What really makes America so powerful?

Answer 1

money

Answer 2

Reason 1: World Wars 1 and 2.

Those wars created massive industrial expansion worldwide. But only a small number of places benefited from that expansion without the concomitant downside of being invaded or bombed. The USA was by far the most important of these.

Reason 2: Self selection

The American Dream, go west young man, etc. Those who chose to go to the Americas from the old world were searching for change and ready to risk anything to get it. Many of them carried a strong religious work ethic with them. This naturally results in economic power, given a sufficient set of starting advantages (see Reason 3). The genocide of native Americans that was associated with this doesn't figure in the economics, only in the morals (and Truman dissed that one: if you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow)

Reason 3: Resources

Whatever you need, the US will have some natural source of it somewhere (perhaps not Uranium, but the rest, yes). Why? Because it contains, and has contained, virtually all natural environments except polar, and it has them in one unified political arrangement.

Reason 4: Strategy

It hasn't always been good, but the strategy of pro-actively rebuilding Germany and Japan after WW2 made those two countries strong but also made USA untouchable. The same thing is going on with China now. You want economic power in the world? That means you need the world to want your goods, whether its movies, Windows XP, model T fords, whatever. Make your own customers. Forget troops; economic hegemony is the most effective way of sustaining power.

Reason 5: A relative lack of corruption

Gasp! You are kidding me!!! No. I know there are horrors in the US, but go visit Brazil and try telling me that endemic corruption is not a cancer that keeps the poor in misery, and even impoverishes the rich. Rockerfeller was no saint, and may even have been the very devil in many ways, but at least he didn't cut off his own nose to spite his face.

Answer 3

Isn't the answer "a network of very rich men?" That bunch who have worldwide power and financial backing and for whom the President is a puppet?

I'm sure you can find more details on the Web. It must be true. Just look at the people who become President.

The only other reason I can think of why America elects people who are short on brain power is because of a lousy education system in many parts of the country. An education system which doesn't teach people to think for themselves.

Because I can't believe so many Americans can be so stupid!!!

Answer 4

Updated: 01-Jun-2006 Web Presentation Helper


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Abraham Lincoln Speech : The Gettysburg Address
Washington - 19 November 1863

At only 246 words long the Gettysburg address is one of the shortest speeches that we have featured. The most famous part of the speech is the "government of the people - by the people - for the people". This is another example of the rule of three .



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Here is the text in full:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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This is also quite a nice quote by Abraham Lincoln - " Better to remain silent and be thought a fool then to speak out and remove all doubt."





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Answer 5

We're not any more. Pretty stupid to be talking a tough line with Iran and North Korea, when we already have a military thats ready to break just from being in Iraq. That and how long do you think we would last in a sustained two front war when our manufacturing industrial base is all but decimated due to NAFTA? Industrial might is what saved our asses in WWII.

Answer 6

America isn't powerful they've been pulling the wool over every ones eyes for years.
the war in Iraq prove America,is weak and getting weaker.

Answer 7

The ability to borrow more money than other countries, so they pay more and give tax cuts to their friends in the weapons industry.

Because America is so powerful corruption is rampant. Power corrupts! Absolute power corrupts absolutely!

Answer 8

They are not so powerful. If they were, they will not struggle to cope with a few terrorists in Iraq will they?They have exposed themselves as just another nation with nuclear weapons that they cant use. Marble melody is absolutely spot on. well done!

Answer 9

National pride and i respect that. What i dont respect is their continuous interferance in foreign affairs. The outright liberty taken in dictating whom should have nuvclear capability. HAS EVERYONE FORGOTTEN THAT THE ONLY ARMY TO EVER DETONATE A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN ANGER IS ...... THATS RIGHT.., THE GOOD OLD US of A.. Oh yeah not once but fu*?in twice ha ha ha haaaa haaa haaa

Answer 10

Ultimately, the ideas that came from the Enlightenment: life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. This is both moral & practical for man's existence, and we have experienced the product of that -- mainly in the industrial revolution. Now we - kind of - ride on the coattails of that historic pinnacle, which is dying.

Answer 11

The people.