Poll: When Will America Collapse?

[Knight-Dragon]

America will only collapse when the people calling themselves Americans will allow it to. Which is probably never.

Unless there's an overall collapse of human civilisation due to a virulent disease breakout, alien invasion, global drastic climatic change or such.

 

[Switch625]

There are several potential rivals for the US position at the top of the heap, but all of them need time to get their ducks in a row. China, the EU, and Russia (it will rise again, in time). India is also a remote possibility. But even after that happens, the US will still be a heavyweight. Right now, we are spending only 4% of our GNP on our military, and it's the most powerful in the world by any definition. Imagine what could happen if we actually got serious about military spending! Maintaining our military as it is is no problem for our economy.

No, the US is around for the long haul. We may not be a "hyper-power" forever, but I think you can count on us staying in the super-power club for the forseeable future.

 

[Jandor]

Haha The United States of America in cold war with the Federation of Asteroid Nations each recieving arms of the Martian Council on a recently liberated mars

To be honest i dont know who might oppose the US anytime soon, maybe the Eu if it became a political union. Or China if it became more communist

 

[allan2]

Originally posted by bobgote
I hope y'all (heehee) don't mind me saying this, but I'm being totally serious.

It's just a feeling I have, a gut feeling, that America is going to go down big time. It's not something I want, but it just ... i dunno, can't explain it. It will not exist in it's current form in 100 years is what I said. The manner of it's demise will be...unpleasant, it will not be destroyed, it will live on, but not as a superpower.

Please note, i'm not being anti-us and I'm not trying to be stupid or nasty.

Actually the only way I envision the US "going down" is if it ends up largely or completely abandoning the principles it was founded under. This is slowly happening as we speak (from both the right and the left in our political spectrum, and from a populace grown apathetic and complacent), and there are a few (like me) who are alarmed by it and wish to turn the tide--hopefully that number will grow.

But yes, in my gut I sometimes have this feeling that things could get a lot worse before they get better, or that we could even go over the edge and become totalitarian, frightened, miserable, and lose our economic edge, not to mention the "edge" a nation has when it allows the best from around the world to come and test their talents of innovation most freely and ambitiously. All at a time when much of the rest of the world is discovering or increasing liberty. If we DO allow ourselves to go down that road, it will be our downfall as a superpower. Or if it still is a superpower, it won't be one worth living in, which is all that would matter to me....

 

[basta72]

I belive that the US will have lost much (most?) of their influence within 50 years. Don´t know about collapse though.

 

[Hamlet]

Originally posted by Switch625
There are several potential rivals for the US position at the top of the heap, but all of them need time to get their ducks in a row. China, the EU, and Russia (it will rise again, in time). India is also a remote possibility. But even after that happens, the US will still be a heavyweight. Right now, we are spending only 4% of our GNP on our military, and it's the most powerful in the world by any definition. Imagine what could happen if we actually got serious about military spending! Maintaining our military as it is is no problem for our economy.

No, the US is around for the long haul. We may not be a "hyper-power" forever, but I think you can count on us staying in the super-power club for the forseeable future.

I agree with that. There will eventually be a range of superpowers that emerge in time, and they'll probably be able to challenge The US' position to some extent. But it won't collapse.

 

[vonork]

I believe the larges threat to US is as allan2 stated, if it get to far away from the founders principles... and well I believe it will, like all major powers, they get corrupted in the top. Then it's only a matter of time before it gets out of hand and it crumbles or explodes.

However, US will still for a long time be the number one superpower - prob for at least 10-20 years before we will be able to se what can rise to compete, perhaps EU+russia at economic/military or china(but only if it becomes more democratic and friendly other vice I don't think US will let them)

The first test I think will come between 2010-2020 when the supply of oil will be lower then the demand.

 

[G-Man]

I can't really someone who can cause the US to fall. And even if it will fall, it will probably be like european empires in which the empire fell but the country remained. However, America's case is different from all previous empires as it's power isn't based on conquering land and enslaving it's people but on a strog economy. Also, another important factor to consider is the population. The US's population is growing very quickly compared with other western countries. As a thread not long ago said, within 50 years the US will have more citizens than the entire EU. This will give the US a great advantage. An American citizen's work is today more valuable than most other citizens. A chineese farmer can work an entire year for 1$ a day and get the same amount of money an American can make in an hour. This gives the US it's advantage over China. While china has more poeple, as far as the country is concerned what's important is what they make, and if as in my example china needs 800 citizens for each American citizens, it still keeps the US much ahead of them. I don't see China being able to compete with the US anytime soon. They have to many gaps to close. Despite the fact China seems to be modernizing, the vast majoirty of people there aren't affected by it.

 

[bobgote]

Originally posted by allan2
Actually the only way I envision the US "going down" is if it ends up largely or completely abandoning the principles it was founded under. This is slowly happening as we speak

This is why I'm concerned.

 

[IceBlaZe]

I think it would be for the best if Canada and the US would unite.
When time comes, of course.

If Europe can unite, why not North America?

 

[Steve Winer]

Originally posted by cgannon64
You know it will, like every strong nation before it. When, do you think, will be our collapse? Now, collapse could mean many things---another nation eclisping the US in power, the US becoming highly corrupt, and other things.

When?

Tomorrow morning I believe the United States will collapse.

Moderator Action: First warning for spamming, shoot another stupid one line post, and your restricted.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Ren]

Originally posted by IceBlaZe
I think it would be for the best if Canada and the US would unite.
When time comes, of course.

If Europe can unite, why not North America?

Don't you watch South Park?

Seriously, I don't believe the US will ever 'collapse', it's power could and most probably will be surpassed eventually, but it will not cease to exist, until the Sun stops burning anyways

Edit 1: Fixed a typo.

 

[Ozz]

Originally posted by IceBlaZe
I think it would be for the best if Canada and the US would unite.

We don't want to be part of israel.

 

[Ozz]

Originally posted by G-Man
However, America's case is different from all previous empires as it's power isn't based on conquering land and enslaving it's people but on a strog economy.

Plenty of examples of "commerical" empires/states in
history. Ancient Athens is almost an exact fit.

When America collapses it will be due to internal rot
not a foreign contender. And it will be 50 years after
the fact when some historian picks a date sayin' this
marks the fall of the american empire.

Still waiting for some wit to pick a date for the
British Empire.

 

[MrPresident]

When will America collapse? Tuesday. Not this Tuesday but on a Tuesday in the future. Or possibly a Wednesday.

 

[Suppersalmon]

they will proberbly go a bit downwards from when oil runs out when ever that is

 

[gerryandersson]

Unless the US is carful it will colaps soon.
Without international suport the US is nothing.

 

[Panda]

I have no idea when the US of A will collapse, but one thing is certain:

The Coca Cola company will outlast the USA by at least a century.

If, in the future, alien archeologists ever arrive to dig the barren face of planet Earth, they'll be puzzled by the amount of fossiled Coca Cola cans & bottles.

The logical conclusion - those fragile bottles and round cans were the most intelligent life ever on this planet

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Ozz


Plenty of examples of "commerical" empires/states in
history. Ancient Athens is almost an exact fit.

When America collapses it will be due to internal rot
not a foreign contender. And it will be 50 years after
the fact when some historian picks a date sayin' this
marks the fall of the american empire.

Still waiting for some wit to pick a date for the
British Empire.

1. Ancinet Athens was by far inferior to the US. Although the US bases it's power on economy, unlike Athens this strong economy allows the US to have a strong military power. The US and the USSR fought on global scale, and the winner became the strongest in the world. Athens beated other polices, but was crushed by an outside force (Macedonia). The US isn't threatened by any such force, not untill aliens arrive.

2. I picked a date for the British empire already. 1889.

 

[amadeus]

It's almost as if people want the U.S. to collapse.

I've got bad news for you anti-U.S. whiners, it won't. Not in our lifetime, not in our grandchildren's lifetime.