Could the USA be facing the same problems as the Spanish monarchy in its day?

[Julie4]

The Spanish monarchy at its height was a global monarchy, controlling for example the world's largest gold mine, which was located in America, and had immense territories in Europe, etc. As a result, the Spanish monarchy found itself with global commitments, whereas other European countries were regional powers.

(no, I haven't forgotten Portugal, but for the period I'm interested in, it's Spain that's dominant enough). In the end, faced with its adversaries who were only European powers and therefore had to concentrate solely on the European continent, the Spanish monarchy, with its worldwide commitments, was unable to maintain its power.

Could the USA, with its global commitments, the only power capable of projecting its power anywhere on the planet, lose out to China, which does not have the same ability to project its power as the USA and aspires to regional hegemony?

Doesn't the USA's global commitment risk being its undoing in the face of a rival that has to focus solely on its own region?

[strateguy632]

spain problem? spain monarchy lasted many centuries until 1800 despite european powers. from 1500 colonized america-s until 1800.

the vast empire lasted until 1810 and 1816 when Mexico and Argentina (respectively) were independent. they continued to hold Philippines until Spanish American war around 1900. so spain had a lasting vast empire.

by then European powers were global too. netherland colonies in pacific, east indies, Germany and france in pacific. belgian congo. so most of africa colonized by Europe. so they also vast. European were not "only European".

in contrast to u. s. ZERO 0 colonies... you WISH u. s. had problems but every detail is backwards.

[Julie4]

So no, Spain kept its empire for a long time, but it was in fact weakened in every sense of the word, economic, military, etc.. In the 17th century it will lose its domination and will then no longer be able to redominate Europe and the rest as it had done.

What's more, for the period I'm thinking of, the Spanish monarchy, along with Portugal, but I've made it clear why I'm not talking about them, the other European powers were not global powers.

[RavVid]

Good question. After WW2 the US was about 50% of world GDP. (without checking). In response to Russia, the US cobbled an alliance together part of which was the nuclear umbrella and also guaranteeing freedom of trade. Now the US is no longer so dominant in GDP and the EU is about the same.

It is possibly over invested in technical superiority which makes weapons systems expensive. Even the US couldn't afford the F22. The wheel now appears to be turning from stealth to controlled hypersonic speed. There is an expensive tech treadmill.

[Andres77]

I agree. That’s why we should immediately stop all foreign aid and stop all immigration for a while.
readjust and focus

[msc545]

The US has the problem of continually needing to feed the maw of predatory capitalism, and as a result it has one foreign war after another and horrible corruption.

[strateguy632]

to save victims, kurds in iraq, Afghanistan from russia and taliban, libya from isis, south vietnam etc.
because not helping victim is cruel. true compassion is fighting the attackers. the OPPOSITE of predator as you interpreted , probably due to a hate so strong it blinded you to each events facts. u. s. fought predator.

[HouseMoat]

I think we control to much of the world. However, I don't agree with what countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Israel are doing, among others

[ThrillSeeker01]

Everyone falls sooner or later