RE: US living in 'fantasy
It depends what you mean by destruction. All of the imperialist countries of the past are still around. I don't think the US is suddenly going to break into pieces with parts joining Canada and parts becoming some sort of theocracy or something.
I think the US is headed for a major crash though...a failing of their economy driven by a world that no longer wants their dollar and is tired of their colonialism.
I do think that they will lose most of their influence on the world stage. Right now that influence is propped up by a huge economy and a huge military. The economy is in trouble though...massive debt, trade deficits, a reliance on old technologies for energy, etc. have put them in a position where they are very vulnerable.
The military simply cannot exist to the extent it presently does without the wealth that economy provides. How many military people are going to stick around without paycheques? How are all of those expensive programs and toys going to be paid for?
What would I like to see happen? Moving from free trade to real fair trade policies...using trade agreements to raise the standard of living in developing nations...would do a great deal to mitigate trade deficits. Getting rid of the massive subsidy programs would save billions every year. Developing alternative energies would free up billions to drive a real economy. The military, if it isn't out getting involved in every skirmish in every country where there's an oil well or pipeline, can be cut considerably.
So what do I think the US needs to do to save itself? Quit trying to be a 19th century unilateral imperial power and become a 21st century multilateral nation.
