Is the United States following in the footsteps of the Roman Empire, is our interest in the global economy and our need to exploit natural resources and cheap labor for huge profit margins for big business going to cause the empire to collapse internally? are the jobs lost in America really worth getting back or should we let the India, china, etc. have them? if the middle class can no longer afford products wont the economy collapse, wont all the money be stuck at the top of the food chain? it seems to me that the average American family cant survive on two incomes...is this fair to hard working people? can we raise the standard of living and at the same time reduce the gaps between social status?

the united corporate states of America is a business, it has vested interests in other countries, mostly over natural resources - i.e. petroleum. we are the number one user and polluter of this vital blood of the earth. the same with our military. then we complain about gas prices, its not because the oil is not there, the process of refining the oil is so bogged down in regulations that it takes twice as long for the companies to refine the oil thus raising the prices. Big Business wants to make money and exploiting underdeveloped countries is a breeding ground for huge profits to be made, and the buying power of the American people drives these companies to continue to exploit the cheap labor, while raking in huge profits, and not paying taxes, with no regulations on environmental concerns. the US Government has pushed these companies out of the US for its own benefit. we might not see this at face value, but the politicians see these profits as economic stimulation, and it forces more people to be held back into lower classes of the social structure, this in turn makes them rely on the government for help. the middle class will continue to shrink, the lower middle class will continue to grow, the upper-class will continue to grow as well. this gap is not what an economy wants or needs. the middle class citizens are the biggest spenders, they make up a huge number of the average consumer who feeds the economy. i think the US sees a bigger profit to be gained in the global market. they will leave us in the dust, impoverished and hungry, while the fat cats on capital hill drink there wine, the social structure of the U.S. will fail and collapse. our interest in global issues and market will be the demise of the US economic stability.

Wow, what a fatalist! Do you prefer socialism....or communism, then?

BTW, how can you argue that our standard of living isn't the best in the world? Yeah, we have some rich and we have some poor. But we also are so successful because we have a huge middle class. Many countries don't have a middle class....you're either one of the rich, ruling class, or you're nothing. No middle.

So, since you obviously don't like capitalism and the U.S. way......what country do you think has it all together? I'd like to know.

i think the american people and myself are not limited to a predetermined destiny, that is the total opposite of my feelings toward the American community. This world could be a wonderful place free of corruption, murder, war, in other words i believe humans can treat humans with moral dignity. i don't prefer socialism or communism, i think that limiting yourself to an ideal base or one way of thinking hinders growth of new ideas. i am not arguing the fact that the standard of living in the U.S. is one of the best, I'm saying the average American middle class citizen will have a much harder time maintaining his social status because of the profits big business makes off of cheap labor in underdeveloped countries. what i am means nothing...and you as well mean nothing, in the big picture we are all pawns at the hands of Americas political machine, a monster devouring everything it can see. i am an activist against this machine and i will do what it takes to dismantle it. Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Holland....thats about it, the world could definitely do a lot better than its current course of self destruction, every passing moment is a chance to change that...i have not given up hope.

peace

America has the best standard of living in the world? What misinformed corner of your brain did you pull that from? The HDI (Human Develpoment Index) is a measure of standard of living, and incorporates education, healthcare, welfare and GDP per capita, and America is a fair way down that list. Australia, might I add, is quite high As are the Scandanavian countries...

Also, while I do not think America would be allowed by the rest of the world to create a modern empire, I do not approve of America's current 'if it disagrees kill it' policy...

Norway has the highest standard of living last time I looked. Being both an OPEC and NATO member has it's privileges

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"When I'm in command, every mission is a suicide mission!" -Capt. Zapp Branigan

We dont subjugate other cultures. That alone makes us different.

The problem being that everyone seems to have a different idea of what "moral dignity" means. Until you get past that problem, your utopian society will never exist in reality.

Which means it will probably never exist.

Democratic Capitalism is the best realistic system available.

We can rebuild it faster than you can dismatle it. Good luck.

The masses are on our side. Oink oink.

And yet, we dont see a massive emigration of Americans to those nations. Why do you think that is?

i predict the following: one day the USA will get their ass kicked militarily. this may be sooner then we all think. then there will be revolution by zionists who will pretend to be ordinary american citizens, they will have ordinary names. why zionists? because they control all media. then jews will control everything completely. it's almost there now. so the best we can do is look for invest money elsewhere, because sadly this country is doomed, to try to save it is like trying to save a dying horse, or USSR in 1988. can not be done, kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall....

Quote "i predict the following: one day the USA will get their ass kicked militarily. this may be sooner then we all think. then there will be revolution by zionists who will pretend to be ordinary american citizens, they will have ordinary names. why zionists? because they control all media. then jews will control everything completely. it's almost there now."

What's wrong with Jews? I don't support what they are doing in Palestine but this comment smacks of Nazism!

You poor deluded soul. Dont you know anything? The entire world is wrapped up in an insidious Jew conspiracy. They control all the media everywhere (except the media that rikitz agrees with...you can trust that media).