[RN7]

Interesting criteria to define a superpower (very post 1945) but really wrong in the same time. This would imply that US has been a superpower only between 1945-1990. Personnaly, I would consider that US became a superpower in the late 19th century and still is one.

Well there were no superpowers before 1945 as no one country could be considered absolutely dominant. There was just a collection of great and regional powers notably America, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Russia. Until 1914 only Britain due to its naval power and the size and wealth of its empire could be considered a dominant power worldwide, but until WW2 no country was dominant although some were more powerful in a military, economic and technological sense than others.

US has not relied on its military until 1945. Nevertheless, no one could have challenged US by means of arms after 1880. In my poor opinion that made US the most civilized country from 1776 to 1945. Since 1990, I would give that title to Australia and Canada (I'll make friends).

Well there was the Monroe Doctrine and major wars involving American forces against Mexico, Spain and Germany, as well as numerous small battles and expeditions across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Until the 1930’s the US military considered Britain and the British Empire a major rival and capable of threatening the continental US, which Britain was in both cases. The US Army came up with War Plan Red in 1930 to invade Canada in hostilities with the British Empire to prevent Britain using Canada as a staging point to attack America. The plan wasn’t declassified until 1974.

US political influence was felt as early as 1854 with the forced opening of Japan to the world. It never stopped since that time. It reached a peak after ww2 and it is currently going down.

It has actually been in decline since the late 1940’s as North America was hardly effected by WW2 in comparison to Europe and Asia, but has since recovered. This trend was temporarily reversed with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s but has since been on the decline again.

US economic weight, however, became felt only after 1914. It still is felt today but it is seriously challenged. By the way, strictly speaking, US economy is now second, behind that of EU (which is in no way a superpower, far from it).

US economic power has been seriously challenged since the 1970’s by Europe and Japan, and now China has joined in. The combined EU has a larger economy than the USA, but the USA is once country not 27.

US technology is not at all as influencial as it had been in the past. When I came back from US in 1993, I brought back a full suitcase of US technological gears. When I visited in 1998, US had nothing of interest to a European. In 2003, I thought about bringing technology with me to US. This might not last, however.

This all goes in cycles, in the 1950’s all the best gadgets were American, from the 1980’s they were Japanese, and now they could be designed in any number of countries and built in another. Basically I look at the brand name and there plenty of nice fancy gadgets being built by American companies at the moment.

The cultural influence of US remain high but this is certainly where it looses ground the fastest. Germany is ahead in many ways and Asia as well.

In what way is Germany or Asia more culturally influential than America?

IMPO, the future leading countries will be these capable of reducing their dependence on oil. China is on the run, EU as well (Germany may be leading, way ahead of anyone else). US certainly is on the run. For my part, I would not bury US too fast but I don't think it will ever take the position it once had.

Of the major powers in the world only Russia is not dependent on oil imports, Britain is also fairly self sufficient in oil for the next few years but their part of the EU. America is probably in a better position than Europe and most of Asia in oil dependence, as in addition to its own oil it borders Mexico which is a major oil producer, and Canada which has the largest oil shale reserves in the world. The only real alternative to oil in energy production is other fossil fuels such as coal and gas, nuclear power or green energy production methods such as hydro, wind etc. Unfortunately green energy is only going to have a marginal effect on the energy needs of most countries, and in regards to coal America has the world’s largest reserves and it also has the largest nuclear power industry on the planet.