[herbalviagra]

Sorry, America's on the decline.

We're still No. 1 in military might and higher education.
But our manufacturing base is now in China.
Our service sector is now in India.
Our trade surplus is now a trade deficit.
The Euro's outstripping the dollar.
Bollywood is putting out more movies that are watched by more people than is Hollywood.
Germany has outstriped us in alternative energy.
Our ports are run by foreigners.
Our lifespans are the shortest in the industrialized world.

[Barbshowers]

The biggest dangers to the American republic is the news media. It's being concentrated into the hands of a few megacorporations.

Few viewpoints are being heard.
Inexpereinced news bunnies are being given plum assignments because of their looks. Their news stories have the depth of a gnat's knee.
Pack journalism is the norm.

Without an educated and thoughful electorate, we will increasingly focus on the simple (i.e on the Presidency) and our other governing institutions will decline in prestige, power and influence.

[chelviweeme]

We've been an empire since 1781, when Britain gave us all their territory West of the Appalachians.

We've had an overseas empire since 1898.

Today we control most of the world, although, due to the complete mismanagement of the current occupants of the White House, the empire is in trouble. Bush

[Mereebirl]

Originally posted by Comrade Snuggles


We've had an overseas empire since 1898.
Correction, we've had an overseas empire since the issuance of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. Since then it has been used as the basis with which the United States has sculpted the Western Hemisphere to suit its own needs.

[THOUTHCAW]

What constitutes an empire? It's more than having influence. We don't have vast lands that we took over.
We're not an empire.

[ggdfgtdfffhfyj]

Describe it as you like; the fact remains, we're not an empire, nor do we aspire to be one.

[lapInsalm]

If Bush had adopted Obama who'd changed his name to Gaius Iulius Obamus Augustus I'd see it as a turning point, other then that the US pres has already a strong enough position

Though Rome comparisons are funny. Another possible one is Athens, being a democratic leader of a large alliance stretching overseas against the big empire in the east, but showing at least sign of being an empire itself.

[attackDoold]

I don't see the U.S. lasting another 20 or 30 years. We are about finished. Debt will consume this nation real soon. I heard by 2010 people will cease to loan us money. Which will require tax increases. This will destroy the economy as our entire economy is based on consumer spending.

Now if the republicans actually did what they said and reduced the federal goverment... perhaps we could reduce our debt. But no, George Bush is the devil. He is the reason our empire is on it's way out.

[catarleriarly]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
What constitutes an empire? It's more than having influence. We don't have vast lands that we took over. Really perverse understandings of American history FTW!

[lungumnentibe]

I've already seen it

[illiderob]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Describe it as you like; the fact remains, we're not an empire, nor do we aspire to be one. That's false on both accounts.

[krek-sikUp]

I would say that the height of American power was in the 1950s. The dollar was supreme, we produced what we consumed including cars and electronics. We were a sell sufficient nation then able to meet our own needs.

Now the US is a sprawling nation of citizens absorbed with retarded media and sybarite lifestyles. Our position in the world for granted.

Just look at the US now. We have become the world's biggest shopping mall. We borrow money from the Chinese so we can buy Chinese crap and our politicians serve one interest or another, not the US that's for sure.

We can't produce a TV or an automobile worth **** anymore but we can still bomb the hell out of third world countries. I guess that's worth something.

For **** sacks just look a the candidates we have in this upcoming election. Is this the best America can do? Has our respect for intelligence sunk so low that people would actually support a ditzy soccer mom with absolutely no worldly experience and a cranky bottom of his class Vietnam Vet who can't even tell the difference between Spain and Latin America? Bush is hardly able to string a coherent sentence together.

I want a president who is more intelligent than me, who is articulate, and would put me to shame if I were to debate him. I actually wish we could go back to WASP dominated politics.

God damn baby boomers. Your generation has completely ****ed this country up and sold out at every opportunity because you got greedy. And I hope you baby boomers will be the first to die when the financial system collapses and your retirement savings evaporates.

Truth is, we could probably due for good Soviet Union style meltdown. I'm tired of seeing fat girls everywhere I go. At least a lower standard of living would make it harder for Americans to gorge on food.

[steerryGritly]

Current Republicans are different than Ike, or even Nixon. I would rather have either than the current President, and I possibly would rather have Ike than either option for president now.

JM
(Sometimes I believe Obama, sometimes I don't.)

[Babposa]

Today's Republicans don't even deserve to be called Republicans or Conservatives. It just goes to show you how easy it is to sway the American voter. All you need to do is apply some political label to yourself and hate the f*gs and you'll have the vote of middle America.

By the way, **** you middle America. You people add nothing to this nation. I hope your slutty daughter gets an abortion and your third child has downs syndrome.

I would punch a nun to have someone like Eisenhower as president in 2009.

[Qualarrizab]

The president will become a de facto emperor and the US an Empire when:


-Wealth and wealth alone is sufficient to get elected, as was the case with the late Roman Republic. People like Crassus. These will undermine the US democracy untill the below becomes true. (almost) CHECK

-The winner of the elections will always be known in advance with little chance of surprise Not anytime soon, or perhaps ever

-Candidates endorsed by the previous president will win the vast majority of the time. This will only not be the case when a business or military leader will take power or will use a pupet to do this for him. Never

-The Senate becomes a playground for the interests of the mega wealthy (Roman senators owned thousands of slaves while the average free man was living on what we would today call welfare) CHECK

-The Senate becomes viewed by the vast majority of the people as inefficient and unnecessary. Populists will appear who will argue the solution is to reduce the power of the senate and establishment, and will use this mantra to give themselves power. CHECK

-The Presidency and Vicepresidency grows in power beyond its constitutional limits and begins meddling in very heavily in the legislative and judicial branches of power or begins claiming itself above the classical three branches division. CHECK

-Shameless Bread and circuses CHECK