America's Place in the World
Here's an excerpt from a WSJ article about the possibility of America's decreased influence in the world. I do believe there needs to be a bit a caution here, since the world is rebalancing and while America may not be as powerful, it still can and does wield substantial clout. However, the article strikes a particular chord with me personally because of how Obama handled the chemical weapons attack in Syria.
Ok, so the excerpt.
"The biggest risk is not political but social. Wealthy societies with people who think wealth is a given, a birthright—they do not understand that we are in the fight of our lives with countries and nations set on displacing us. Wealth is earned. It is far from being a given. It cannot be taken for granted. The recession reminded us how quickly circumstances can change." His hope? That the things that made America a giant—"so much entrepreneurialism and vision"—will, in time, fully re-emerge and jolt the country from the doldrums.
I think there is a lot to truth in this. I don't pretend to know what fighting for my life, wealth, or place in the world is like, but it may be high time to wake up and realize the world isn't full of roses and opportunities. Those opportunities need to be earned and fought for. Moreover, the world is full of conflict and bad people with little care for human life. Unless we hold these people accountable and in check they are a serious threat to the safety of all humans.
The changes in the economic outlook of societies as they change between generations is even documented by Ray Dalio head of Bridgewater Associates and one of the most successful fund managers in his paper "Why Countries Rise and Fall". The linked documents is quite long, but see page 166 for the relevant section. I think Dalio's description clearly relates the idea and makes a lot of sense. My hope is that we are still in the third stage (countries are rich and think of themselves as rich), but I am a bit fearful that the economic crisis may have market a transition into the fourth stage (countries become poorer and still think of themselves as rich).
Sources -
