Comments by "Jake Johnson" (@ElectronFieldPulse) on "Review: The Accidental Superpower by Peter Zeihan" video.

@bushmastersix4801 - We aren't in "deep shit". We are still the unchallenged hegemon. What is happening now is that the United States is having a hard time maintaining the system it built because the domestic population has shifted its priorities after the fall of a common enemy in the USSR. I would argue the EU is in a much more precarious position. They have funded their welfare states on the back of US security. As the US pulls out from these commitments and focuses more on internal issues, EU countries will have to step up their defense spending to fill the gap. With their budgets already saddled with so many social programs, something will have to give. I, for one, am glad that the US is turning inwards. They no longer need to be the world police, and a multipolar world will allow other countries to take up their rightful place as influential members in the world order. It will require some tough decisions for them, as they have had the luxury of focusing on the betterment of their own citizens while letting the US do the heavy lifting in foreign policy.
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@ten_tego_teges - The thing about defense is you don't need it till you do. It is one area in which a rapid build up still requires a significant amount of time. If, say Russia or China wanted to take some land, they could do it in a matter of weeks, which is far too short a timescale for any kind of build up. Europe would simply have to spend more on defense if the US pulls away from the world order it is currently enforcing. I am not saying this as a point of pride for the US, I think it has been a mistake to to stay engaged in so many foreign lands for so long. The EU is rich enough to handle their own defense, the time of the US being the world police is coming to an end.
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@yussefthe3rd - Yes, but a more multi-polar world would be a good thing in my opinion. It would motivate the United States to perform better, and it would give other countries a greater stake and responsibility in geopolitics. America would lose its unchallenged hegemony, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
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@Tessali666 - I never claimed we would turn isolationist overnight. Trump is extremely unpredictable and he does not follow a specific ideology. That said, although he may be a liar, he did campaign on the idea that the US should get out of the ME and stop getting involved in foreign issues. He simply didn't follow through with his promises, I know it is shocking. Like I said in another comment, we will have to overcome the inertia of the military industrial complex, and that can't happen overnight. But we are trending in that direction. Once other nations begin to assert themselves on the global stage with capable militaries, the whole pivot towards internal issues will happen even faster.
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@imthatninja7669 - I am in favor of a more isolationist stance for the US. Let other countries sort out their problems, not our business to get involved like we have been. It will require some effort to overcome the inertia of the military industrial complex, but it is possible.
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@Sam-es2gf - Many European countries rely on a low corporate tax rate in order to keep their economies afloat. That was the tradeoff for taxing individuals so highly to pay for the welfare state. You can't just jack up the corporate tax rate and still expect to stay competitive in a global market. Business will simply move somewhere else. European already have issues with their economies, they are becoming rigid because of their rigid because of their stringent worker protections and have had a hard time keeping up with other countries since the 2008 financial crash. Just raising taxes may sound good, but it is not that simple, otherwise it would have already been done.
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@Tessali666 - I think it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince the US population we need to stay engaged as the world police. Very few people I know hold such a view, so I think you will see a more isolationist stance going forward.
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@bushmastersix4801 - That is funny, I was thinking you were either a bot attempting to learn as you continually post or you were someone with a tenuous grasp on the English language. So, which is it? Where are you from?
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@bushmastersix4801 - Lol, I can't tell if this is top level trolling or if you just have a problem expressing your views in English. Either way it is entertaining. What are your views on the US using the nuclear bomb? I can guess, but I would love to hear your opinion.
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@bushmastersix4801 - Some of your comments have been... interesting. But in any event, enjoy your day, I have no further questions.
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