Something I've realized over the course of the past few days is that the USA's biggest export is the US dollar. A medium of exchange that can be used as a proxy

Something I've realized over the course of the past few days is that the USA's biggest export is the US dollar. A medium of exchange that can be used as a proxy trade good between two unrelated countries, backed by the power of the US Government and the US Military. Look at any other industry, and save for a few like defence and information technology, most of USA's production exists to be served within the country itself, not to be exported. Most traditional manufacturing industries such as agricultural processing, food, automobiles, steel, shipbuilding, hardware, etc., all either serve solely the domestic market or have been outsourced away. Over the last few decades, the US has basically traded away its manufacturing capabilities and its economic independence, in favour of remaining top dog hegemon, while utilizing its network of allies and friendly countries to provide raw material for its industries and the USD-based markets to sell to. Obviously this system works very well for a country which has made working with allies a steady policy, but for a country now hell-bent on bashing its allies and any others friendly to trading with it, it can only spell a steady decline.