# What will America do when it's not the only superpower?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 13, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184 "2013-02-13T15:17:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Kepler1571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@Kepler1571](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepler1571)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184/61 "2013-02-25T21:40:33Z")

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> [@Imasquare](#):
>
> If China ever does catch up to the US in per capita GDP it will have an economy 5 times as large as the US economy. In that case the US will no longer be a superpower - it will be what Britain is today.

Not really. It would be what China is today, actually. Which aint bad.

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**Author:** ![Kepler1571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@Kepler1571](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepler1571)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184/62 "2013-02-25T21:42:10Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> I’m kind of curious if we’ll see some sort of latter-day NATO with the goal being for multiple countries to strategically stand against China. I assume India would be the major player therein, if it wasn’t the U.S.

I’ll bet we still have the [stationary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia_Treaty_Organization).

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**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184/63 "2013-02-25T22:13:26Z")

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> [@Kepler1571](#):
>
> Not really. It would be what China is today, actually. Which aint bad.

It depends on how you measure China.

For example, keep in mind most people in China are peasants. In fact, IIRC the majority still live in homes without electricity.

Sometime we get too wrapped up in the big picture and miss the little picture.

China may be a “superpower” in ways that Japan, Iran, and the UK aren’t, but I’d rather live in any of them over the PRC.

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**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-america-do-when-its-not-the-only-superpower/650184/64 "2013-02-26T02:03:29Z")

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> [@Algher](#):
>
> We also have better control over our currency than the EU.

Hold that thought until the USD loses its reserve currency status and US external debt starts to be non-USD denominated. 'Tis a whole different kettle of fish.

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