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Americans like to think that our preeminence comes from ourgovernmental and economic systems. Small government, we'vetold ourselves, built our wealth. Truth is however that the mostprimary reason for our wealth was World War II. We were the onlyindustrial nation that was not completely destroyed during the war.After hostilities ended, the only factories capable of re-supplying theworld were in America. And thus our middle class was born. Fromour middle class sprung forth our consumer society.
Our military preeminence came about in much the sameway. The Soviets scared a good portion of the world. Thus,countries which would have, in other historical circumstances,never allowed America to continue militarily unchallenged,allowed America to continue playing Leviathan on the worldstage. When the Soviet Union collapsed, we were essentially theworld's only genuine military power.
China is incapable of doing what America did simplybecause the historical circumstances that allowed America's riseare unlikely to repeat themselves for another nation. It's not thatChina couldn't do this as a polity, rather that China is unlikelyto have the opportunity to try. For now, another true global warseems unlikely.
Nevertheless, China will continue its rise and America willcontinue its trend towards relative decline. This is not to say thatChina will overtake the United States any time soon. Instead, weare entering a multipolar world of sorts.
