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I don't have much knowledge about world politics, but I love dystopian fiction. 1984, Fahrenheit 451, these books are great.

As to your question, have you seen this scene from The Newsroom? (https://youtu.be/ZPHSXUS0_1c)

I don't live in the United States but I feel that it is possible to lose power. At the same time, things can get better.
From a dystopian future point of view, I think that if humanity continues on its current path this could very well be the future. It would take drastic change to better the course for a brighter future.

It might come out as something we do not want to believe in but as the events unfold a lot is going to change and yes the book is correctly depicting the future.

Power is an illusion. Same with money. We let these intangible, meaningless things control us. When in reality, every country is in debt, every country has poverty, and every country thinks they are in control. Yes, it is feasible for America to lose its "power". Hopefully, they all do.

Have not read the book but don't think in future things will be in the same state they are. I don't think any country has the title to rule the world it's why we see America making most mistake to avoid loosing a say in world matters

Well, I haven't read this book yet but I don't know that America will lose its power any time soon. As much as our government and politics are messed people from other countries still see this as the land of opportunity and freedom. Then at the same time, you never know what will happen as people, government, and political views change drastically every couple of years

Just like mighty Rome before us, the United States will eventually fall. I can only hope that the next super power to take its place has more compassion for its marginalized people.

LaurenHaupt wrote: ↑01 Aug 2018, 23:44 It doesn't sound too far fetched. Hopefully this is not a problem that we will have to face later on. It's hard to predict if something like this could happen.

I think you have something here. It is as if events are taking place that could push the US over the proverbial cliff. Taking freedom for granted and asking government to moderate too many aspects of citizens lives in its the type of society seen in the book.

As a current world leader, the US is held to a different standard and a common pride (nationalism) is not allowed but is allowed for other countries. When a common pride for the country is lost citizens do not support education, innovation, and government. Societies become more fragmented and can give way to situations like this.

No i don't think it depicts the future, and in the same way i certainly hope this should not happen

dbulkley wrote: ↑01 Aug 2018, 12:05 I don’t believe the United States will ever lose power. It’s the most powerful country and I think will stay that way.

dbulkley, have you read Tim Marshall's book 'Prisoners of Geography'? He makes a great geopolitical case for your argument that the U.S. will continue to be the most powerful country on Earth thanks to its geographic position.

Zain A Blade wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 15:14 I think the book's theme points to a lot of things that are wrong with mindless consumerism, but I don't think it predicts the future.

Wow, I wouldn't have thought of mindless consumerism as the theme, more a motif. I rather thought that it was more about corporate deregulation and mass privatization, and that isn't caused by mindless consumerism, mindless consumerism is a symptom of it. The people behind these corporations who own the US government didn't get their riches by people buying their product; if they did, that would be honest. They got there through slave labor overseas, underpaying their legal US workers, exploiting undocumented immigrants, crushing unions, nonpayment of taxes by shell corporations and overseas tax havens, slashing people's benefits and retirement, and a multitude of other shady ways including outright theft. I agree with you that the book doesn't predict the future but only insofar as that version of the USA seems better than it is now, provided that there's no corporate violence (and even then, they do what they can to limit civilian casualties). From what I remember, the book made mention of the corporations (probably as marketing strategy) attempting to improve the environment and combat climate change, limiting poverty and unemployment, and protecting citizens from violence. IRL there is no iteration of capitalism that doesn't cause war, death, starvation, disease, and climate apocalypse, and the rich (who pay campaign contributions to legislators who then deregulate, privatize, and make swiss cheese of the tax code at their behest) are so utterly removed from anything resembling ordinary life that they have no capacity to understand that, and wouldn't care if they did.

GabbiV wrote: ↑07 Oct 2018, 09:21 Just like mighty Rome before us, the United States will eventually fall. I can only hope that the next super power to take its place has more compassion for its marginalized people.

YES, I agree, and sooner rather than later. And those most responsible for its fall will be harmed by it the least. We can hope, but the unfortunate reality is that the overprivileged make decisions that enrich them to the detriment of marginalized people, and as long as we live under the rule of the capitalist elites, the marginalized will always be hurt first and worst, whether the country rises or falls. Under capitalism, compassion is just another marketing strategy.

ShareTheGift wrote: ↑07 Oct 2018, 11:37

LaurenHaupt wrote: ↑01 Aug 2018, 23:44 It doesn't sound too far fetched. Hopefully this is not a problem that we will have to face later on. It's hard to predict if something like this could happen.

I think you have something here. It is as if events are taking place that could push the US over the proverbial cliff. Taking freedom for granted and asking government to moderate too many aspects of citizens lives in its the type of society seen in the book.

As a current world leader, the US is held to a different standard and a common pride (nationalism) is not allowed but is allowed for other countries. When a common pride for the country is lost citizens do not support education, innovation, and government. Societies become more fragmented and can give way to situations like this.

We're held to a higher standard because we believe we're exceptional, and if someone is exceptional then they merit a higher standard. If other countries laugh at what they think is our misplaced pride, our response shouldn't be that they need to lower their standards.

Dael Reader wrote: ↑14 Sep 2018, 14:18 While I do think the country is going to hell in a hand basket with the present administration, I don't think we're in quite as much danger of having the central government lose complete control to commercial enterprises. I think it would be more likely that more control would be shifted from the central government to state governments, which could lead to even greater problems as each state makes its own laws without respect for civil rights.

Agree. Local politics are crucial to rein things in when the federal government is out of control. The problem is that the federal government has bigger play in the attention economy, and we forget that we have a part in state and local politics. also agree--local government is often run by people who are every bit as wrongheaded as those in federal government.

I'm not sur if it predict the future but i hope