Essentially what I was trying to say was that it seems to me that up to this point the American economy is based essentially on the accumulation of numbers and only numbers ($), to the detriment of all else. This has now reached a point where all of our goods and services which actually give those numbers value are now products of other countries and essentially under their control. If we need those goods and services, we must of necessity be willing to accomodate those other countries and their interests since they are the ones who actually have the valuable commodities.

We are now realizing that our numbers (our money) really have no value in and of themselves since there is no concrete, usable, sellable goods or services to back them up and everyone else is becoming less and less willing to invest in simply our word of honor, good will and our friendship.

The adaptation I had in mind was a shift to an economy focused more on improving and maintaining infrastructure as well as on products and services (that are produced and provided here under the control and guidance of our own laws and standards and used as we see fit) as opposed to being focused solely on the accumulation of numbers which really only represent pieces of paper which really only represent an investment of faith in the continuation of the federal government.

Without control over those real, concrete and usable goods and services we have no power. We can lead wherever we want, but nobody else in their right mind is going to follow if we don't have a carrot to put on the stick.

Again, I am not an economist and I don't read the newspaper at all, much less the business or economy sections. I don't really have the depth of understanding, vocabulary or math skills necessarry to make sense of the various little bubbles of trouble and the multitude of different crises that are affecting the economy as a whole, but it seems to me just by looking at the big picture that the whole thing is built on a rather shaky foundation.

Amen to that, mr Frost.

To me, this seems a like the typical speech trying to gain sympathy (votes?) based on the current state of discontentment. Much of it is based on opinions instead of facts. It's true we are living in harder times, but there's been worse and America has always vanquished them, coming out stronger and better than ever. I have unlimited confidence that we will do so again.

It may indeed have been a speech looking for sympathy votes. Nonetheless, I think it is a valid topic of discussion, even for non-politicians.

LL, my unlimited confidence comes from the American society, where competitiveness and creativity are rewarded like in nowhere else in the World; and from the American People, whose character is defined by pragmatism and ingenuity if nothing else. I think these are the true reasons why America has succeeded in the past, not wars, geography, or cultural advantages. They are reflected in the technical progress and in the society's ability to change with the times, regardless of the bumps and pains encountered in the way. This has happened regardless of political leadership and I don't see any reasons why any of it should change in the foreseeable future. That is not to say that political leadership is unimportant, but neither is it a reason for defeat: it may be an accelerator for recovery or just a bump until we find the right way.

Anyway, this is just my humble opinion, but it is very important to me because these are the reasons why I chose to become an American citizen.

While I don't really share Dottle's confidence in this country's continued prosperity, I can say that deep down I do have a similar "hope" and I do choose to believe that eventually America as a country will find it's way, despite the odds against it. Indeed I have the same hope and belief for the rest of the world as well, not just the USA.

It is not so much my belief in the rightness and goodness of this country that gives me hope, but moreso a decision to believe and have faith in the general goodness of the human race as a whole, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

As attached as I am to many of the ideals that are supposed to be the core of this country and as much as I hold those ideals close to my heart, I am not nearly as attached to many of the realities of America or to the way we do certain things or the ways we have done them in the past.

LL, the fateful and doomed decay you talk about has been a constant theme for generations. Sorry, Buddy, but History is on my side.

LL, I'm not addressing the supremacy of the American Empire nor its decline (I sure wanted to use a lot of quotes in this sentence). Neither was it ever my intention to imply that America is superior to other countries. All I have posted had the specific purpose of addressing the nature of the negativity of the speech in your first post, in particular the issue that seems to be the capitalization of the current state of discontent with our economy. When you asked, I tried to explain why I have such a firm believe that we have what it takes to get back on track. That is why I said that I have History on my side: because the US has been met with much bigger crisis and has always been successful in overcoming them, even when there were other much bigger Empires dominating the World.

But, LL, I admit that my view of things may be somewhat uncommon. For example, what you call rhetoric is actually based on my life experience, having lived in Africa and in several Western European countries before settling in America. It is my empirical observation, not the result of a deep theoretical study based on a Brobdingnagian understanding of the complexities of World economics and politics (of which I know little or nothing about).

P.S.- I recently learned the word “Brobdingnagian” and have been looking for an opportunity to use it. Thanks, LL. (Brobdingnagian: unusually great in size, amount, extent, or scope; related to the imaginary country of Brobdingnag.)

That might be my new favorite word. Excellent discovery!

Brobdingnagian...