Posted on 01/28/2013 8:07:28 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The American Century is dead. Long live the next American Century.
The subtext of political debate these days is that the United States is in decline - a proposition often portrayed as self-evident. The economy lacks dynamism; unemployment near 8 percent remains at recession levels. The president and his Republican critics barely talk to each other; stalemate seems unending. But what if America isn't in decline? A powerful rebuttal comes from an unlikely place: Wall Street.
In a report to clients, analysts at Goldman Sachs argue that the United States still has the world's strongest economy - and will have for years. There is a growing "awareness of the key economic, institutional, human capital and geopolitical advantages the U.S. enjoys over other economies," contend Goldman's analysts.
As proof, they deploy voluminous facts. For starters, the U.S. economy is still the world's largest by a long shot. Gross domestic product (GDP) is almost $16 trillion, "nearly double the second largest (China), 2.5 times the third largest (Japan)." Per capita GDP is about $50,000; although 10 other countries have higher figures, most of the countries are small - say, Luxembourg. The size of the U.S. market makes it an attractive investment location.
Next, natural resources. In a world ravenous for food and energy, the United States has plenty of both. Its arable land is five times China's and nearly twice Brazil's. The advances in "fracking" and horizontal drilling have opened vast natural gas and oil reserves that, until recently, seemed too expensive to develop. The International Energy Agency predicts that the United States will become the world's largest oil producer - albeit temporarily - by 2020.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearmarkets.com ...
Subtract 50 points from any calculation, as we are infested by leftists now.
Being preeminent does not preclude decline.
When half of the Roman Empire fell, the remaining, tottering half was still the greatest power in the region.
“In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.”
Energy job growth keeping Houston economy healthy
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/01/28/energy-job-growth-keeping-houston-economy-healthy/
RE: “In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.”
The only thing I find questionable in the above quote as it applies today is this — it assumes that the rest of the world is blind ( as in economically and culturally handicapped ).
Cornwall invaded Francia and took over ~ having missed the brunt of the weather problem ~ and eventually, in the deceptive guise of Castile and Leon (Castle and Lion) pushed the Moors back to North Africa about 700 years later.
Actually that just underscores how bad it became ~ when Cornwall is whipping your tail that means you are dead!
The real issue is the extent to which mechanization, automation, computerization, robotics and improved work methods are replacing HUMAN BEINGS with MACHINES, and it's actually pretty fast.
Before this is over the USA will be the world's lowest cost producer of everything but potato chips. I do believe the foreigners are catching up with us there.
I think that we are seeing a combination of factors. One is that US companies are automating their production to become more efficient removing the requirement for hand labor.
The second factor is that both our colleges and public schools are not turning out graduates that companies can directly utilize.
However, we need to get a manufacturing base back in this country. We are also being strangled by taxes both local, state, and Federal.
The real issue is the extent to which mechanization, automation, computerization, robotics and improved work methods are replacing HUMAN BEINGS with MACHINES, and it's actually pretty fast.
Before this is over the USA will be the world's lowest cost producer of everything but potato chips. I do believe the foreigners are catching up with us there.
” Stalemate” until mid-terms in 2014 where the RINO/GOP lose the House.
It is the right question. It is in decline compared to what it used to be because of worsening demographics, libtardism, and worsening education. It is decaying because of its assault on capital accumulation by confiscatory taxes, inflation, high government spending with its huge budget deficits, regulations, and pro-union legislation. For examples, look at the decaying rust belt and the decaying infrastructure.
Of course the US in decline. Going the way ancient Rome and the formerly great powers of Europe. All the signs are there: Ageing population, declining birthrates, restless and growing minority populations, a decaying military establishment, rising secularism, declining church attendance, abortion on demand, redefinition of marriage and family, a thoroughly disgusting popular culture (Hollyweird), a slavishly partisan news media, excessively powerful public service unions, an intensely partisan news media, deteriorating education standards and achievements, a nihilist population which mutilates itself with ghastly tattoos and piercings, REAL unemployment closer to 16%, vast numbers of people dependent on unemployment insurance, Food Stamps, and Disability as well as other entitlements, radical environmentalists shutting down domestic energy production, millions of babies born out of wedlock, decline of traditional marriage and family structures, spending completely and totally out of control, $16 trillion in national debt——a figure sooooooooooooooo horrendous most people (including me) cannot even truly fathom the significance of such a totally insane and unsustainable number. We are going to hell. I hope Jesus comes soon. In the name of God amen.
LOL!!! It's a "Rahm Emanuel" crisis! We need a $500,000,000,000,000 government program to resolve our impending loss of economic status in the production of this vital commodity!
We are ripe for the Chinese picking.
Forgot to mention: The legalizing of drugs in many states, the weakening of the Second Amendment, complete disregard for the 10th Amendment....I could go on and and on and on.
America is not in decline so much as it is being scuttled by the communists and 60s radicals now in charge of the nation. America is being self-demolished.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.