Yes, America is in a Tough Spot. But if You Think Our Power is Fading, Think Again.

The following is adapted from The Rise of America by Marin Katusa.

These days, there is no escaping the new doom-and-gloom sentiment in America. From the mainstream media to the most partisan of internet blogs, the message is the same. And it’s everywhere:

• The sun is setting on the great American experiment.
• The US economy is in a state of terminal decline.
• The dollar will soon become as disposable as toilet paper.
• If the 20th century was America’s, the 21st will be China’s.
• Blah, blah, blah.

To all of which I say: not so fast.

The reality is quite the opposite.

To be sure, disruption is the watchword of the day. Turmoil engulfs us — political, economic, social — and a worldwide, virus-induced recession only highlights it. There will be major economic dislocations, changes in the patterns of international trade, new political alignments and tensions, deep social adjustments, and a reshuffling of the global monetary system.

But the big winner is going to be America.

I know you don’t believe me. And I don’t blame you. The opposite view bombards you with the idea that the US is fading as a world power. Day in, day out, with no end in sight.

No surprise, because that’s what it looks like to the naked eye: the American economy is in tatters, propped up only by stimulus money from Washington; unemployment is at levels not seen since the Great Depression; proponents of differing political points of view can no longer talk to each one another; the Federal Reserve is “printing” too much money, and the dollar is falling in value; racial tensions that have been simmering for decades are boiling over; and internationally, China is eating our lunch.

It doesn’t matter what TV channel you watch or whose blog you read. The only difference is whom the messenger chooses to blame for the received belief that everything is going to hell.

You’re probably wondering how I can confidently predict the Rise of America amidst all this negativity. It’s simple. I don’t listen to it. It’s just a boiling cauldron of opinion, signifying nothing.

Instead, I look carefully at what’s happening in the world. I have to. I’m an investor. Unlike most commentators who freely offer their unsolicited opinions, I have skin in the game. I can’t afford to be wrong.

Thus, I look at the world the same way I plan my investments — according to what’s out there, not what I agree with or not what I would like to be out there. What is.

I pay no attention to pontifications such as “We’ve never been here before,” or “The country has never been so divided.” Nonsense. America, as a nation, has been down this road before. America has suffered much, much worse.

How have people forgotten that the US once had a civil war that nearly tore the country in two? That the early 20th century featured labor/management strife so bad that blood ran rivers in the streets? That a 10-year Depression depression caused near-intolerable stress that often exploded into violence? That the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s generated reactions that ranged from attack dogs to police riots?

The point is that bad stuff happens, and when it does, we get through it. Americans are an amazingly resilient lot and are especially at their best when their backs are to the wall.

We have so many things going for us. The US military is present in over 600 bases in over seventy nations. A friendly neighbor to the north (Canada), oceans on our boundaries, and the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River locations provide us a geographical barrier from invasion that no other nation on the planet has.

The United States has an incredible mineral endowment for the elements required in the 21st century. Plus, we have incredible hydrocarbon reserves (both onshore and off), and we have the unique position to be a global leader in wind, solar, hydro (including geothermal), and nuclear energy.

The United States is in another rough patch, no question — economically, politically, socially, you name it.

But America is made for this. The nation will come out the other side, stronger than ever. Count on it. Recovery won’t happen overnight, but of one thing I am certain: deep within the soil of the current discontent, the seeds of a brighter future have been planted and are sprouting the Rise of America.

So ignore what the naysayers are telling you. Instead, start educating yourself about what’s really going on. Because there is no doubt about it: the Rise of America is at stage center. And if you understand the forces at play, you can be a part of it and benefit from it, both financially and socially.

For more advice on how to take advantage of the Rise of America, you can find The Rise of America on Amazon.

Marin Katusa is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Colder War. Over the last two decades, he has become the largest independent financier in the resource sector globally. Katusa has visited over 500 resource projects in over 100 countries. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and CNBC. He publishes his unique resource strategies and research at www.katusaresearch.com.