Comparisons between Modern America and British 20th century decline

Hello all. I've been thinking a lot around the idea that history appears to repeat itself, at least in terms of Hegemony and imperial decline. While I know there is debate on America's definition of being an empire or not, I am interested in the opinions of this forum's members on their idea of parallels on it's current geopolitical decline and possible refutations of this idea.

Do you believe we can draw comparisons between the decline of the British Empire, and can this be used to predict or understand American decline? Indeed, is America declining geopolitically at all?

I hope this makes sense, and I'm very interested in everyone's opinions.
 
Well I'd say America is where Britain was in 1910. Militarily they're top of the tree, but other powers are moving to challenge it superiority. Economically they've already slipped into decline and are living on the accumulated riches of earlier generations but with the illusion that they are still what they were 2 generations ago.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Sorry, but unlike Britain, the US now is still a world leader in science and technology, as well as various high-tech sectors, a major producer of oil and food.
 
In my opinion, the greatest danger to US is the gerrymandering of legislature seats so that both parties have safe districts. There is no reason to compromise and the representatives at both the state level and federal level are focused on avoiding a primary challenge. So major problems are kicked down the road until they become so big that they can not be avoided. By then any solution will be very hard. Out debt is climbing and the interest payments will start to climb also.

In my opinion have a nonpartisan drawing of the legislature seats would produce more swing seats which could result in more compromises. Other wise we will decline due to our inability to solve our problems.
 
Sorry, but unlike Britain, the US now is still a world leader in science and technology, as well as various high-tech sectors, a major producer of oil and food.
Not sorry, delete Britain and insert British Empire. That takes out oil and food for starters [food for starters, that's quite good]. The UK wasn't as bad at science and technology as the Barnettistas make it out to be. It wasn't perfect and there was room for improvement, but it wasn't as bad as the toilet roll long list of examples I expect you to reply with.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Not sorry, delete Britain and insert British Empire. That takes out oil and food for starters [food for starters, that's quite good]. The UK wasn't as bad at science and technology as the Barnettistas make it out to be. It wasn't perfect and there was room for improvement, but it wasn't as bad as the toilet roll long list of examples I expect you to reply with.
Well, I am not saying the British at that time were that bad, but they were certainly not world leader. The Germans were.
 
Its a question of size. The US is so much bigger and is so much less attached to global trade that it can't really decline as far as the British empire. The US will for at least the next hundred years be a first tier power. The UK struggles now to maintain itself as a second tier power.
 
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