Over the centuries many countries and regions have had their turns as dominant empires; the Spanish Empire of the late 1700’s, the Russian Empire of the mid 1600’s, the Ottoman Empire of the early 1800’s, the British Empire of the mid 1800’s, to name but a few.
History shows that the average longevity of dominant ‘empires’ has been about 200 years.
No one likes to say it, at least in the U.S., but are the recent years of signs that the U.S. is losing influence in world affairs only temporary, or indications that the U.S. ‘empire’ is taking its turn of fading away?
The question seems to be in headlines almost daily. Russia is seeking cooperation with India on technology transfers. Britain is leading global push for banking regulations. Germany and France are pushing for the European Union to lead the way in regulating global speculative trading in derivatives. Seeking the advice or cooperation of the U.S. is rarely mentioned. Increasingly international trade groups are being formed that exclude the U.S. The technologies of the future, particularly in energy and communications are being advanced and exploited by European and Asian countries, which are far ahead of the U.S. in the use of nuclear power, wind and solar power, and the speed and low cost of internet connections. Even Forbes’ latest list of the world’s richest people includes only three Americans.
While the previous powerful influence of the U.S. seems to be sliding away, China and India are obviously rising fast, and less obviously Brazil and the European Union.
Is it temporary or too late to reverse the trend?
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Credit: Sy Harding
3.11.10, ...
