How and when will the American empire end

[COPE2]

According to many sources, the American empire as we know it today is set to decline over the next 25 years, and will not be the only super power. Noam Chomsky says that America has been in decline for the past 30 years. Will America go down without a fight? Will America decide to eliminate its competition through military force. After all, America still has the largest military in the world.

[Monarchist]

I don't believe there is any such thing as an American "Empire". Imperial states tend to maintain their hegemony through coercion and force. Have you seen the majority of U.S. military bases? A large number of the best airbases in the world are in Europe, and they are kept there by European request. When I last checked, the word "Empire" had nothing to do with requests. An annexation by request does not make an imperial policy on the part of the annexing party, and this is just defense! You might call the Okinawa airbase an imperial base, perhaps, but the Americans are going to be leaving Iraq soon. There never was an American Empire.

Besides, everyone knows that Europe is Empire.

[johnpaul25]

I don't believe there is any such thing as an American "Empire". Imperial states tend to maintain their hegemony through coercion and force. Have you seen the majority of U.S. military bases? A large number of the best airbases in the world are in Europe, and they are kept there by European request. When I last checked, the word "Empire" had nothing to do with requests. An annexation by request does not make an imperial policy on the part of the annexing party, and this is just defense! You might call the Okinawa airbase an imperial base, perhaps, but the Americans are going to be leaving Iraq soon. There never was an American Empire.

Besides, everyone knows that Europe is Empire.

There is an empire alright. It does not need to use force but through soft power.

[Exarch]

There is an empire alright. It does not need to use force but through soft power.

unless you happen to live ina 3rd world country, where noone cares if u get invaded, sorry, "liberated" by a 'coalition of da willing'

[Gelgoog]

unless you happen to live ina 3rd world country, where noone cares if u get invaded, sorry, "liberated" by a 'coalition of da willing'

If you won't take the carrot then you get the big stick TR style

[Exarch]

If you won't take the carrot then you get the big stick TR style

nay,
eisenhower is the best
or bill clinton for having a job done on him, whilst on the job

[MaximiIian]

There never was an American Empire.

Well, not so much "never" as "we haven't had one for good long while". And our "empire" was basically just the Philippines, Hawaii, and some other Pacific Islands. Which are now either independent or have varying degrees of representation in Congress.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Despite the fact that I am certainly feeding the troll (Poet, is that you in disguise?)...

What American empire?

EDIT: Damn it, beaten to it; by a bigger and more comprehensive post at that. Well played sir.

[skh1]

It is difficult to prognosticate upon the fortunes of nations. They wax and they wane as the fates decree. One may note, however, that Dr. Chomsky says a great many things that may be fairly characterized as tendentious and bound within the strictures of an overly rigid ideology. His pronouncements, although certainly a point of view, may not necessarily deserve to be regarded as especially definitive or even particularly noteworthy, unless of course, one agrees with them which I do not. As to the many sources to which you refer, perhaps you might favor us with a link to one?

[COPE2]

It is difficult to prognosticate upon the fortunes of nations. They wax and they wane as the fates decree. One may note, however, that Dr. Chomsky says a great many things that may be fairly characterized as tendentious and bound within the strictures of a overly rigid ideology. His pronouncements, although certainly a point of view, may not necessarily deserve to be regarded as especially definitive or even particularly noteworthy, unless of course, one agrees with them which I do not. As to the many sources to which you refer, perhaps you might favor us with a link to one?

Well, let's say Chomsky did not make that statement. Do you agree or disagree that America has been on the decline for the past 30 years? I think one of the things Chomsky said was in regard to education levels. He may have a point here. In comparison to most other competing countries, American students do tend to be weaker in the math and science subjects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRIC
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001/american-decline
It is not something that is only being discussed by the left. This is being voiced from both the right and left. Here's a right wing source.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/04/th...erican-empire/

[Orko]

So now the power of states is determined by how strong their students are in math?
I oppose the use of the term "empire", I'd rather use superpower.
And at the end of the cold war, and a few years after it, America stood as the world's sole remaining superpower, so it couldn't be that their declining over the past 30 years.

[Poet]

When Isra-ill won't need it any more.

[Dr Zoidberg]

When Isra-ill won't need it any more.

Oh come on Poet.. you're not even trying anymore. Where's the fundamentalist-fueled rant on the evil's of the 'Western Crusaders'? Don't leave us hanging, mate...

[danzig]

No empire so no empire can disappear...the age of empires lives on in Total War games that is it. What america is, is a superpower and it will remain one most likely long after we are all dead. Its less of a decline as it is others catching up so you'll have a world with other nations of more or less equal (or case in China perhaps even greater) power. So please troll elsewhere with invoking Chomsky, I often wonder how many people who quote him as source/credibility actually have read what he has written I would be so bold to say about the same number of people who are critical of him and attack him...which is to say, not many.

[threealls]

I think it will decline eventually but it will not decline as if Ottoman Empire declined..It will still be powerful nation..but China will be the number one..Chinese population is just huge..they are making huge investments in the education..so, educated and skillful labour force is growing in China..their political system is allowing them to use the resources better and helps them to create a united society( at the expense of values like democracy and freedom of speech..I mean the dominant culture in China is obedience and loyalty not freedom like in the West, also the labour is stritcly under control..certainly this is an advantage to develop military-industrial power rapidly) ..they are also making huge steps in high-technology..and most importantly labour costs are very cheap..and still most of the chinese still lives in rural areas that means that advantage of cheap labour costs will continue much more time..Well, history is on the side of Chinese, they will certainly will catch up the West in all areas..

[CtrlAltDe1337]

Sorry troll, I'm all out of food today.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Noam Chomsky is a Real Life troll.

[The.Delegate]

Haha this is such a useless thread. There are so many possible ways and alternate routes that time could take for an empire to end. How could we even begin to speculate?

[El Brujo]

I think we will see a devolution and return to regionalism within our lifetimes. The U.S. is too large and diverse(geography, ethnically, and culturally) to remain effectively centralized indefinitely. We will still nominally be one country, but Washington D.C. will eventually become a sort of Papal state that stays around for the same reason the Emperor of Japan stays around.

[Axeman]

Let me consult my magic 8 ball.