Is America at its rise, golden age, or decline?

Question

Empires have come and gone. Lots of them follow a pattern. They rise, they have a golden age, then they decline. They rise due to a good leader, a common goal, or just pure luck. When they fall, it's usually due to the massive size of the empire, outside forces, internal corruption, or warfare. If America were considered an empire, which point is it at?

If America is in a decline, is it a slow decline? The Romans took 300 years to decline, how long will it take America to?
Then again times have changed. I don't think America is going to completely perish like the Roman Empire did, but maybe it just won't be a superpower anymore?

Answer 1

Sadly we are in a decline. America is hated in most parts of the world.

Answer 2

Well, remember that the "decline of the Roman Empire" was also the time in which the territories of that empire were at their best in many ways. The most creative and artistic time for Italy was when the Glory of Rome was just flickering out.

Decline is a long, complicated process, and some would say that the great empires of the Ancient World have never really ended.

So "decline" is not all bad. Having said that, it seems clear that the Golden Age of the USA was the recovery from the Great Depression through the Second World War and into the 1980s and 90s. The Golden Age had certainly ended when the present administration took office.

So we are right at the dividing line between gold and decline. It won't be all bad.

Answer 3

Well I hate to say this but I feel we are on the decline. The golden age would have to be that period during Americas entrance into WWII, that was the last time the majority of America came together for the common good of the nation and our Allies. That era lasted until the end of the 1950's Then since that point in time I feel we are on the decline as a whole. I mean a lot of great and wonderful things came out of the period between 1960's and today, like civil right, and the exploration of space, the fall of the Iron Curtin, and so on. However America has been deeply divided since the 1960's. The divide is becoming even greater day by day. This could just be a small down turn in our history so do not lose all hope. But China is gaining strength, many nations in the world dislike us even though we give them large sums of money to keep their nations together. If we do not get a strong leader that the majority of Americans can rally behind in the next say 20 to 40 years I am afraid that we may be past the point of no return. Then America like Rome and Babylon, and so many other great nations will not exist as it does today and has in the years past. We need something to unify our nation, be it a common goal, or a strong good leader, that I feel is our only hope. The age of America as an empire is over we no longer controlled many areas we once held. Like manufacturing, and production, which these days being in control of that in itself makes you an empire due to the vast control you have over who you sell to and at what price. If you do not like a nation you do not have to invade you just cut off all trade and money. We can no longer do that with trade, and we give money to other nations to freely now.

Answer 4

Excellent question, and the answer lies in your question. We do not have a common goal, lord knows we don't have any good leaders, and we've been pretty lucky the past 100 years so it's probably about time our luck runs out. Short of either the great leader or common goal I would argue that we are in decline. Don't get me wrong, we're not going to be begging for table scraps anytime soon, but our pinnacle was in the 1950's and it has been pretty much downhill (in comparison to other societies) since then.

Answer 5

You can never truely predict the future, which is why I feel this is an excersise in self-aggrandizment and merely a display based on how the individual feels about America. The only reason we can point to a point in an Empire or Nations history and say it began to decline here is because decline and fall already occured. The US of A has yet to fall, and attempting to place it on a linear progressive chart merely shows a childish attempt to project an artificial contriviances upon reality.

In short...
You can never really say until after it falls, so stop fooling yourself into thinking you know more than you do.

Answer 6

I definitely believe we are in decline. The other great democratic empires rose fast and fell hard. As the others did, we have become so arrogant, we don't even realize how vulnerable we are. We are trying to fix everyone else, while our own country falls apart. Our governing people should all be shot for treason and most of our citizens are losing their homes to foreclosure and have no health insurance. Most countries hate us or just laugh at us. In the future we will be like Haiti or Nepal when it comes to the world stage.

Answer 7

We are shortly after our peak, as our international popularity has plummeted and our military is stretched nearly to its limits with a two-front less than total war. The span of our decline and the possibility of a resurgence are both unclear.

Answer 8

I believe that we are in decline. Our golden age was probably in the 40s and 50s with the 'greatest generation', starting with Vietnam I think we began a downward spiral.

Answer 9

Decline. Since AMerica is a hyperpower it will fall alot faster than it rose. I just hope America's fall will be one into obscurity and humility, not one of violent conflict across the globe

Answer 10

USA was founded by persecuted Christians from Europe. When they reached the american soil they gave their word to serve their heavenly master, and God in his Word promise to bless anyone unto the 4th generation for serving him faithfully and diligently.

They were blessed but forgotten the GOD who blessed them. You consider them an empire because they won war after war. USA is not an empire but an instrument of God's dealings with men. Most of great Americans were born in Christian families that is why they patterned their constitution after the Bible.

It is unfortunate that a lot of their citizens does not believe it anymore. They betrayed GOD who helped them have a country of their own. Praying before having a lesson at school was outlawed by the US Supreme Court. They have immoral videos, school violence, children becoming disobedient, etc.

Stephen Covey an american business philosophy guru said that his country now stands with a mere theatrical facade. People were not standing on principles anymore. The faith of their fathers which once stand over the bedrock was now exchange for a sinking sand.

But there is still a chance, because God allows u-turns. They have to go back to the old faith.