Re: " personally think that the US constitution is currently the best constitution around and that the underlying ideal expressed in it and in the Declaration should be aspired to by people everywhere."
Nice.
Re: "Sheer luck......being at the right place at the right time.
You don't include my belief as a factor, namely, that the aformentioned constitution provides for a certain Individual Freedom which drives the economy of this country in a positive fashion.
Re: "these factors can no longer be counted upon to propel US into the future."
Luck can't be counted upon. Freedom could, particularly if fully implemented.
Re: "in an increasingly interdependent world US cannot remain indifferent to the wants of others. As a very simple example, if the rest of the world had the will to suddenly stop accepting USD, America as you know would end within a year and without them firing a single shot."
A Capitalist system such as the U.S. would scarcely be, and isn't now in practice, indifferent to the wants of others(if only where trade barriers aren't tilting the game board).
If the rest of the world had the will to suddenly stop accepting USDollars as you suggest, the rest of the world would end some time before America struggled to any halt. If it had the will, the rest of the world would change its mind soon enough(which would be best for all, plainly).
Re: "I am a libertarian at heart and believe in the maximum amount of freedom for everyone."
Nice.
Re: "we are now fast approaching the era of corporate tyranny with government as the enforcer of the will of big business"
Return the freedom, i.e. remove again the ability of Government to tax and give and interfere in the process, as the constitution would have it, and we could end this problem(lobbyists? Outta here as we know them).
Re: "One way or another, the same forces that made marauding tribes to unite to form national governments around the world will force creation of larger blocks (EU, SEA, India-Pakistan-Iran, Arab World, etc). So long as US fails to see this as inevitable and views it as a threat it should fight rather than as an evolutionary trend it should join, America will lose."
If such "larger blocks" promote other than Individual Freedom, they will lose, and the U.S. should not partake.
Re: "There is a limited window of opportunity to shape the world for the better for US and the rest of humanity. This window is closing fast."
For those who continue to employ Freedom, the window does not close.
Re: "it is even debatable if this is a good thing. For example, when it comes to computer vision, Europe is well ahead of US. They are also a lot more efficient in their operations. Their people get more vacations and suffer from much less stress and enjoy their lives more."
I don't know if Europeans enjoy their lives more or not, but if they are ahead in computer vision and more efficient in certain operations, that's fine, they should get the job(without being impeded by trade barriers). We'll be good for other things, and couldn't possibly be best at everything nor provide everything.
RE: "<<We offer our citizens more freedoms than any other country...>>
This is not true. It can be said that US offers some freedoms while others offer other freedoms, but I don't think it is as clear cut as you make it to be."
Your follow up anecdotal evidence for the your above thought is not only a debatable issue where just and honest Freedom is concerned, but by simply being anecdotal, it by nature fails to make your case even if viewed as you appear to view it.
Re: ">> We offer our citizens and the citizens of the world more in the way of Disaster Relief, Foreign Aid, Medical support, etc...<<
Again not so, unless perhaps you are talking in absolute dollar amount rather than per-capita or percentage of GDP.
Is there a notable exception there?
Re: "But even in absolute dollar amount, it is not true that US contributes the most to the world."
You seem to disagree with yourself greatly. I highly suspect you are flatly wrong here.
Re: ">> Our, USA, SOL and way of life is revered and envied around the world...<<
As a person who has traveled extensively around the world (and spends months outside the US every year) I can tell you this is patently false."
Patently false? Hardly. I don't know how YOU interpret what chuch wrote above, but I feel I KNOW he did not say "everyone in the world" envies the US Standard of Living(though most easily by appearances could/should). I'm very sure, without your extensive travel, that there are indeed people around the world who envy our standard of living. No? REALLY? Hmmmm...
And yes, I agree, "might is right" is not the attitude for the U.S. to take.
Dan B. |
