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The American Century
Sunset, Second Dawn, or Shifting Skies?
The abundance of late-night news shows, economic forecasts, and global conferences complicates the ability to answer this question. How likely is it that the US will stay the most powerful country in the world? The world seems more complicated and connected than ever in the middle of 2025. I must admit that I think about this issue more often than I would like. This question goes beyond just being an academic exercise; it has to do with the future of my children, world peace, and the core identity of a country that has been the world’s most powerful for almost a century.
To answer this question, we first need to know what the word “superpower” means. Is it just military power? Does it involve a significant amount of economics? Could you explain what cultural pull means in more detail? Better technology? Or is it a mix of all of these things, plus the hard-to-define quality of global leadership: the ability to bring people together, convince them, and sometimes force them to do what you want? I believe the latter is accurate, and in light of this, people are evaluating America's standing, which is still relatively strong.