Your gloating is premature.

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So you're pretty much saying is that there's no way U.S. could become a 2nd world country or worse in the future? When i say it probably will i can back it up by history, how can you back it up? Did you see Nostradamus in your dreams?

I bet Mongols, Romans, Persian empires thought they would be there forever aswell, look where they're at now. Not saying U.S. will drop in a week but when you say that it will never happen it's just retarded...........I dunno why i'm even comparing Roman empire to the U.S., Romans were much more advanced than the rest of the world and pretty much ruled the known world to them, U.S. is just another country who got ahead in of everyone else in the 80s/90s because every other advanced countries got hurt by WW1/WW2 and even tho you had so much advantages, by quality of life U.S. now is not even in top 10, the only thing you actually have at #1 spot is the army, everything else is an epic fail wich is crushing down, you OBVIOUSLY can see it on the news.

I don't think U.S. is a horrible country, my point is that all the things you guys going through is that not enough for you to think that U.S. might not recover in the future? Banks/Car makes/Companies going bankrupt, losing god knows how many jobs, everything is just crushing down? YEAH NO PROBLEM WE CAN BOUNCE BACK, that's probably what you would say, should stop watching Fox News.



What else did Nostradamus tell you lol....

Most americans are fat, weak, and lazy. Hopefully hardship will toughen up some americans and the weak will be culled from the herd.

How? I would hope that Americans would recognize that there are 20 million people illegally here, doing jobs that would be available to them if they weren't here. Then California' UNemployment rate is over 8.4% when you count those actively collecting UNemployment benefits. The Government stops counting you, after you stop collecting benefits even if you don't have a job, so UNemployment is more like 12% or better.

Commerce says 200,000 businesses will close this year and 1000 shopping centers will downsize or close completely. Think about that in terms of JOBS.

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Month 3 of the New Iraq Occupation. Troop draw down zero.

http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

It seems the weak are getting government bailouts!

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Month 3 of the New Iraq Occupation. Troop draw down zero.

http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

No.
The powerful are getting government bailouts.

They're still weak in light of the failed businesses they run, but that is not their fault completely. If you have to worry about keeping your job then you're not in a position of power, that's a weakness.

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Month 3 of the New Iraq Occupation. Troop draw down zero.

http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

Not when you are worth $100,000,000 it isn't.

You have a good point there. But I think it's exaggerated somewhat. I think our days as the worlds only superpower may be numbered. I think it likely that China will take that position. And the world may well hanker for the 'good old days' when it was us. I think it likely that the US will become less powerful and less influential that it currently is, but if you see that as us 'not being there' then in that you are wrong. The US will always exist, just not as the superpower we are. As you say, history points in that direction.

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Great Quotes from Great Americans:

"With regard to the words 'general welfare', I have always regarded them as qualified by the details of the powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphisis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators."James Madison, Father of the Constitution

I saw a piece the other day that said Obama will be the first president of an empire in decline, Bush was the last president to take power in a world of expanding US dominance.
Properly managed, a declining empire is fine, you just live within your means.
The US used to produce enough petroleum for all it's domestic needs and enough extra to supply most of the rest of the world.
When that changed, when we grew dependent on imported oil, we basically ignored it, and continued to live like we were the shit.
We blew off our accumulated wealth pretending things would change and it would get back to the old way soon enough.
It ain't gonna happen.
The simple answer is that when most people are happy with the slice of pie they got, they become conservative and want to hang on to their pie, when they see their slice getting smaller, they want a do over, they want the pie re-cut to make it fair.
Because while the free market works fine in the long run, in the long run we are all dead, and we want our pie now, in the short run.

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“ The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations 1776

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"
FDR's second Inaugural Address

I have long made a statement that no one should purchase a home where the loan amount is over one years gross household income.
I always catch flak for this, however I maintain that principle.
Buying a home you want is a process, the process begins with a "starter" home...smaller than they would like, and in need of some repair..aka - cheap.
Live there for 4-5 years while making the repairs and improvements. Sell the home for a 5 profit and buy a larger home that still needs repairs, repeat process until you have enough down payment to purchase what you want while keeping the loan below that mark.

Where did I say we would be around forever? Perhaps you are the one who is trying to interpret Nostradamus!

I have no delusions that this counry will fail at some point. Democracy ALWAYS fails. But it isn't today and it isn't going to be tomorrow as you seem to take such delight in imagining. People are not eating from trash cans, and those who have lost their jobs are covered by our unemployment system to help them stem the tide. I have lived through tough times before. I remember the Eisenhower days when my father was laid off work several times. But my family had saved money and we never went hungry or lived in the streets.

It is clear that you WANT us to faill. To each his own. I live here; I work here. Our model and theoretical foundations may change somewhat, but this country will not cease to exist in my lifetime or yours.

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We are definitely an 'instant gratification isn't soon enough' society. However, there are many people who have bought into the Dave Ramsey philosophy. My children are among them. My daughter was laid off and she and her husband are doing OK. But if they cease to be OK, both I and her husband's parents and her brother who has made megabucks off his book will be able to help them.

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I agree with this. For generations China enjoyed the reputation of being 'the most civilized' nation. They were not prepared to meet up with the west. It has been their goal for some years now to become the world's greatest superpower. I think at some point the will. I also think China has some lessons we can learn as they have been around so long. While their way of life has not always been pleasant their civilization has survived 5000 years. Democracy always fails. There is learning in there somewhere.

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You might agree with it but you clearly didn't understand it. Nowhere did I say that 'democracy fails' because it doesn't. Democracy has been around for quite some time. We didn't invent it!

What we have to grasp is that our economy - like a lot of others - is boom and bust. It's a cycle that always seems to catch us unaware and leaves us 'shocked'. But anyone with half a brain understands that these things are our way of life. Good times, then bad times. No big deal. But how you get to 'democacy always fails' is just nonsense.

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Great Quotes from Great Americans:

"With regard to the words 'general welfare', I have always regarded them as qualified by the details of the powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphisis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators."James Madison, Father of the Constitution