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In another thread I saw a person mention something about the US becoming a "second-rate world power" like the UK. And it got me thinking... how bad could that actually be?
Most people in the UK seem to enjoy the same standard of living that we enjoy. They have cell phones, computers, running water, electricity, etc. Yes, they've even got McDonalds and Starbucks and Chipotle! I get the feeling that a lot of people think anywhere that's not the US is some sort of backwards dystopia, but a lot of countries really aren't that different from us in terms of standards of living. Hell, some are better.
The bigger threat to the US is that almost half the people here are poor.
How about we become a second-rate world power, adjust our military expenditures accordingly, invest in education, and repay the debt? That would be fine with me.
The only people that would be negatively effected by The US being a "second rate world power" would be the many Corporations who have contracts in The Middle East (Dick Cheney and Haliburton ring a bell?) and those wishing for a One World Government and Monetary system.
Regular Americans would most likely see their Quality of Life rise as more funds would be available for domestic infrastrucure and education instead of foreign nation building.
We wouldn't look like the UK (or any other western nation for that matter) because we wouldn't have a United States to subsidize our military. Even so, I think we should significantly roll back our military spending and involvement with the rest of the world. What that would entail would be to work more cooperatively with those nations that truly share our values and interests -- Canada, the UK, NATO, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc. They would have to spend more money and be more involved with their own defense. We would have to accept the fact that we can't just schedule a war and expect others to show up.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HurricaneDC
In another thread I saw a person mention something about the US becoming a "second-rate world power" like the UK. And it got me thinking... how bad could that actually be?
We'll find out soon enough if we keep gutting wages, benefits, education, the social safety net, and the environment, while making folks work longer hours without compensation, castrating their workers union, bailing out Wall Street's irresponsibility, giving the rich another tax cut, and ultimately sending all our jobs overseas!
Typical new attitude being bestowed upon America. Why achieve to be great when you can be second rate. Should be Obama's campaign slogan.
Once at second rate why not become third rate?
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