Should the US go out with a whimper, or a bang?

[Aphex_Twin]

What does "bang" mean?

 

[Smaasnekje]

I want to go out with a bang

 

[SoCalian]

Though if we fall as a nation, it would be from an invasion. In which case I would like us to go out with a bang. You know, something uber heroic, like the Men of Gondor at the Battle of the Pellenor Fields, or when they marched on Mordor. preferably the latter, it was more corageous.

 

[Dman4eva]

I think that if we go out, it'll be like rome - a little of both. We'll start to deteriorate, then a bang, then rapid deterioration. Like Rome was deteriorating, then Attila came(bang), then it rapidly deteriorated and collapsed. But maybe we'll be just like rome and have part of our nation survive for another century, that would be a most ineresting thing to ponder . . .

On the other hand, we could be like the English, but that would be vastly different as they just are no longer the superpower, but still exist. We could bleed ourselves on little wars, then a bigger war, then we still exist, but not as a superpower.

 

[amadeus]

How about neither?

 

[ClashofCivs]

Originally posted by puglover
The U.S. can still fall otherwise. Maybe it gets gradually weaker, and another nation gets stronger, until the big nation invades the puny United States and takes it over.

It may eventually become a possibility, however the invading nation would need some way to protect itself from the nuclear weapons that would inevitably be launched. Such an invasion would probably consist of a coalition of Asiatic hordes.

 

[CenturionV]

I really doubt the US will "go out" in the way you guys mean (I.E a military conquest by another nation) at all, atleast not unless the democrats get there way. I find it more likely that as it takes over nuclear defense/military operations more and more for the western world, other nations like canada or iraq will come to depend on it more and more, and once that happens these countries will probably integrate into the US maybe they'll change the name to united states of north america or something, anyhow due to huge military might and the constant drive to create a bigger, stronger and faster military, the US will stay on top for some time (probably 50-100 years minimum) it may NEVER actually be completely wiped out, just converted into a more general form.

 

[Mr. Cackle]

I think that if the Fourth World War (War on Terror) continue for too long (as in a century), then the nation will ultimately start to deteriorate and we will try to restore our power but it will be met by some huge world war in which the US will ultimately become a shell of its former self and some sort of nation conglomerate (because individual nations will fade away) will ultimately take the place of the US.

 

[Yago]

The spanish empire? No way. The Spanish Empire depended on the gold of the Americas, they didn't have a manufacturing base, and that's why they declined. The americans have the largest manufacturing base in the world, and their external dependency is relatively small.

I beg to differ in both points. The Spanish in the beginning were not dependent on Latin-American gold at all. This dependece followed later and was in itself a sign of the Spanish decline, actually increased through the huge gold-profits in the first half of the 16th century, as it lured the Spanish into wars and acquistions which showed to be very costly later, i.e. their mainland wasn't able to finance those wars anymore while the other possessions, old and new, in Italy, Austria and the low-lands did yield nearly no profit at all.

Then I don't agree with the opinion, that the Americans have a only a small outside dependence. For a normal country, no huge problem. For a country projecting miliatry around the world, huge problem. There were many discussion about budget-deficits on this board, where mostly a graphic was shown. The linked side stated that the outside-debt is 40 %. More intersting, the huge part of the remaining debt is owed to trust-funds, as social security. This means there will be an intersting roll-over effect in some years. That is, not interesting at all. I hope that other nations in the far east will have then enough economical power to balance that out.

 

[sysyphus]

America "going out" does not have to mean complete destruction of the society as in Rome, but could just as easily mean taking a smaller place on the world stage like Britain.

The British Empire became the British Commonwealth which became simply The Commonwealth. Britain, arguably at one time the world's greatest superpower has lost that status but still stands as a prosperous and influential nation.

Now of course, America doesn't have an "empire" but the so-called "fall" of America will probably be just as undramatic as that of the UK.

 

[Hitro]

It would already have happened like in Rome but unfortunately my Germanic barbarian hordes drowned somewhere west of Ireland.

I say go out with a banging!

 

[MBarry01]

it's probably better off for everyone involved if the US goes out with a wimper. that being said, I don't think it well be happening within 50 years. The world well probably shift to a multi-polar world before the US declines below superpower status.

 

[Mr. Cackle]

On another note, this whole topic would make a rather good Civ scenario, wouldn't it?

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

The same way as England - relatively peacefully.

 

[EdwardTking]

The Soviets stopped believing in communism and fell.

The USA will collapse when they stop believing in money.

In the old days, money was gold; a person could pick it up and bite it. Then it became paper convertible to gold. Then it became a ledger in a bank clerk's book, no longer convertible to gold.
Now it is a bit setting somewhere so small you can not see it,
which is understood to mean something. With the .com boom and bust and Enron, money became a fictitious bit setting.

Sooner or later money will become incredible and then it will be discreditted, just like the emperor's new clothes. People will stop believing in it, and then money won't exist and the US empire will fall. The US states will survive alright, but there'l be no empire.

When will this occur?

Probably when the US bankrupts itself trying to make its millionaires and billionaires richer, and control the world.

I'd guess in 20 to 30 years.

Could be sooner, could be later. Nobody can say for sure.

 

[Sarevok]

this is a thread made by those who are jealous of the US' power The US dosent "rule the world" nor has a wish to do so. I prefer the term important arbiter. The US is here to make sure the wolrd dosent go off and nuke eachother. Ever since the US has started "ruling thw world" there has not been another catastrophic war like the ones of thex 1st half of the 20th century. Maintaining the peace is america's goal, not ruling the world.

 

[Archbob]

For every living thing's sake, whimper.

 

[Sarevok]

Originally posted by Fallen Angel Lord
For every living thing's sake, whimper.

this is what i was saying. dont hate people because they maintain the peace. Rather enjoy that you dont have to deal with a bloodbath.

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by rmsharpe
How about neither?

Isn't it a little naive to beleive that a nation can keep the status of the only superpower forever?

 

[Archbob]

One day, I will unite all people under the banner of "The Citizens of Earth".