May I just point out that there’s a difference between sheer size and volume and leadership in a field?
Like, for example the size of the railway system in the US is not an indication of its leadership in that area, since other countries have better, more innovative and modern systems.
By some counts, GDP.
Healthcare? Not talking price or population health, but as in “If I were dying, where would I want treated?”. Pretty sure we’ve got the top research institutes.
Obesity?
Innovative financial instruments.
I’m pretty sure the USA leads the world in home delivery of hot food, particularly pizza.
On a more serious note, there are more rigs drilling for oil and gas in the US (land and coastal waters) than in the rest of the world combined.
My immediate reaction is that we have the most knee-jerk partisan political reflexes in the world.
With a bit more consideration I will simply note that nothing in the OP invites this sort of partisan bickering and I would strongly suggest that I do not want to see more of it in this (or any other non-election oriented) thread.
[ /Modding ]
Universities. The largest contiguous highway system in the world. The greatest military. Computers. Consumer electronics. Many fields of high-tech research.
The whole, “The US can’t build a memorial in NY.” meme is a little tired, considering what held it back was the differing opinions of special interests, not our ability to build it.
A friend in the publishing industry (who is European and would if anything be biased in that direction) tells me that the US is unmatched in the amount and quality of the books it publishes every year.
best in…
science, math, chemisty(as mesured by nobel prizes)
highest GDP(take away the obvious small kingdoms and the Luxies)
Best and largest local, state and national parks systems.
most impressive and efficient logistic and transportation system the world has ever seen.
Silicon Valley, Cambridge, North Carolina. Not to mention up and comers like Dallas, Des Moines, Austin, Oklahoma City, Madison, et. al. ad nauseum. We have third tier technology centers that make many European and Asian tech parks look like third grade science project centers.
NASA, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin. Could destroy the next 10 largest militaries, conventionally, in less than two years.
Energy–Exxon-Mobil, et.al. Perhaps more important the service companies such as Halliburton, Schlumberger
University system par excellence
And, most importantly a waiting list of legal immigrants a mile long. If we opened our doors wide tomorrow we would in short order have a larger population than China and India combined. In a generation they would be American. Feeding, clothing and educating them would be a minor hiccough.
This soft power is incalulable.
The winds of change(economic and political) are still blowing inexorably to the United States. Europe is running mostly anti clockwise to all the listed above strengths. Asia, for all its vaunted strengths places the US to capitalize and profit from their growth.
What?
Most of your list is pretty bizarre. How the hell does Schlumberger count as an American company? It was inaugurated by two French brothers, and the holding company are headquartered in South America, with operations in over 180 countries. It’s the prototypical multinational.
Similarly, how could anyone ever quantify what a good national park is or state that America has the best?
EDIT: not to say that America doesn’t excel in a lot of things. It seems obvious that funding in America for science related projects is more readily available than in the UK, for instance, where the funding councils are having to fight tooth-and-nail for any sort of government funding.
Yes, if you mean - as in “consuming electronics”…we have not mfg anything along this line for a very long time, sadly.
I think absolute, raw, numbers are often meaningless. When considering things like economic indicators it makes more sense to use per capita indicators. China will soon enough become the #1 economic power only because of their population numbers but still has a long way to go in catching up with per capita income.
As has been pointed out, per capita prison population in America is just apalling compared to any other country. It is a sign of a sick society which needs to think why so many Americans end up in prison.
The fact that America spends disproportionately in the military is, to me, also a bad sign. Why does America feel this need to be so defensive and so aggressive. I understand the need for a certain amount of defense spending but when you are spending so disproportionately in defense you resemble third world dictators who are both defensive and aggressive because that’s the only way to stay in place.
To me that pride in disproportionate military spending is like the neighborhood punks showing off their guns. I want nothing with those people even if it is true they can beat my ass as I walk down the street. And I despise their friends who take pride in belonging to the gang. That does not make them better than me. In fact, I believe it makes them worse. IMHO America would be much better if it did not feel the need to be the world bully.
Sclumberger derives and developes almost 99% of its technology in the US. In case you aren’t aware the current off shore deep drilling technology is analogous to a NASA spacecraft. Like it or not the US, along with Halliburton, GE, Bechtel,et.al, will reap as energy sources become even more remote and dear to find.
If having the largest, and oldest, park system is somehow not in the spirit of this thread in leading in something I don’t know what else what to say. If you’ve yet to visit some of our grand national parks, or even some of our lowly underfunded local camping spaces I would invite you to. They’re cheap, usually clean, and the very essence of the US. Rich and poor–side by side.
What else of the above is still “bizarre” to you?
Read a trade mag. Where are the very latest and best wafer factories being built? The US.
As by consuming electronics simple economics, I’m tired of explaining this to you people, is in play.
As per Ipod the Chinese factory, and the Chinese economy in toto, realizes on average US$4 per unit in added value and economic gain(profit, in essence). Apple realizes a US$150/unit gain. I would much rather be on one side of this equation. I’ll leave it up to your imagination to guess which side.
Er, yeah, I am. My flatmate is an exploration geophysicist, whose PhD is funded by … Schlumberger, as are others in his research group, and other groups around the country. So, please, provide a cite that 99% of all their technology is developed in the US.
No, it isn’t in the spirit of the thread at all. What makes an old national park system a good national park system? You don’t think rich and poor people alike visit national parks in other countries?
I am not sure about that. I am not saying I am ready to contradict but I am not sure. A cite would be good. I am sure there are wafer factories being built in the US but I believe Asia has been way ahead in memory and other types of chips for a long time now.
I am trying to parse this but get nowhere.
I agree that the best jobs are the ones which add high value and for now America is quite up there but things are changing quite fast. People in America who have high tech skills do not have to fear too much from competition abroad although more and more jobs are being subcontracted to India and China but there are vast numbers of Americans who have little or nothing by way of skills and who think being American entitles them to live better than an Asian who has better skills. Sorry but we are coming to the end of a world order based on the notion that 10% of the population could live like kings while the other 90% starved. The economy is globalizing and if you want to enjoy a high standard of living you are going to have to produce something which requires certain training, knowledge, ability. Thinking that you can barely have any education and flip burgers and get a salary which will allow a good living is just a dream. We are coming to the end of that. If you want a good salary you will need to have a good education.
I wonder how much the average Russian or Chinese soldier makes in wages and benefits compared to the average U.S. soldier. I imagine the difference would be significant.
But who is building them?
Doom and gloom everywhere I go about the US. 
Maybe I should move. 