America’s legacy in 1000 years

[Thatsright19]

Originally Posted by SWFL_Native

On a global scale we were great for perhaps 75 years at best then started to decline became fat indulgent and soft. Probably a pretty insignificant speed bump in history looking back 1000 years from now.

How do you come up with 75 years?

For example, the United States defeated the British empire to get independence. That’s a pretty huge step. By 1890, it was the largest economy on earth, despite enduring a horrific civil war and yet another war with the British empire. By 1945, it has supplanted the British empire and the pound. Of course, the United States was a global power before 1890…and certainly it’s still the preeminent power today and there’s nothing foreseeable to suggest that it couldn’t remain a huge global power even if hegemony slips away.

It’s closer to 250 years of power in its various forms than it is to 75.

Financial crisis emanating from the United States took down the global economy in 1929 and 2008. That time frame alone is greater than 75 years. You have to be pretty central to power to even be able to cause events like that, even though both are obviously negative, they show economic power. That’s not even getting into the other various peaks and valleys or ongoing forms of power.

Where is the start and end of the 75 years you selected?

[slowlane3]

I don't see how it's possible that mankind will even survive that long, given the out-of-control global warming, totally unsustainable and reckless destruction of the earth's resources and atmosphere through fossil fuels, increasing use of air-conditioning, reckless destruction of rain forests, irresponsible use of single-use plastics on an enormous scale, rapid extinction of birds and honeybees, etc.

And If you think it's bad now, just wait until the enormous populations of India, China, and Nigeria move into the middle class and can afford cars, largbe houses, and air conditioning on a scale comparable to the western world.