bang on brucie, and in so few words too.

the only problem is that in the long term economics trumps all.
and the US is sliding deeper into debt and losing its economic base
(the neocons know,or expect, since the US is the largest economy and everyone would be hurt with a US$ collapse the rest of the world would not allow it to happen) and they may be right.

But remember when the Pound Sterling was the currency of choice?
and that position that Britain enjoyed at the turn of the century.

theres bound to be some big economic changes over the next 30years.
ie. big growth in China and India. Eventually the demographics of North America will make the current white majority into a visible minority.