The myth of America’s decline

[iamwhatiseem]

I keep hearing about America's decline, but I don't see it while out and about.

Depends on who you are looking at.
Begin with the shrinking middle class.

 

[OKTexas]

North America may suffer from some of the world’s poorest political leadership. Yet it seems destined to remain the wealthiest, most dominant place on Earth.​

This may come as a surprise to many. After all, generations of pundits have insisted that the future will be forged elsewhere – Europe for some, Japan for others and, more recently, China. But none have the resources, the dynamic population and innovative acumen of North Americans.

Once taken for granted, China’s claim to the future is looking especially wobbly. In 2018, Chinese foreign ministry official Zhao Lijian described efforts to slow China’s dominion as being ‘as stupid as Don Quixote versus the windmills’. He added that ‘China’s win is unstoppable’. Today, China’s triumph looks far from inevitable. Projections that China could surpass the US in terms of aggregate economic output as soon as 2028 are being readjusted to 2036. Some now believe it won’t happen at all.

As for Japan or the EU,………..

A long read:::

The myth of America’s decline

As China struggles and the EU stagnates, the US continues to thrive – even despite its dreadful leaders.

www.spiked-online.com

There are ways for a country to decline other than economically. The US has been in decline morally for decades, eventually the economy will follow.

.

 

[expat500]

China buys our debt for us Treasury bonds which they then sell to inflate the yuan.

China is drowning in debt itself. Mostly tied up in real estate, buildings which nobody lives in.

New cities and glamorous train stations, all financed by unsustainable borrowing.

 

[BluesLegend]

It's true that the Founding Fathers created the greatest Nation in the world and gave citizens the option to hire and fire the president and members of congress. No other nation in the world has the guaranteed freedoms that America has in the 1st ten Amendments to the Constitution. The only threat to 21st century America is the media that has become the propaganda arm of the democrat party and the profound ignorance of several generations of school kids who haven't got the least comprehension of the Constitution or patriotism or Duty, Honor, Country.

The founders and American people were oppressed by the king of England so we told all those British bastards to pound sand. Our Constitution is rooted in the oppression, to ensure we would never again suffer under a corrupt regime of the elite. Dems need to re-learn their American history less they suffer a punch in the face.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Yeah my wife and I with our combined salaries we would be in the lower middle class. No way we could ever afford a home or that a bank would ever approve a loan, we have tried and been denied bank loans. I can't even get a car loan, so I buy junky cars for cash and that is what my wife and I have to drive. When your already in a lot of debt and both your wife and yourself have only around a 500 credit score it gets really hard financing a house or a decent car.

Her sister and boyfriend and their kids are in same boat as us so we all share a very old junky run down house together. Very small, very old, roof cracked, bed bugs, spiders, roaches sometimes, a dilapidated ceiling that is hanging a little, heat doesn't work well so we use space heaters, air conditioning in summer is fans & windows. We also have lived out of trailers. When your broke your happy with what you got. We are lower middle class, but barely surviving.

I’m rooting for Americans like you and against those like Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney. They give away our money to foreign countries. They support BLM( they support degradation. And the thing is I believe most of these types of politicians don’t actually care about the minorities. They’re doing it all for show and money and to distract us from serious economic concerns.

Superbadbrutha Curried Goats ^ this is what counts in this country getting our middle class back.

Back to your points… I think the Democratic Party used to talk about the issues you and your wife and her sister face. But they’ve almost completely dropped it for race baiting, sex change operations for kids, and endless foreign wars.

 

[OKTexas]

Yeah my wife and I with our combined salaries we would be in the lower middle class. No way we could ever afford a home or that a bank would ever approve a loan, we have tried and been denied bank loans. I can't even get a car loan, so I buy junky cars for cash and that is what my wife and I have to drive. When your already in a lot of debt and both your wife and yourself have only around a 500 credit score it gets really hard financing a house or a decent car.

Her sister and boyfriend and their kids are in same boat as us so we all share a very old junky run down house together. Very small, very old, roof cracked, bed bugs, spiders, roaches sometimes, a dilapidated ceiling that is hanging a little, heat doesn't work well so we use space heaters, air conditioning in summer is fans & windows. We also have lived out of trailers. When your broke your happy with what you got. We are lower middle class, but barely surviving.

Sounds like you folks have made some really poor decisions. I live paycheck to paycheck most of my life. Then I decided I didn't want to live that way anymore. I decided going into debt for instant gratification wasn't worth it. So I went without, saved a bit, made sure my bills were paid on time. I now have 42,000 available on credit cards, but I make sure I don't charge more than I can pay off every month. I haven't paid a penny in bank fees or credit card interest in close to twenty years. And my credit card companies pay me to use their cards with cash back.

You seem to be reasonably articulate so there's no reason you can't learn some skills that are in demand. Things can get better if you make up your mind that's what you want, and make good decisions accordingly.

BTW, over the last 2 decades, my FICO score has gone from around 520 to 825-835. I have to tell banks I don't want their money now. And just so you know I'm not blowing smoke, I'm going to provide you with a screen shot of my Experian report.

.

 

[leftwinger]

What are we spending on?

Debt Interest, Military (so chock full of BS it is un-auditable) SS (paid for), Medicare (so chock full of BS it is un-auditable), Welfare (single mothers, sect8) and 10% wasted on GOVT pensions, parties, travel, security, hair & makeup, healthcare, salaries working from home no-shows…on & on. Illegal immigrants are now costing $0.5T annually, (Probably $1T?, global warming BS Etc.

 

[Dragonlady]

We could be so much better than we are now if the Libtards hadn't taken over leadership of our country. Not only Democrats but also the RINOs that aid them.

Our GDP could be ten trillion dollars a year higher if it wasn't for the burden of big government.

The cost of combined Federal, State and Local government is almost 40% of the GDP and that is despicable. If it was around 20% like it was in the 50s and 60s then we would tremendously more economic growth than we have now. What we are spending on government now is a big waste and a drag on the productive economy.

Kinda like the family with an alcoholic father. He spends a significant amount of the family income on booze instead of buying food and clothes for his family. They may not be starving but the family is poorer because of it.

Our government spending is far worse than a drunken binge.

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

 

[Flash]

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

View attachment 918168

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

You are confused Moon Bat. There are not two parties. There is only one Party and it is the Party of big Government and that is fucking us.

There are Libtards and Big Government weenies in the Republican Party just like the filthy ass Democrat Party.. Even Reagan increased the size of the Federal Government and the debt and taxes just like the fucking Democrats would have done.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

View attachment 918168

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981,

Those tax and labor laws were put in place with a Democrat House?
That's outrageous!
Why didn't Bill Clinton fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?
Why didn't Obama fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?
Why didn't Biden fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?

 

[Dragonlady]

Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981,

Those tax and labor laws were put in place with a Democrat House?
That's outrageous!
Why didn't Bill Clinton fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?
Why didn't Obama fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?
Why didn't Biden fix them when he had a Dem House and Senate?

The Fillibuster.

 

[OKTexas]

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

View attachment 918168

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

It's 0.84% now based on 350 million population.

.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

The Fillibuster[Sic]

When were the Dem fixes filibustered by Senate Republicans?

 

[initforme]

We need less masses of employees on the bottom. A lot lot less in order to grow the economy. It won't grow with a larger work force.

 

[Thunderbird]

China and Japan are in a demographic free fall. Europe and the U.S. endure enormous difficulties related to minorities/immigration/assimilation. Will the U.S. become just a large Venezuela? Will W. Europe come to resemble a large Mali?

 

[Thunderbird]

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

View attachment 918168

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

 

[IM2]

There are ways for a country to decline other than economically. The US has been in decline morally for decades, eventually the economy will follow.

.

America began with an immoral foundation. So immorality here is nothing recent.

 

[OKTexas]

America began with an immoral foundation. So immorality here is nothing recent.

Damn race baiter give it a rest already. This country was built on a foundation in line with the times. A foundation that allowed for upgrades as the times changed. Unfortunately single minded assholes like you can't seem to keep up with the change. You're as pathetic as the others of all races that share your boat. No one today, is born a victim, they chose victimhood.

.

 

[Foxfyre]

North America may suffer from some of the world’s poorest political leadership. Yet it seems destined to remain the wealthiest, most dominant place on Earth.​

This may come as a surprise to many. After all, generations of pundits have insisted that the future will be forged elsewhere – Europe for some, Japan for others and, more recently, China. But none have the resources, the dynamic population and innovative acumen of North Americans.

Once taken for granted, China’s claim to the future is looking especially wobbly. In 2018, Chinese foreign ministry official Zhao Lijian described efforts to slow China’s dominion as being ‘as stupid as Don Quixote versus the windmills’. He added that ‘China’s win is unstoppable’. Today, China’s triumph looks far from inevitable. Projections that China could surpass the US in terms of aggregate economic output as soon as 2028 are being readjusted to 2036. Some now believe it won’t happen at all.

As for Japan or the EU,………..

A long read:::

The myth of America’s decline

As China struggles and the EU stagnates, the US continues to thrive – even despite its dreadful leaders.

www.spiked-online.com

Coming from one who is outside the madness and watching, I appreciate your observations and thank you for an interesting and thoughtful topic. But I do think we can't take anything for granted here. Who would have thought Alexander's great empire was fragile? But without him at the helm, there was nobody capable of holding it together. Who would have thought the great Roman Empire was vulnerable? But it could not sustain itself forever either. The mighty U.S.S.R. seemed invincible and some thought it would eventually control all of Europe and Asia. But it died and broke apart with a whimper.

Nobody conquered Alexander's empire. Nobody conquered the Roman Empire. Nobody conquered the U.S.S.R. All disintegrated from within due to infighting and corruption and incompetence of its leadership.

Nobody should think the United States is not equally at risk.

 

[LeroyDumonde]

Once again, Flush proves his economic ignorance by parroting every right wing lie FOX New has been feeding him.

When did liberals take over leadership of your country????? Since 1981, Republicans have held the White House 24 out of the last 44 years. The Republican tax and labour laws have been in effect since 1981, and Republicans controlled the House during the last 6 years of the Clinton Administration, and the House and Senate during the last 6 years of the Obama Administration. Republicans currently control the House.

Not one word in your post about the 4% of your GDP being spent on the military industrial complex, or the billions of dollars of money spent by Republican who started wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Like none of that had any impact on American taxpayers.

The size of government is shrinking relative to the size of your population. Far fewer people now work for the government than they did.

View attachment 918168

A different way of thinking about the size of government

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.

ourpublicservice.org

Of course FOX and the rest of the right wing media equate the size of the federal budget with the "size of government". None of which takes into account that the US population was 282.2 million people in 2000, and today, it's 341.8 million.

Goverment spending in the 1950's and 1960's didn't include ANY money for health care, social security, or environmental protection.

Real per capita spending is five times higher today than in 1965.