User blog comment:Ty Rezac/Superpowers/@comment-1630894-20120709204715/@comment-4621372-20120716120752

Don't take this personally!

Fact is, America's reach is dying. America's hegemony was always political- the reson it's sanctions work well is because it leans on everyone else to also start sanctions. They have a trade deficit, and frankly speaking their economy is huge, but it's also dying like a fly in a snow drift. Scratch that- elepahnt in an avalanche. The recession is starting to affect India and CHina- their growth rates are now, towards the end, starting to dip. America's, meanwhile, has been hammered stright through the last 4 and a half years. India may be growing by only some 4%, but thats a good 3.5% better than the US. China, India, Brazil may all have corruption problems, but thier economies are growing much better.

And in terms of military force...

You Americans are frankly out matched in the South China Sea. China's Island ring can't be beaten by ffast cruisers, because fast as your ships are, the Chinese ships are everywhere. Taiwan is defenceless- the Chinese don't attack not because you can protect them, but because you can avenge them. But even that starts a nuclear war- and no-one wins that. Besides which, Israel, Frnce, and Britain may be behind you, but the others are all wild cards. India will wait to see which side Pakistan supports, then support the other side. Russia will probably support China, but if America looks like it is winning...

Anyway, you get 2012: Doomsday.

China, Russia, and India openly and loudly ignored American sanctions on Iran- which, by the way, still hasn't given in, probably because they- and the Chinese, Russians, and Indians- have a very good deal going on with each other. Not as good as pre sanctions, but enough to continue without too much pain.

So... America's power is declining on all fronts. If the EU unifies, it will no longer be the worlds most powerful country.