The End of the US
Most people would like to ignore this reality. This up and coming disaster that has steadily increased in magnitude since the early 90s. I guess pride has a lot to do with it, and also the fact that most people in the US are just downright ignorant of how their country even works much less the whole world.
Economically, the US is dying and slowly at that. Decreasing exports in the face of increasing imports are causing trade deficits like never before. Exports are losing quality and US goods can no longer compete with good from abroad. Aging industries have been kept artificially alive by corrupt and inept leadership. Upcoming and new industries are being suffocated or coerced by insane patent laws or industry bullies such as the RIAA and MPAA. Bad lending practices have caused a housing bubble, that still hasn't shown its worst side, and a lending crisis that will not resolve anytime soon. An inflated stock market and insanely low overnight lending rates are being used as life support for said dying economy, which will prove to be fatal in the future due to over inflation and rising price levels. Increased aggregate demand created by the "War on Terror" will soon die off, and another problem will be created to resupply the demand, yet this Keynesianism has fucked up in the past and will fuck up again. Economic competition from abroad is not easing up any, and unlike in past recessions and depressions where the US was essentially the only market not screwed by war, many other countries can fill in the hole created by the US this time.
Technologically the US is behind as well as most people are aware in the fields of aeronautic and automotive industries. US automakers are now behind almost all Japanese and European makers while Boeing is now facing off against a much stronger Airbus. Also in the space of semiconductors and processors, the US is falling behind, since US corporations such as Intel and IBM are outsourcing a good amount of their R&D. For that matter, our beloved Core2 duo was invented by Israelis and IBMs Cell was invented in a Partnership with Sony and Toshiba. No major space missions have been taken since the cold war days and NASA's budget has been reduced to pennies compared to what it should be. Due to a lack of proper education and a horde of teens way out of touch with reality there has been a deficit of literate youth causing a need for importing human capital. This is being stopped by rednecks and retards who want immigration to be toughened so they do not lose their jobs to more qualified and cheaper labor from abroad (yes that's right, they have a better education and cost less, yet the US populace would rather stop them from coming here instead of getting off their lazy asses and out competing them in education).
Socially the US was only good up until the hippy era in the 70s or 80s. Now, a majority of the US populace is below the level of most international education standards, and instead of trying to increase education spending and introducing tougher graduation requirements, they are reducing both. The feminist horde has also made the housewife a taboo of some sort, and women who would normally be happy with that career are considered weak. Divorce rates are going through the roof and men are not replacing or sharing the responsibilities of the now obsolete house wife well enough. Most teens could give a damn about the world they live in and are now more interested in indulging in the luxuries their parents are providing them. Those underprivileged portion of the population are struggling to keep pace and survive while the rich whip them left and right on a daily basis. The middle class no longer exists since most middle class incomes have not adjusted to new price levels yet and can no longer afford what used to be their normal lifestyle. Massive over spending and living way beyond ones means has lead to record consumer debt levels leaving many with little to no actual money, only credit. No private savings, means less investment, means more crowding-out affect (macroecon term meaning gov't borrows funds available through savers/investor cycles leaving little for investors/entrepreneurs).
Government is by far the biggest source of dilapidation between the four areas of society mentioned here. The judicial system is ruled by elites of the same color hiding behind a veil of supposed neutrality. Congress and the House of Representatives is ruled by idiots where you may declare the internet a series of tubes (the man was sent "an internet" on friday and got it on tuesday....the horror), and have illicit conversations with pages when being in charge of stopping such behavior. The executive branch has lost all accountability since the other two branches are corrupted beyond belief. Record federal deficits and insane foreign/domestic debt has left the government compromised to threats from lenders such as China and even countries such as Canada (thought that day would never come didn't you).
A message for those who do not believe that the US can die.....stop kidding yourself. Greater empires have fallen throughout history with just as much significance if not more than the US in their time. The empire doesn't die in an instant as most people imagine it, it is a slow and quaint process. There will be no 9/11 style even that triggers the end, it will be everyday life until one day you wake up and realize that you are in a 3rd world country equivalent. Slowly but surely, other countries will divert trade away from the US to more profitable regions of the world as aggregate demand in the US falls. Money will funnel out of the country to others (this process has been under way for about 8 years now). All major corporations will shift camp if they have to, they have no allegiance and could care less if the US dies. For the country to survive, one of those areas listed above would have to drag others out of the fire, but since they are all in it, they will just keep feeding the fire. For the funny people in here, there will be no nuclear holocaust to take the world with you. The Russians have been in that boat for a long time now, and they had crazier people yet no mass nuclear strikes took place. Just keep taking it easy for those who believe it won't happen, and for those that are trying to "wake" people up, keep trying that without taking any significant action. In time all will work out for the benefit of the world, not for you, the US, specifically.
Now comment and shout/bash.
Related Links:How Else Can I Offend The People of Shoutwire? NSFW The Beginning of The End End of The Year WTF List The Myth of The Easily Offended Non-christians of Christmas Send In The Clones