Can the US become a superpower like the EU?

USA? Are you kidding? They are a nation in constant infancy and I can't see them coming out of it anytime soon (say... the next 5 centuries). Pray we won't follow their "example" as most of the lessaiz faire morons in Bruxelles wish... the Yanks are in a path of no return, they have failed to modernize their society and economical system for so many decades, what makes you think they'll change them in the future? And I fear they'll take down the world with them.

In the social realm the US is undoubtably behind, but as for the economic and military stuff, its not behiond at all, or in advance, its just the system necessary to retain superpower status.  Just like when Europe was the dominant colonial power and they had the world dominating miliatries, back then the US had virtually no army or navy worth salt.

People have what they have because of present day circumstances and their role in the world, it is not one linear line like Karl Marx says everything is.

As long as the USA stay an economic and military superpower I think they won't change much. When they become less powerfull (may take 20 years, may take 100 years, but sooner or later they will) I think they will change.
Then (the PR) China will probably the nr. 1 world power, and I'm afraid they won't be any better than the USA on the human rights/social front.

Originally posted by dark_one  Western Europe is in a period of fall at the present. Eastern Europe is either falling or showing no significant progress. USA stays more or less the same, and it is China and India which are rising. And USA's high GDP is partially due to the fact that it's population is significantly larger than that of Germay, France Uk or any other major European country. Your % growth rates are smaller than their however.

Last time I saw, America's GDP growth rate was higher than any European nations.  And China's and India's GDP growth rates are kind of misleading, giving that they are just now catching up.  America's growth rate is sustained growth from an already large economy.

This is an interesting twist on another thread.
I see one main difference between US and EU.
Both systems are based on te same philosophical basis which originated in Europe.
Voltaire, Russeau, Locke, etc.
Both systems, historically, never lived upto their lofty ideals.
Difference is that people in Europe know it and try to improve on their system.
People in US, leaders in particular, tried and try to match these shortcomings by propaganda, not a real improvements in the system. System is stagnant and totally oblivious to its shortcomings. A lot of Americans recognize problems that may cost US its position on the world stage, yet fixes applied are short term patches instead of long term solutions. There is no long term vision.

Europeans, on the other hand, have habit of thinking long term and this favorizes Europe.
Real key is to see if US can fix social and economic problems in time to prevent its decline. No one should kid itself, US is the dominant economic and military power at this time. Not only that, it is a major agent of economic growth for the whole planet. To match this, Europe will need to do much better.

XX century is called the American Century and it is going to be interesting to see whos XXI century is going to be.

Edited by cavalry4ever

I would say that the difference is the fact that the the American economy is structurally favorable to capitalism and growth, unlike much of Europe where business chastised with high taxes and powerful unions. 

And cavalry4ever, what flaws are you talking about?

Currently, Social Security reform is a hot topic so that America will not be burdened with exorbitant taxes in the future.  Is that not long term planning?

Europe on the other hand merely raises its taxes to very high levels.  Is that not a short term solution with negative long-term consequences.

Thanks for posting the graph too.

How many countries are there in the world, where a heavily-accented Austrian immigrant can become Governor and then President? Would France allow this?

And if the US is an aristocracy, then how come immigrant Indians are the richest ethnic group in the country?

And why are millions of people from the "liberal democracies" of Asia, Middle-East, South America, etc, desperate to emigrate to the "colonial, aristocratic" US which does not "respect human rights"?

How many countries are there in the world, where a heavily-accented Austrian immigrant can become Governor and then President? Would France allow this?

A Corsican who barely spoke French, is France's greatest political and military leader of all times. A Greek is Albanias greatest leader and hero of all times. A French is England's greatest hero and two French are considered two of the greatest leaders they had. A French is Sweden's second greatest military leader and founder of a royal dynasty. A German is the founder of the Royal dynasty in England, an Austrian in Spain, a Dansk the genitor of the (late) royal house of Greece. Peru had a Japanese prime minister and India () an Italian.

So, in which way is USA special?

Power is the defining factor, not "ethnic origins" and today power equates MONEY and that is what dictates power play in USA, not where from ...and in a nation of immigrants, nevertheless. Of course, I wouldn't expect a poor sod, from Austria or anywhere else, who ain't a big movie star and big republican supporter and donator and married to a Kennedy offspring, to gain any kind of popularity or public office... would you?

And if the US is an aristocracy, then how come immigrant Indians are the richest ethnic group in the country?

What has that (and I definitely expect some sort of valid source to accept such a dubious assertion) to do with aristocracy? People don't get rich under aristocracies? I would concede the contrary - few people become very rich under aristocracies. What are you talking about? Perhaps you are mixing "aristocratic" with "racist"? I was not refering to pre-Apartheid S. Africa, I was talking about USA

And why are millions of people from the "liberal democracies" of Asia, Middle-East, South America, etc, desperate to emigrate to the "colonial, aristocratic" US which does not "respect human rights"?

I haven't seen any European in the past three decades "desperate to emigrate" to USA. The current Immigrants come from poor, all-but-liberal countries of the third world, not advanced democracies. Meaning, they are mostly interested in surviving and escaping powerty and that's why they go to the economically advanced USA or Europe. Take Indians, for instance Millions of Indians leave their powerty behind and escape to (United Kingdom is the greatest recipient of Indian immigration not USA) or the US to make a better living.

OTOH, there is a number of people leaving USA precisely because it's becoming an Orwellian dictatorship day by day. And finally, "colonial" is another word you (and Paul?) used, not me. I would say "neo-colonial"

Edited by Aristoteles

Originally posted by Aristoteles What USA has: - Correct: military domination over the whole world - Correct: Political domination over the whole world - Inocorrect: Economical supremacy. As I exhibited in another thread, the US economy is fragile, build on wrong premises, experiences huge difficulties and is on the verge of constant collapse, because of the overblown dollar, social instability and humangous social disrepancies and structural disrepancies as well. - Completely incorrect: A stable society. The masses of unemployed, MacJob-ers, underpaid in USA are increasing expontaneously every day. The switch to neo-lessaiz faire models that worked decently in the 80s and wonders in the early 90s, has run out of steam and the gap between those who have and those who have not is getting wider and wider every day. The lack of actual welfare and relief for the neo-poor the system creates every day, and the talks to eliminate even the miniscule leftovers from "the New Deal" that provide a safety net for a few people, show that things can only get worse. There is a point in the (near) future when US economy will collapse due to economic and social factors and the problems we'll all face due to that, shall be enormous. - Completely incorrect: a working democracy (or republic, if you wish). USA is an aristocracy, as correctly pointed out and explained by Paul in the OP. Furthermore, USA is not big on human rights, is in many aspects a huge police state, is exporting fascism since the first post-WWII decade to the whole globe, is not in compliance with any international treaty, harbors, aids and protects terrorist states and renowned war criminals and terrorists etc. etc. ...Just to put things into perspective, mates

Completely incorrect: Everything you just said.

Even if say, the US econimic domination is wobbly, which may or may not be true, its still the number 1 economic power.  the EU is not a superpower because its not even no 2 econimc power, Japan is. 

ALso I think one importnat factor has yet to be mentioned, cultural power.  The US wields immense cultural power.  jeans, mp3s, movies, food etc.  Make sure to steep your criticism carefully if your wearing a pair of Levis, listening to American music or perhaps even communicating on an international forum in English