Listening

So I'm listening to my girlfriend's online lecture for her American History class. I find it amusing that the professor discusses that America was seen as a profiteering venture, only then to assimilate the later trends we identify as American Revolutionary thinking: freedom of religion, government, equal power, etc... America started with great intentions as a country, we have seemingly come a far ways from our original ideals, but I still feel we have a lot of policies that remain better than many other countries.

Yes, America is the self proclaimed leader of the western world, we wish to believe we are still #1 in all things, but unfortunately, we are now as Britain was at the turning of the Raj, and are slipping from power. People wish to believe that America has always been the best, but it realistically only started after WWII, which is less than 100 years.

Who then will take the reigns as world superpower? China? Japan? The European Union? None of the above. A single world power is impossible in modern society. To put it simply, a Capatilistic world has to remain too diverse to monopolize, so no single country can contain all the power. America still has the most diverse economy in the world, but not the strongest. That would actually go to Sweden, who always has maintained a strong Socialist economy carefully monitored through a very selective population. The strongest armed forces without a doubt is still America's, we invest enough to stay ahead of the technological curve of killing, but China has become masters of the computer subterfuge. What do I mean by this? They have been going around to major buisinesses and government jobs looking to strike a deal, you know- my company scratches your back if you scratch mine sort of affair. Well, what happens is when these proposals go down, they give a cd or jumpdrive that has their "preview" or "demo" of their product, what the company doesn't know is that it has a deeply encrypted virus that downloads the entire Company's system to a remote location, and within weeks, the company will be dominated or shut down by these Chinese buisinessmen. They've hacked into MI6 and MI5, most likely the CIA and FBI as well, along with numerous fortune 500's. So what defense is there against an economic war with no paper trails?

So who controls true power in the world scene? The U.N has now teeth, though I personally agree with their aims and goals. However they have a hard time even policing themselves, there are always numerous stories how UN controlled states suffer from theft, rape, and pillaging from their would-be protectors. Why? Because nobody can control them, they have total control and can get away with murder if they so chose....so obviously there is something crooked here.

Third world countries (specifically American) control the drug trafficking of the world. They are powerful in the black markets, and to a great extent, politically on an international level. In 2005-06 when Bush was threatening to build a giant 20' wall around the border of Mexico to keep aliens out (how utterly thoughtful...) and the Mexican president's response: you go ahead and do that, I'll legalize acid and meth. Surprise, we didn't build a wall at the threat that drugs would be so easy to access. And now Mexico is at war with itself due to cartels...but that's another story altogether.

So I feel America is still very powerful, but within itself it is seeing a great power flux, not the whole Dems vs. Reps., that has always existed and never has really meant much, considering both political parties are just a little left and right of the middle (compare to Torries and Workman parties of Britain which are extremes...), but instead we are seeing West against East. I feel it is much the same idea of why America fractured from the crown to begin with- how can someone thousands of miles away know what is best for us? I'm not saying were going to have another Civil war, that's just stupid. But how can our elected officials properly dictate to us what is best for our states when they only see their "home" a couple weeks a year? And how does New York have any say how something like, motorized off-road vehicle restrictions in Yellowstone of Cascade National Parks, when they don't even live or see these places. It doesn't effect them in any way, but it can devastate local ecologies and economies, which in the end bite them back. For that matter-what right do states like Idaho or Montana have in dictating Urban laws for the country? Most cities have larger populations than these states, so what would we know about it?

California and Texas both act basically indipendent of how the states dictate they should, but we still allow them in the union. California buys excess power from all it's neighboring states, all the way from Idaho...which begs me to ask, if your state doesn't have enough resources to sustain itself, maybe a little internal restructuring is in order? But I'm ranting now.

I just feel that times have changed and that where the central power of America is located, should be a bit more literal in the "central" category. Someplace like Iowa, or Wyoming should have the capitol building... but that's never going to happen.

So withing the next couple of decades, the world will be shaken and there will be an extreme amount of change that will alter power the world over.

That's a rant for today. Yay...