How is America the most powerful country in the world?

I don't think there are any superpowers left, just a bunch of powerful countries that tend to be in control of a lot of things. Does it really matter? I mean it doesn't make us better that anyone else. (although some people think differently)

 

Does it help that we have the world's largest media? (AKA, largest access to viewing audiences)

 

Because a town of 100,000 can afford to spend $45,000 on a 15 minute fireworks display.


That's why. That's why.

 

AJA-

Let me help convince you: without the US, the Soviet Union would have conquered Europe. America was given it's power by WWII, and we kept it to help fight communism. Now, there is no real nation-state that poses any threat, only terrorism. This is much harder to fight.

I think that gradually, over time, the US will lose it's power not because of decline, but globalization. At some point, there may simply not be a need for a 'superpower'. Interdependency continues to grow, making it harder and harder for any one country to dominate the field.

Imzadi It would be a LOT harder than you think. The only power with that ability is Russia. Do you have any idea what 100 hydrogen bombs going off would do to any country in the world? The chances of any power getting multiple bombs in here and detonating them is unlikely in the extreme. I worry far more about terrorists bombing planes and things like that than "a country getting a couple of bombs in here and that would finish america". No, it wouldn't. Most likely, whomever would be perpetrating such an act would go for killing civilians, and ignore the military targets.

Now, imagine 17,000 hydrogen bombs going off. The reason the US remains the sole military superpower is that we have enough nuclear weapons to sterilize every piece of living DNA on this planet several thousand times over. Next to that, any country without a similar ability to threaten us would be hard pressed to take the US down. Certainly without us knowing.

By the way, Lord Bane, I do have to point out that while Israel has received billions in US aid, they have gone on to modify and develop new weapons and fighting tactics which many in the american military believe are superior to even US/NATO standards. The fighting style of Krav Maga, as well as the Mossad, are two areas in which Israel at the very least rivals any western power. And they have to be, considering the precariousness of their existence.

Peace,

V-03

 

Because we're called the great Satan? Ohh wait, we have had ingenuity in the past and have overcome our own flaws. I think that's why.

 

Historically, I's say it's the dirt and two large bodies of water. No, seriously.

 

I don't know, Israel's got the 4th largest military in the world (and nowhere near the largest population). Still, I think the worst thing we did for our economy is let Germany off of paying for WWI. We helped make them take responsibility and pay for the whole thing, but then we said "Aww, you just have to pay half, we really can't do that to you." And then, we paid for WWII, really. We didn't make any of our allies or enemies nearly pay us back. If we demanded our money back, there would be no national deficit.

I say we be incredibly patriotic and push to make the world pay up. Who's with me?

 

Germany never got around to directly paying in full because all the neighboring Allied European countries were too busy sucking all the money out of it with their ridiculous "reparations", some of which ended up being redirected to the US anyway. Debts can easily create a Domino effect like that.

 

The only country ever to invade the United States was Canada.

But Canada wasn't a country then, it was still part of the British Empire. While Canadian people did fight, it wasn't under the Canadian flag, thus can't be considered a "Canadian" victory.

We're still officially under the control of Britain. Do you still consider us "not a country"? Canada didn't have a flag back then, but we were still a country. Back then, we were an independant colony. British and French settlers who had become Canadians.

First rule of dealing with Canadians (ask any of us, and we'll all tell you the same thing): It's not wise to argue with us over the War of 1812. It's serious stuff to us, and some of us can get really defensive.

But we were taught it was Britain, not Canada, since you were all under the same flag at the time. My wife (a Canadian) "set me straight", and offhandedly commented that this was considered a very large feather in Canada's cap. - Cheveyo

Anyway, back on track...

(P.S. - You don't want to get me started on German reparations)

 

Let me help convince you: without the US, the Soviet Union would have conquered Europe. America was given it's power by WWII, and we kept it to help fight communism. Now, there is no real nation-state that poses any threat, only terrorism. This is much harder to fight.

Actually, without the US, the soviet union wouldn't even have existed since Germany would have conquered Russia back in WWI.

America is so powerfull because of it's geographical location.

 

America is the most powerful country in terms of armament (ie. nuckear missiles), they have the world's biggest economy and all of the world's economies follow US trends plus the fact that there has been a cultural Americanisation of the Western World

 

I didn't say that it would be easy to attack America, I said with every other nation allied against them, it is possible. That mere possibility is what shows America's decline from hegemon status.

 

America is so powerfull because of it's geographical location.

OMG!!1!!!1! I agree with GAP!!

*goes crazy*

But seriously, our location is pretty much the sweetest piece of real estate in the world.

And let's not forget the population and how hard they work. When we need to bear down and wor, we do so.

 

and because it was able to hold onto vast tracts of land

. . .must. . .refrain. . .from making. . .Monty Python. . .joke. . .

 

I still say we should annex America Jr.

[evil Megalomaniac?s voice] And then the World![/evil Megalomaniac?s voice]

Mewwww ha ha ha ha ha!

 

First rule of dealing with Canadians (ask any of us, and we'll all tell you the same thing): It's not wise to argue with us over the War of 1812. It's serious stuff to us, and some of us can get really defensive.

Okay...

We invaded you because we were at war with the country that controlled you...

Do we agree?

However, you did repel us pretty darn well...

America has the largest buying power, the largest military, and unfortunately one of the most powerful governments in the world.

AT60, could you send me your "rant" on German reparations?

I just want to hear it...

 

And let's not forget the population and how hard they work.

And that is coming from somebody who posts at the Slacker Council. lol.

 

Our working population does work pretty hard actually. The newer younger generations are the slackers. Get it right. That's why I'm always here.

 

Lord Bane:

The Americans have had an invention in the military arena:

The precision application of firepower, starting with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

 

And that is coming from somebody who posts at the Slacker Council. lol.

Slacker Council? What's that?

Sounds like my kind of place...

 

AT60, could you send me your "rant" on German reparations?

One rant, coming right up. (PM, of course) You want excessive nationalism with that?

EDIT: It's actually pretty tame, so if anyone wants to read it (even though it's off topic a bit) then here it is:

I'll keep this simple. I think the Treaty of Versailles, the peace treaty for World War 1, was terrible. It said that Germany was solely responsible for the war, which just isn't true. It was more the Austrians and the Serbs than us. We just pledged support, and we had the strongest army.

The allied nations demanded $33 billion US. Remember, this is 1919. This is the time when you could buy lunch and get change back from the nickel. The allies wanted the money, and they wanted it fast. Germany had no choice but to print massive amounts of money. That caused massive inflation. It got so bad that people would light their stove with money instead of fuel because it was cheaper. They'd go shopping, and the price of stuff would rise 4 times just during the time they're in the store. People would bring a wheelbarrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread, and leave it on the sidewalk while they go in a and shop. They'd come out and find the wheelbarrow gone, and the money laying in a pile where the wheelbarrow was. People's life savings were wiped out. It was 10 times worse than America's Great Depression during the 1930s, and America and France were the nations responsible. France wanted to make Germany pay, and America wanted the money fast.

Things got so bad that people became desparate. They elected a charismatic leader who promised he would make things better. Enter Hitler.

We all know what happened then. Hitler started the Second World War, and it led to millions of German deaths, both military and civilian. Almost every industrial city (and some which weren't industrial) were bombed, some of them to the ground. Germany was split in two, with the commies owning a good chunk of the country. It wasn't until October 3, 1990, that Germany was finally united. Since then, about half a billion DM has been spent just trying to get the standard of living in East Germany up to West German standards. I cannot stress enough how horrible the division was. It was a national humiliation and a national tradegy. We were separated for 45 years.

Germany suffered a lot, and it was a direct result of the allied demand for reparations. Thank God they didn't make the same mistake twice. They demanded reparations after WW2, but not as much.

******************

We invaded you because we were at war with the country that controlled you...

Do we agree?

However, you did repel us pretty darn well...

We agree.

 

You forgot to mention we have the largest Intelligence Department.

We also have a very juicy bargining chip to give to defectors and other such people: "Freedom and the pursuit of Happiness"

We were able to steal alot of German and Russian scientists. We also have a very strong relationship with our cousins, the British.

Our Government is set up in a way so that no one man can harm this country or become a dictator.

When our Freedom and Rights are attacked, Americans will fight back with a great deal of determination.

We don't negotiate with terrorists.

Oh and we have NASA.

And we have a gigantic network of spy satillites in orbit. That there I think is also a huge factor as to why we are powerful. Big Brother is watching you!

 

I didn't say that it would be easy to attack America, I said with every other nation allied against them, it is possible. That mere possibility is what shows America's decline from hegemon status.

"Hegemon" is a Marxist term with no meaning outside of that context. Additionally, the US has never sought that type of status, so it would be impossible to decline from it. It's understandable that people from other parts of the world who don't understand our system (and indeed many who live here that don't understand it either) would misinterpret some of the things we do, and what our view toward foreign relations is. We do not want to have political power over any other country. We do not want to spread our influence in the interest of overtaking or degrading other cultures. That such effects have occurred is an unintended deviation from our principles, not a direct manifestation of them.

What we believe is that we have a system of government which is unique among the nations of the world, and which is better than any other yet devised by human thought. If other countries are interested in learning from what we have discovered, we will help them. If they do not like us, we will defend ourselves. That is what our view towards other countries is, although the Clinton Administration took a very different approach, which is to use the substantial resources of the US to attempt to promote a world-wide political agenda that in many cases was destructive both to the US' standing in other countries, and to the countries to which they thought they were providing "enlightenment".

In other words, it's the generalized notion of "globalism" that people ought to resent, not the US. To the extent that leaders such as the previous President of the US promote that notion, they ought to be resented as well.

 

Clinton was a mistake.

 

AT-60, that was not what I expected from you. Your ideas on German Reparations are pretty much right on. However, I think that most of that was Britian and France, I thought the US, Wilson just gave them that so he could get the League of Nations, but I could be wrong.

However, while the War of 1812 was a stalemate, the battle of New Orleans which took place 2 weeks after the treaty was signed, the US won decisively.