My theory...supported.

I feel completely enlightened by a chapter in a book that I was reading called "The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria. Now, about a year ago, I had a theory about where America was headed. It was based off the principle that history repeats itself. It was my theory that, like England, the US would eventually fall to another "#1." England was considered the "father of America" because of where the the discoverers came from and how the country was founded. I proposed that America would inevitably fall to a new #1. I believe that America depended too much on their own reputation, which is fine. Anyhow, I proposed my theory to my favorite professor, and he only recommended that I read this book as a response. I read that chapter called "A Cup Runneth over" and, I believe that it helped me to see what he meant.

Though I traditionally don't tend to focus on any particular coverage from CNN for my news, this guy, Fareed Zakaria, has hit on some major points that I completely agree with. I will quote some things because I think they are particularly relevant to my theory. Starting with:

"Washington, D.C., has become a bubble, smug and out of touch with the outside world." Without much need for explanation, I know that there are many people that would agree with this. The reputation of the United States has preceded us, and we ride it until we are proven wrong. There are just some things that are out of our control because we really don't have the resources to back it up, at least in the long term.

The important thing that I wanted to note was that it's almost like the world wants to create an economic utopia, but secretly they want to be #1. It's a two faced pursuit which breeds mistrust and chaos. No country that is a superpower would really relinquish that title without a fight. It's a Catch 22. I honestly don't think that the US knew what the consequences were when they started the globalization crusade. I think the foundation was based on greed, and now it has backfired. "But now we are becoming suspicious of the very things we have long celebrated - free markets, trade, immigration, and technological change. And all this is happening when the tide is going our way. Just as the world is opening up, America is closing down." "...the United States succeeded in its great and historic mission - it globalized the world. But along the way, [future historians] might write, it forgot to globalize itself." 

I believe it's only a matter of time.