stockpiles of stuff and nobody to buy it. Massive lay offs will happen. Country will be destabilized and then the region will be destabilized. A strong China is best for everyone because if they were not selling goods then who is to say China wouldn't use there resources to survive some other type of way. I think if the China Embargo wasn't lifted they would've invaded Taiwan a long time ago which would have turned into WW 3..... In all the American People need to wake up and realize how much power we have. We could bring the world down to its knee's. It is the over-consuming culture of America that lines the coffers of these countries from the Oil Fields of Venzuela, Angola, and Nigeria (where most of the Oil comes from in thsi country) to the Warehouses in China and lest not forget the Poppy Fields of Afghanistan (75% of Herion that comes to this country comes from Afghan Poppy). American People have power and don't eve realize it. |
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 28, 2008 11:23:57 GMT -5
What keeps us as the only superpower is that we are run by white folks and we still have a MASSIVE nuclear arsenal. Period.All the economics are good. Yes VP, we are a huge consumer and therefore control demand but China will soon end that. Even if 1% of China's poor make a come up to the upper middle class or upper class of Chinas economic structure, that represents somee 10million people. We are scheduled to be GREATLY surpassed as the worlds leading consumer. And Lady, we would never win the manufacturing game even if we were still playing it. LOL! America needs to focus on making itself as self sufficient as possible. Focus on energy efficiency and fossil fuel alternatives. The UAE is spending billions on alternative energy sources. We are not spending any sig. amount. We, as Americans, fell it's our God given right to consume! And we also feel that it's someone elses job to figure out how we can continue to consume regardless of how irresponsible it may be. I totally disagree with that assessment. On the military front the only thing that keeps America apart from the others is the Navy. America has the best Navy in the world. Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare are pretty much even across the board between Russia, China, and America. Hell even South Africa has Red Mercury bombs. Russia weaponized Smallpox in 2001 or 2002 with a strain so virulent their seems to be no cure. They also have claimed to weaponize the flu of 1912. America's request for samples of the weaponized pathogens were denied. This is why President Bush stated that a Chinese Naval buildup is a threat to American security. Present estimates state that by 2020 China will have the strongest Navy in the world. Thats 12 years folks. China presently pays billions to Japan and American Merchant Seamen to ship their goods around the world. They have stated this as the reason to beef up its Navy as to use its own ships and also have the muscle to protect them as Pirates still do exist. What protects America is the people. If America is destroyed and products aren't consumed then those producers will have stockpiles of stuff and nobody to buy it. Massive lay offs will happen. Country will be destabilized and then the region will be destabilized. A strong China is best for everyone because if they were not selling goods then who is to say China wouldn't use there resources to survive some other type of way. I think if the China Embargo wasn't lifted they would've invaded Taiwan a long time ago which would have turned into WW 3..... In all the American People need to wake up and realize how much power we have. We could bring the world down to its knee's. It is the over-consuming culture of America that lines the coffers of these countries from the Oil Fields of Venzuela, Angola, and Nigeria (where most of the Oil comes from in thsi country) to the Warehouses in China and lest not forget the Poppy Fields of Afghanistan (75% of Herion that comes to this country comes from Afghan Poppy). American People have power and don't eve realize it.  |
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Post by Cambist on May 29, 2008 7:32:18 GMT -5
I will defer to you on the military details, VP.
We have an addiction. The problem, VP is that we don't CONTROL the consumption...it controls us. That limits our ability to leverage that consumption and demand. Of course, we can make demands and limit or cut off the imports from non-compliant nations but it wouldn't last.
Our consumption is an addiction. We believe it's a God given right to consume.
Kinda like a group of crackheads saying that they are going to leverage their control of the demand side of the equation. Problem is, there is limited CONTROL. They might cut consumption for a short time but in the end, they HAVE to suck on that glass Dick and they are really indifferent as to who's supplying.
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