[AndyJackson]

England, prospered by their trade surpluses, and reinvested the money to expand their own capabilities

Thus did Germany and Japan rise from the ashes of WWII to become powerful economies. Thus did America rise from Jamestown to WWII, when suddenly discovered something even better than American Gold. The Spanish were pikers. We discovered we could export not just gold, but paper covered with green grey pictures of dead presidents.

[Travis McGee]

Yep, and it worked for a good long while.....until now.