“...or they can just stop buying them”
Sure they can stop buying them. And what impact do you think that’s going to happen? Why do you think they buy them in the first place?
I cannot for the life of me understand why there is so much hysteria around this issue. Any of these “U.S. is doomed if they do THIS” arguments invariably ignores the fact that “they” will suffer mightily under such a scenario, and likely worse.
Virtually every western nation carries national debt. The U.S. spends a tiny percent of its aggregate output on its defense, even with the costs of Iraq. It uses a very small percentage of its population in its far-flung military roles. This is about as far from Rome, or Britain, or any other previous “superpower” you can name as possible. This plays directly into the fiscal and economic topic, where the differences are equally staggering.
But, hey, it sounds a whole lot better when you’re ticked off politically to just latch onto “falling just like Rome!” line. Just, you know, forget about the rest.
I don’t believe the U.S. will go the way of Rome. I do believe we’re in for a recession.