While USA is in decline, European Union become stronger and even more strong.

Last month's meeting in Parish for the Mediterranean Union, where was all the leaders from Mediterranean Countries, (except from Lybia) and Last month's Summit of EU-Russia in Hanty Mansiisk has Proved that European Union is becoming the new superpower.
Do not forget that 4 of the 8 richest countries on our planet are member from European Union.

Australians have no reasons to worry for their future.
plerdsus has right Plus because we come, (more than 90%) from Europe and European Union could not forget or ignore our interests. (most of Australians are European citizens too!)
I hope none Australian leader will convert our country to a Chinese territory, direct or indirect.

I would like to see Australia as full member from European Union.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaid

There is another set of news criteria that is even less reported in the news ... and that is the growing movement of the world’s ordinary people away from genuflecting to shifting hegemonic authorities and into an international order of grassroots partnership and co-operation.

The peace movement, the environmental movement, the sustainability movement, the human rights movement, the anti-globalisation movement, the world indigenous rights movement, feminism, the growing social justice branches of the mainstream Churches, to name a few, are sidelining the petty power struggles of the big players and creating their own new world order.

We have a trade surplus with China, we have got rid of Howard, we have a prime minster who was a diplomat and posted to China for a time, and who is the only western leader who comes close to speaking their lingo.

Anyone with half a brain can see the USA is in trouble, like it or not Europe is the worlds largest economy. Yes the world is changing, increasingly sovereign funds ( ours is called the future fund) are being used to stabilize the monetary system.

I really can't see your problem; we are part of the new word order, big it up, ship it out, enjoy it and stop complaining.

Go for it, SJF, but as well favouring some of the more humanistic lessons of the sermon on the mount, maybe we should also admit to sharing much of the blame for the causes of today's worrisome hatred and terrorism.

Cheers, BB

My guess is this dismal outlook will become more popular as it becomes obvious just how bad a mess the US has managed to get itself into. We will be seeing more and more articles touting the end of Western Civilisation as we know it. Its a depressing thought.

The US is certainly an enigma. Its behaviour often reminds me of an out of control manic-depressive teenager. Right now its just coming to the end of a manic phase and is beginning to count the costs. My guess it will take a few years to recover, but recover it will. Its simply too dynamic and too energetic to do otherwise.

When it does finally recover the world will look a little different, China having established itself as an economic powerhouse, joining Japan and Korea. And possibly a few new resource wars in progress, such as China and India at loggerheads over the water from the Himalayas. My gut reaction is, so what? Business as usual.

In any case, I do hope there is at least one sliver lining to the cloud the US finds itself in now. I hope the pain this time around was enough to prevent them from electing a pathological liar to a second term for a few decades to come.

More of the same truths to clear the global political air, R'Stuart.

Yep, mate, reckon we still need America, even though they are still finding it hard to tone down the wild western cum righty religous cum mafia strain.

Cheers - BB, Buntine, WA