Reading MM's post, I was just about to counter the sole-superpower claim as well. People are already saying that Russia is back or almost back to superpower status. And as far as the cold war, people tend to forget that nobody ever stood down from the Cold War -- the missles are still there, still pointed at each other, and still functional. The only reason the Cold War was ever over was because the two sides agreed to it. No other actions toward that end were ever really undertaken. And as Hec points out, China and India are doing just fine, and I bet most Americans would be surprised at the reaction if they were to say the US was the only superpower to a Chinese or Indian person.

Right now I would say there are definitely two superpowers: US and China.

China's got us by the balls financially and that's never a good sign.

Of course, Japan and W. Germany had us in an economic headlock back in the 80s and it didn't turn out to be permanent.

But China's just got much, much deeper resources.

India isn't there quite yet, but they could be in a generation. But a lot of things could still go wrong there to derail it. Some parts of India are ahead of the U.S. and some parts are still completely third world. That has to change. There has to be a massive investment in infrastructure and you've got to close some of that economic gap.

Russia is probably closer to returning to superpower status. They can already do as they please with Europe.

Just my take.

India isn't there quite yet, but they could be in a generation. But a lot of things could still go wrong there to derail it. Some parts of India are ahead of the U.S. and some parts are still completely third world. That has to change. There has to be a massive investment in infrastructure and you've got to close some of that economic gap.

Well, we're sending many of our jobs there. Frak. How'd I end up in this thread, again. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll go 'way 'til Buffy 8 rolls around.

Diesel Sweeties gets syndicated: [link]

Topic!Cindy I'm always glad to see your words in any thread. Is this topic too nattery? Because I would love to continue it.

But China's just got much, much deeper resources.

600,000,000 screaming Chinese!

I thought it was a billion Chinese.

It WAS.

WOLVERINES!!!!!

I thought it was the death cloud peril.

Fascinating stuff, guys. MM, I don't think you're offbase with your suggestion--now that you've suggested it, I'm put to mind of "Red Son" and the implications that held, like Watchmen, for having one major superhero standing between you and your enemies.

But while I recognize the power the States holds, I don't think I've ever thought of it as a lone superpower. There are too many variables to the idea of a contemporary superpower for that to be true, if it ever really was. Like David says, financially we rely on other countries, but there's also our food and our oil and our production, all of which has increasingly, if not originally, moved to other countries. In many ways, the States is as vulnerable as it ever was.

I thought we produce far, far more food than we consume and generally import luxury foodstuffs that people could easily do without if the imports dried up?

Oil and everything that's manufactured (other than Chryslers) I can see crippling foreign dependence on, though.

Venture Brothers fans will appreciate the conversation Emmett and I had over breakfast at a sidewalk table.

Emmett: "I licked a doorknob once."
Me: "Yeuch! Don't do that. Not only is it covered with germs, but you're leaving spit on the doorknob. That's gross."
Emmett: "Dogs lick everything."
Me: "Including each others butts."
Emmett: "They don't lick each others butts. They sniff each others butts. They lick their own genitals. It's...a conundrum."