Failed Nations Vs. Stable Nations

I think you've got this backwards. The attack boosts morale in anti-American groups and the crater, which is still there(!), is a monument to the impotence of western bureaucracy at it's worst. As for reputation, the important thing wasn't to be accepted in the western world, but getting respect from peers and potential sympathizers.

 

Russia and China are currently pretty large threats to the U.S. China and Russia are increasing funding in their military, with Russia constructing over 700 new strategic nuclear weapons. Also, not to mention China has us by the balls economic wise.

Also, we're currently discussing this in debate lol.

 

I think failed nations pose more of a threat because they are most likely corrupt and they have nothing to lose. They will try to get what they want by inflicting damage and terror into other stable nations.

It's like having a stubborn annoying kid, and a well educated and well mannered little boy. The one that bugs you the most and annoys you will be more of a pain in the ass than the well mannered one.

 

One of the reasons why the U.S. is in debt is because of it's obsession with military power. On the other hand... the military power is the only thing stopping the U.S. from getting destroyed.

 

The U.S. can be destroyed in other aspects aside from war and terror. Economic wise if China's economy were to crumble, so would the United States', mostly because China is currently the largest importer of goods to the U.S. . Aside from that Russia's president has stated that Russia will use military power as an option if it's interests are not met.

The terrorists receive a large number of their weapons from stable nations such as the United States (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/08/arms-trade-us-terrorists-nuclear) as well as Russia (http://www.cfr.org/publication/9549/).

 

Well statistics are always fudged depending what or who you count. The more important figure is the relative change in the past decade. According to those articles, the numbers have been "fudged" this way since the Clinton administration... when the economy at least appeared to be doing well.

So what do you expect to happen? I can see us getting overtaken as the world power within a few decades, but do you imagine fires, riots, complete collapse? Even if things sinks down to the level of the "Great Depression" as the articles have enumerated, the fact that the USA is here today is testament to how resilient the market is.

If anything though, the collapse of the government into some anarchial state seems like something you woudln't mind seeing. Alternatively, the way I see it, the more people that riot about how doomsday is approaching, the more excuse the government has to expand its power. That is, it is quite possible that the 1930's economy rebounded on its own, but emerging from the ashes came a government that was much larger than it was before.