The disintegration of the American empire

[FreelancePoliceman]

I expect that the party in the halls of the rich, everywhere in the world but especially in the States because they have the most rich, will go on for some time.

I wonder how much longer that will be the case. China's number of billionaires is quickly catching up to the States, while China itself has surpassed the States as the wealthiest country in total.

I also don’t expect to see any devastating world wars. They are too destructive of the remaining wealth. Instead, we’ll see small wars to defend the status of the wealthy in each country, along with a reduced ability to wage these wars.

You know, that's what was said before WW1. The theory was that trade had led to an era of unprecedented peace and wealth in Europe, and that because war would destroy so much of that wealth, no country on the continent would so foolish as to begin or become embroiled in a war on the mainland (colonial/proxy wars like the Great Game were understood to be another matter).