What made/makes America a super power

[Isaac]

As @Pat Hartman correctly observed, the video severely overemphasized the role of "geographical features". As to why the US became a superpower, culture is perhaps a more significant component. The culture being Judaeo-Cristian ethics, protestant work ethics, and nationalism (Manifest Destiny). (As a side note, the US did have a civil war starting in 1861 that could have permanently fractured the country. There are still echos of "the South shall rise again.")

There are other countries that could have become extremely successful, but not necessarily superpowers. These countries include, (give or take a few) Russia, China, and Argentina. These countries have not historically blossomed because of corruption. Other things to consider, Cuba and Venezuela have become "basket cases" as a consequence of socialism. Other formerly prosperous colonies countries, that threw-off the yoke of colonialism (sarcasm), have also become "basket cases", such as South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The US, in the near future, may soon loose its superpower status to China. There appear to be two reasons. First, China has a much larger population and has become economic steamroller (Walmart being a corporate subsidiary). (Evidently there are indications that China's economy is sputtering.) Second, the US is now "inwardly" focused. Concepts such as nationalism, citizenship, equal rights, the rule of law, and meritocracy are now vilified. Under the current administration, the government is now devoted to concepts such as racism, diversity, inclusion, implementing a welfare state, climate change, and eliminating the concept of citizenship. These are all centrifugal forces tearing the country apart. Will this mean that the US will slowly devolve into a new Cuba or Venezuela?

I tend to agree with Steve and Pat. America is blessed with many natural resources, but that's not primarily why we suddenly became #1, or thereabouts. It was our ethos of Freedom, Hard Work, Individuality, Freedom of Religion, and based on Christian principles that really made the difference between any other country - Mexico, for example, has astounding amounts of natural resources, enough to become the richest nation in the world if it so chose/could manage...A statistic that my friend from Costa Rica often reminds me of, very interesting.

Unfortunately any resource begs for great managers to maximize its impact.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

The thing I learned was how to ask the questions in the proper way to get the best responses

Actually, this is a valuable skill in any discipline including basic scientific research. Sometimes the problem isn't intractable science, but rather it is that you asked a question in a way that obscures, evades, or ignores the truth. Whether in diplomacy or religion or medicine or physical sciences or anything else... even including politics.

 

[Steve R.]

The largest Air Force is the USAF, the second largest Air Force is the United States Navy, ...

By coincidence I ran across the article below. Maybe the author ran across this thread?

Adapt or Sink: Can U.S. Aircraft Carriers Survive in a Conflict with China or Russia?

What You Need to Know: The U.S. Navy has long relied on aircraft carriers as the centerpiece of its naval power, but in today’s multipolar world, this strategy may be outdated. Rivals like China and Russia have developed advanced anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems, including hypersonic...

nationalinterest.org

America's naval strategy, centered on aircraft carriers since World War II, is outdated in today's multi-threat environment. With China, Russia, and others developing effective countermeasures like hypersonic weapons and anti-ship missiles, U.S. aircraft carriers are becoming predictable and vulnerable targets.

Hence, America’s obsession with expensive and cumbersome aircraft carriers. The United States has not only committed to this weapons platform, but it has become a cultural symbol. That is why the cult of flat tops has taken hold to such a degree that to even point out that great state rivals, such as China and Russia, as well as the proxies for these nations, such as Iran or North Korea, have developed highly effective countermeasures is considered unpatriotic or worse, heretical. But this fixation on the carrier as more than just a weapons platform, as a cultural icon, is precisely what makes it such a terrible weapon to rely upon. (emphasis added)

Sink a US carrier, the US will be bankrupt. Not to also mention that it would take many years, which we do not have, to build a new one.

 

[Cronk]

America is well on the way to bankruptcy and without losing even a patrol boat. There's been a national deficit for decades and the current national debt has risen to $34 trillion whereas GDP is $28 trillion. With expiring loans having to be financed at higher interest payments, the interest on the national debt is now more than Defence expenditure. The only items still exceeding interest payments are Medicare and Social Security. Congress keeps kicking the can down the road but we're getting close to the end of the road.