[winodog]

I dont look at it as the chinese rising to match us so much as I see us sinking to new lows.
Uncontrolled immigration of mexicos uneducated populace, spiraling debt, our armed forces stretched thin throughout the globe, our loss of almost all manufacturing and the fact that our politicians continue to push the problems on the next generation rather then actually solving anything now are just a few of the problems facing America.

I am not saying it will happen just that it does not look good.

[vanmorrison]

I can't discount the negative effects of the difficulties you've described. But I've learned in my short life that, as bad as things are in the US, they are inevitably worse elsewhere. While we suffer under welfare statism, other countries suffer under outright fascism, socialism, or communism. While we suffer from Mexican immigration, other countries suffer from the influx of mad Moslems. While we suffer from economic dislocation and recession, other countries suffer from depressions, market upheavals, and total economic collapse. I'm not saying that the US will never be damaged, but our traditions and culture have mitigated the extent we've suffered so far. Our major difficulties are more likely to be self-inflicted.