>nations increasingly couldnt count on washington to meet them on common ground in a disagreement, and instead saw lawmakers ritualistically park the USS blow-y

>nations increasingly couldnt count on washington to meet them on common ground in a disagreement, and instead saw lawmakers ritualistically park the USS blow-you-up carrier off their coast as a crass enforcement of their capitulation. This has been happening since the beginning of the US. For example: U.S. presidents refused to recognize Haiti until Abraham Lincoln along with their attempts to establish a military base. It kind of pokes a hole in your theory that there is a decline in soft power if this behavior was also occurring during the US's rise. >rounding third base into home we have ideal; its a little intangible at first. The US is a first world nation that struggles with food insecurity, homelessness, healthcare, and a living wage. it holds the worlds highest prison population, routinely shuffles past the weekly gun crime atrocity, and rarely holds its lawbringers to account. you'd move here, but only if it were your last option as housing is unaffordable at any level. You seem to touch upon the topics discussed in Chris Hedges book: America The Farewell Tour. I also want to point out that the housing market in the US is probably the best out of the disasters occurring in all the other traditional "western" countries like Canada, UK, France, etc. Also China cannot sustain their 1 million dollar+ apartments. That is a massive bubble that will eventually collapse (eg. Evergrande failure) >Traffic in major cities is unbearable yet somehow no new works projects can ever commence as the might of singular senators gridlocked in endless partisan debate can be enough to torpedo funding entirely. This seems to be an issue in some states but many other states don't have as serious of restrictions. The issue is not lack of housing, its lack of housing in desired places people want to live in this point in time. (The increase in population of the southern states from people leaving California will change what is the "desired" places to live).