ok... how about this one...
the US enjoys superiority on the battlefield today due to one thing; our IT infrastructure. who to hit, where to hit them, when, with what from where, etc...
couple that with two items:
1. the majority of our tech was developed by baby boomer engineers and scientists, which are retiring over the next 5-10 years.
2. for the last 10 years, the technology sector has been offshored to third world countries. these Americans have been forced out and have left the industry.
basically, within 15 years we will have a massive short fall of defense industry experts to keep our military viable and able to compete on tomorrows battlefield.
meanwhile, china will have all the manufacturing and IT capability through years of ‘training’ in the US
I think out IT industry in general is extremely robust. Much of what has been off shored is being produced by American companies, so Americans are still (fundamentally) in charge.
Defense is another issue. Between 1988 and ~2003, the Defense industry took a hiring holiday, both in and out of the Government. I am not convinced we have the know how or manpower to keep our Defense infrastructure going as the Baby Boomers retire. Of course, some will not fully retire—especially if their retirement assets are depleted—but stay on as part time advisors (which may cushion the blow).
There are a whole host of things from aircraft to nuclear weapons that are waiting to bite us in the ass. When you don’t build these things on a regular basis, you’re industrial base won’t be there if (when) you need it.
also WWII was won not because we had superior technology but because we could out-manufacture the rest of the world. And where does that leave us today?