[A. Pole]

Pretty similar to America's expansion -- similar but different.

Similar in a sense that both Germany and America used the protectionist policies at that time. England did otherwise and went down.

[Cronos]

Similar in a sense that both Germany and America used the protectionist policies at that time. England did otherwise and went down.

Again you make the mistake of taking ONE Variable and potraying THAT as having made the US and Germany grow. NO, that was NOT the case. The US was expanding in the late 1800s -- in population, territory and innovation. Germany in the same period was being formed. BOTH were new nations, growing etc. as China and the rest of Asia are doing now -- they have room to grow. The UK at that time was peaking/was already mature. Naturally the US grew faster. Even now, CHina is growing at a blistering 8% p.a., but they have a long way to catch up with the US. The US is growing at ¬ 4% p.a. which is fantastic for a nation of its size. So, the US has not yet peaked. China is growing faster, but not fast enough to catch up with the US at least in this half of the century I think