- The US has been the major player on the global stage in the post-WWII, or even earlier. Since, few rivals came close but were never successful in overtaking it, at least economically. Namely, Germany, the Soviet Union & Japan. The Soviets were able to surpass the country militarily, & the Japanese technologically, though only by a small margin, & were not sustained for long periods of time, making the US the best all-rounder superpower in the post-WWII era in economy, military power, international politics, science & technology, industry, finance, & even in soft-power. Add to that the reign of the USD, petrodollar & big data monopoly.
- In numbers, post-WWII US alone, counting only 1 in 16 human population, contributed over 1/4th to global economy. Its share since dropped to 1/7th global GDP today, though with just 1 in 23 global population. In industrial output, the highs were higher, at 40% global industry during the war, & the lows also lower, down to 1/10th today. The same steady decline is also seen in scientific output, from over 1/3rd of all publications 50 years to less than 1/7th today. – New raising powers, especially in Asia & the Muslim world, have been munching away at American hegemony, slowly but surely. Recently, a new rival superpower is emerging. China is overtaking the US in domains previously dominated by the States one by one. In real GDP, it's closing in to 1/5th global production, from only 1/20th post-WWII, thus already surpassing the US. In industry as well, it's no secret that China is the new factory of the world, pumping almost 3 times US production. In S&E publications, similarly, China overtook the US in 2018, with a third greater output today. In global exports, China far outstrips the US today, hogging 1/7th global market share, compared to 1/12th for the US. – That, knowing China has 4 1/2 times the population of the US.
- Despite its successes, the American giant rests on much shaky foundations. US Healthcare spending accounts for close to half global spending. A brain MRI in Turkey costs as little as $30, in the US it's around $10,000 or more. Insurance for universal free healthcare (0 out of pocket) costs about $100 a month for a family package in the former, yet costs a leg & an arm & your soul in the latter. – Unlike in European countries & most other developing countries, infrastructure in the States is geared more towards wealthy lifestyle rather than public good. You all know what I'm talking about. – US household debt & national debt is the highest in the world. The average American enjoys $200k extra money worth of goods, services & expenditure he has never worked: $100k owed to banks in consumer debt (i.e. of future money decades worth of savings he has yet to work for), plus another $100k owed to noone (i.e. will never be asked to pay or work for), except the sheer fact of having the USD as a global reserve currency. – Over 50% of researchers/engineers in S&E in the US are foreign born immigrants, the rate goes up to 80% in more technologically geared fields, such as engineering, material science, information technology...etc. However, since 2017 more among them are increasingly choosing to go back home rather than stay in America.
- Considering all the aforementioned facts:
Do you think the US dominance in Tech, Science, Military, Industry, Finance, & Economy on global stage will persist in the near or far future?
Do you think China will fail to sustain its newly acquired predominance over the US in these various domains like its predecessors or will they actually succeed as they promised?
When do you think China will truly overtake the US & how do you imagine that would happen?
What fate do you reckon for the established pegs of US hegemony (such as USD, Petrodollar, GPS, Big Data, Military Complex, SWIFT...etc)?
When do you think the USD will be dethroned from global reserve currency? How do you imagine the fate of average Americans when that happens?
Where do you see the US in 10 years? In 25 years? In 50 years? In 100 years?
Where do you see China in 10 years? In 25 years? In 50 years? Where do you see the rest of the world in that period & beyond?