[max americana]

I still remember as a kid that Japan would overtake the US. Same time I heard Russia would nuke the US. Same time I heard L.A would be underwater by 1998.

The US is the supreme superpower. The country at 200 plus years is still young by empire standards...

[volunbeer]

Yes, but if we do not get control of our debt and spending we will become a poor nation with a lot more problems than we have now.

[Alberta's Child]

Reminds me of an interesting exchange I heard on TV during the 1992 Winter Olympics. Midori Ito of Japan was the favorite to win the gold medal in women's figure skating, and one of the TV announcers suggested that it was just one more example of Japan overtaking the U.S.

The other announcer said something to this effect:

"I don't believe that's true. I think OUR Japanese are better than THEIR Japanese."

Sure enough, Kristi Yamaguchi -- an American of Japanese descent -- won the gold medal.

And Japan has never caught up to us after all. Go figure.