It is not the end of the world, and I still feel fine.

I read an article from Gerad Bakerof the Times of London, this morning on line.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-1449673,00.html. The article talks about the idea that America maybe in the decline of power. Baker disagrees with that notion, and I also. But I wonder, when is our turning point? Looking back at other great powers, when did they decline?

• Soviet Union: this is debatable, some could say the Cuban Missle Crisis or later failures in Afghanistan. Or even glasnost. I could play it safer and say the start of Stalin's regime and its ineffective economic policy that the country never recovered from.
• Rome: the dissent into hedonism, the reliance on other armies to fight your battles. Mercenaries back then had a rep of not enough heart. I actually would say the acceptance of Christianity by Constatine. Contrite to the liberals, yes I am calling some of them out, Christianity is a faith based on love not the acceprtance of a pagans existence as Jupiter once told them to live. The Crusades were different, that was terrible logistics and a good old fashioned religious war won by a more motivcated force.
• Sparta: time, and its inability to adjust. You cannot kill babies like they did, not embrace the arts and rely on a slave abor force to survive, ask the confederacy on the last. By the way, Johnny Reb, the war is over, you lost, get over it!
• dynasties of China: that was cyclical and Chairman Mao. Every dynasty would end when a strong leader left and weak could not stop the inside warlords. But the inevitable weak military after the grueling war with Japan, allowed Mao to build a base and support to help those in need. Free Tibet by the way!
• Germany, 3rd Reich: a clinical example of why you don't' fight a two front war, and why you cannot defeat a industrially superior country in a conventional war. Germany was flat out beat down by US industrial/military strength and will. Through an very poorly planned Operation Barbarossa and Hitler's meddling in military affairs, led to their downfall. Had someone like Rommel gained control of Germany, the Iron Curtain could have been moved back a few hundred miles.
• the British Empire: No disrespect to our allies on the other end of the pond, but the WWI and WWII brought an end to colonialism. Ghandi brilliantly used civil disobedience to stop the Brits.
• the 49ers: salary cap
• Democrats: "It doesn't play in Peoria" to quote Scarborough

So fear not America your grandchildren are fine, for now.