How Long Will America Last In Present Form?

[William Joyce]

We haven't yet seen a country on Earth that has lasted indefinitely.

Rome fell after 500-1000 years, depending on how you plot the beginning point.

The Soviet Union lasted less than a hundred years.

Italy is younger than the U.S.

I don't personally think the U.S. can last forever, given trends. It's interesting to imagine what the next phase will be.

 

[midcan5]

That's depends on what you mean by present form. We have already changed several times since our founding. And Russia still exists, it was the political system that failed. Consider too that our system failed during the Civil War or Great Depression and depending how fine a line you draw, many times. Reaganomics (free market) just failed too.

Societies evolve same as all things, and the more appropriate question may be will the world survive. The long term answer is no, as the Sun will eventually die but hey why worry - Be happy.


"The new conflict is between liberal universalism and a communitarianism which asserts the need for cultures to maintain their own values and traditions. Is the latter just a temporary brake on the former, or will the universalist dream die? One of the tasks of politics is to work out which values are universal and which are not." Julian Baggini


"Human beings will be happier — not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie — but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That’s my utopia." Kurt Vonnegut

 

[William Joyce]

the more appropriate question may be will the world survive. The long term answer is no, as the Sun will eventually die but hey why worry - Be happy

I recall from physics in college that we have about 5 billion years until the sun runs out of fuel. Maybe we'll skip the solar system by then, Star Trek-style.

 

[Douger]

One year.. TOPS !

 

[publicprotector]

Italy is not younger than the US, but to answer your question its a matter of a few years, after that the US will be thrown on the scrap heap as has happened with all the others.

Thats not to say it will be ruined and lost no, it has and is being groomed for a reason and when that goal has been achieved its back to the bottom of the pile. Its a continuing process, all events are connected nothing is random.

 

[midcan5]

I recall from physics in college that we have about 5 billion years until the sun runs out of fuel. Maybe we'll skip the solar system by then, Star Trek-style.

I used to think the star trek travel possible, but when you consider the size of the universe and the limitations of travel ain't gonna happen. Even light takes too long! Mankind has five billion years to get it right, any chance they'll succeed?


Dharma Forest: This Essay Will Catch Your Attention

"There's a number -- a new number -- that makes this point most powerfully. It may now be the most important number on Earth: 350. As in parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

 

[JBeukema]

define 'current form'

 

[editec]

We haven't yet seen a country on Earth that has lasted indefinitely.

Rome fell after 500-1000 years, depending on how you plot the beginning point.

The Soviet Union lasted less than a hundred years.

Italy is younger than the U.S.

I don't personally think the U.S. can last forever, given trends. It's interesting to imagine what the next phase will be.

The USA has been evolving into something else as long as I've been alive.

It's surely not the country I was born in, that's for damned sure.

Now as to whether this nation will exist (on paper, if not in fact) by 2100?

I rather doubt it.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Less than 3 more years. Obama is going to destroy America!

 

[Midnight Marauder]

http://eipnetworks.com/NoCountryMusic.mp3

 

[vincubus]

We haven't yet seen a country on Earth that has lasted indefinitely.

Rome fell after 500-1000 years, depending on how you plot the beginning point.

The Soviet Union lasted less than a hundred years.

Italy is younger than the U.S.

I don't personally think the U.S. can last forever, given trends. It's interesting to imagine what the next phase will be.

as has been already mentioned a few times in this thread, i woiuld need some definition of present form. these kinds of questions are almost too broad.

all systems erode or evolve. that is nature. we are imperiled by our fiat system, by our open borders, and our social variations, and from without by islamic terrorists and the economies of other developing nations. considering these many factors and their vagaries, i doiubt anyone can reliably place a date on when the nebulous "present form" will be no more.

is there some way you can narrow this question down?

 

[JBeukema]

That's what I asked some time ago, and nobody could answer., remember, the US government has changed form at least once. Constitutional limitations on power do not apply, Americans are not free, and there was a war waged 85 years after the birth of the nation over whether an authoritarian centralized power would be allowed to take hold and and destroy states' autonomy and the rights of the citizens. The central authority won that war and ever since, the United states is nothing like what the united States were then the Constitution was ratified..

 

[vincubus]

That's what I asked some time ago, and nobody could answer., remember, the US government has changed form at least once. Constitutional limitations on power do not apply, Americans are not free, and there was a war was wages 85 years after the birth of the nation of whether an authoritarian centralized power would take power and destroy states' autonomy and the rights of the citizens. The central authority won that war and ever since, the United states is nothing like what the united States were then the Constitution was ratified..

this post of yours is concise, correct, and i am not sure i can add anything to it, save to mention in passing the new deal.

we be sheep. out of curiosity, have you investigated milgrams studies?

 

[JBeukema]

out of curiosity, have you investigated milgrams studies?

What is?

 

[vincubus]

out of curiosity, have you investigated milgrams studies?

What is?

Milgram experiment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

i dislike wiki, but this is a start

 

[JBeukema]

sounds interesting. I'll have to read up on it.

 

[vincubus]

sounds interesting. I'll have to read up on it.

the ramifications are far reaching. enjoy

 

[editec]

American will be slightly different tomorrow than it is today.

A century from now we the living wouldn't recognize what American will have become.

Here's whatsome people thought would happen to American about a century ago...

The Last American

Some of you might find this amusing.

 

[Old Rocks]

the more appropriate question may be will the world survive. The long term answer is no, as the Sun will eventually die but hey why worry - Be happy

I recall from physics in college that we have about 5 billion years until the sun runs out of fuel. Maybe we'll skip the solar system by then, Star Trek-style.

About 500 million. The sun will expand as it changes fuels at that time.

 

[Hum Dinger]

Less than 3 more years. Obama is going to destroy America!

Not possible. George W. Bush has already destroyed America. The question is whether Obama will or will not be able to rebuild it.