What will happen to the USA when our country is no longer the most powerful?

Question

The USA will not always be the most powerful nation on earth. We can't pretend that our country will always be the most powerful, so what happens when we aren't? What will happen to the USA? What will our role in the world be? How will things change here in America?

Oh, and yes ... I know that China and India are becoming more powerful and that the US may no longer be the only super power, but I mean when we're no longer a super power at all, sort of like how England is today, compared to when they were the most powerful.

Answer 1

it's not going to happen in your lifetime, so don't worry.

Answer 2

We will lose our super power card

Answer 3

Well, the economy in ALL countries is falling due to a small percentage clinging to most of the wealth.  I think the CEO's in the US could use being taken down a peg or two.  I think here in the US things would improve after a few years of corporate still fighting to save their trust funds and yachts.

If everyone who makes more than 200 g's a year would donate the rest to the national debt we'd be in the clear in no time.  Why anyone needs that much money or refuses to contribute to the forces that gave it to them is beyond me. Same as why anyone would get a credit card and buy plasma TVs when they cant afford food.

Answer 4

The world will suffer. While it's irrefutable America has some issues, this nation is a safeguard against the parade of pestilence and incivility.

Do you think the CPC will take up the reigns of universal charity should America falter?  I don't.

Answer 5

We will just be like other countries....thats all.

Answer 6

Interesting question.  It's next to impossible to predict the future, but we can look at what has happened in the past to superpowers whose stars faded.

China was once the leading superpower in the world.  The Roman Empire was once No. One.  As you pointed out, at one time the sun did not set on the British Empire.  And on and on.  Were there common problems that led to the decline and fall?  Were they defeated by invading armies, or did they decay from the inside?  

Since you did ask me what I think, I believe that the history we learned in school may have been one of those "the winners write the history books" scenarios.  North America wasn't an empty space just waiting for civilization to arrive when the Europeans who "found" the place moved in.  They were required to remove the folks who were occupying the place at that time in order to achieve occupation.  That mission accomplished, many set about building fortunes for themselves which incidentally created an infrastructure (railroads, textile industry, meat packing, leather goods industry, and so on and so on and so on) that permitted prosperity for a rising middle class.  And that middle class turned out to be one of the most generous, optimistic, forward-thinking groups of people on earth.  The "greatness" that the U.S. achieved in the 19th and 20th centuries wasn't the kind of power that empires wielded, it was more the power of doing the right thing because it's right, once we figured out what the right thing is.  Personally, I'm concerned that it's THAT attitude that has gone down the tubes in the 21st century, leaving the avaricious and the gluttonous to wield a different kind of power.  And we seem to have a talent for electing officials who are stone blind when it comes to seeing the reality around them.

So yeah, I think that self-absorption, corruption, arrogance, and using power for the sake of personal gain is going to lead to the U.S. taking a completely different approach and a different role in the world in the future.  One bit of evidence from my personal life is that when I try to explain to my fellow Americans the way "our" attitude is perceived in other countries, or at least in the countries I've visited and where I've felt the disdain or outright distrust that has developed in the past few years, often the reply is, "If that's so, then why do they all want to come here?" or "Who cares?  We can nuke 'em back to the stone age."  Well, folks, that's not the optimistic, can-do, give-us-your-tired-your-poor attitude I grew up with back in the middle of the 20th century.  That's some new arrogance and pride that may be a harbinger of the coming fall.

P.S. They don't all want to come here.  The quality of life is much better in several other countries of the world.  The European Union would not permit much of what is sold for "food" in American supermarkets to go on the market there.  

Answer 7

There WILL either be a new "cold war" or the super powers will come to blows.

THE GOOD NEWS is that the US Nuclear Submarine fleet ALONE could atomize ALL of our enemies in 1 day... if we ever did engage in nuclear war.

We have LOTS of military strength that we haven't even discussed yet....

Answer 8

Well hopefully it will be a peaceful transition, not like Rome getting plundered.  I think since we have nukes it will be.  Personally I think we are a bunch of softies and we elect representatives like Nancy Pelosi and that's part of our problem.  We also need to be hard core about our energy needs.  If this dependence on foreign oil is making wealth flow out of our country I say we start burning coal, dirty as it is.  Also, unfortunately, the cleaner a country is, the less bargaining power we have with the rest of the world like China to make them go clean.  If we dirty it up it will be like ok you want to play dirty so will we!  Then the crisis looms near and we all sit down and get things fixed.  Over here we're all driving hybrids and c**p whilst China pollutes almost as much as we do and their economy is only about the same size as that of Illinois and Wisconsin's.  We are limiting ourselves out of superpowerness.

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Answer 9

How will that change life for you?  Did somehow being in the most powerful country in the world help you get a job or buy a home.  Having the status we do doesn't change our own lives here at home at all other than our own pride and ego.

Answer 10

That is a great question for Barack Obama to answer. If he and the Democrats have their way, it will happened sooner than later.

Answer 11

the younger generation need to take note....education is really important....the super powers will need brains and braun to stay ahead

Answer 12

I reject your assertion.I see no evidence to suggest that the US will lose it's status.

Answer 13

the u.s. would have to take a serious beating to get there.

Answer 14

Nothing will happen to it. You'll just be less important. It's not like your lives will change because you're second richest instead of first....(though it'd probably do a lot to get rid of the arrogance problem some americans have)

Answer 15

We will finally get a leader that will make us the world's only hyperpower again.