How did US gain such an influence over the world?

[timosman]

How did that happen? Are our presidents that smart?

 

[r3volution 3.0]

 

[Danke]

Hard work.

 

[Swordsmyth]

Hard work.

And relative freedom for our citizens.

 

[timosman]

Nobody knows?

 

[oyarde]

Nobody knows?

The decline of america may be some kind of record when it is done .

 

[timosman]

I am thinking 1913.

 

[Demigod]

How did that happen? Are our presidents that smart?

The British and the French bankrupted them selves in WW II so they had to pull back from their Empires ( which the USA more or less took over ),Europe was a wasteland so a lot of competitive industrial production was gone ( the USA was the only one with an intact industry ) and the only powers that still had vigor after WW II were the USA and SSSR. Most of the worlds establishment regimes just agreed to be vassals in exchange for protection from the revolutionaries. Only the French and Portuguese tried to go against the current but even they had to give in in time when their leaders with a backbone died.

People tend to argue that communism was not a threat because the SSSR was poor ,that may be true but the Old Guard was terrified from revolution.They can survive war ,they can survive economic destruction but they never survive revolution.

 

[timosman]

Looks like somebody is beating around the bush. The Federal Reserve Act from 1913 enabled "dollarization" among many other things. Our freedoms were a very small price to pay for such power.

 

[kfarnan]

the gold standard pegged all currencies of the world to the dollar. This made other countries dependent on the US.

 

[Swordsmyth]

the gold standard pegged all currencies of the world to the dollar. This made other countries dependent on the US.

You mean Bretton Woods not the gold standard.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

The British and the French bankrupted them selves in WW II so they had to pull back from their Empires ( which the USA more or less took over ),Europe was a wasteland so a lot of competitive industrial production was gone ( the USA was the only one with an intact industry ) and the only powers that still had vigor after WW II were the USA and SSSR. Most of the worlds establishment regimes just agreed to be vassals in exchange for protection from the revolutionaries. Only the French and Portuguese tried to go against the current but even they had to give in in time when their leaders with a backbone died.

People tend to argue that communism was not a threat because the SSSR was poor ,that may be true but the Old Guard was terrified from revolution.They can survive war ,they can survive economic destruction but they never survive revolution.

Damn, son. Tha tis an excellent tl;dr of that era if I ever saw one. I am impress.

 

[timosman]

Damn, son. Tha tis an excellent tl;dr of that era if I ever saw one. I am impress.

I am not impressed. You can not talk about WWII without talking about WWI.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

I am not impressed. You can not talk about WWII without talking about WWI.

Kurwa! Is good point.^^

 

[timosman]

Hard work.

Americans - the ultimate useful idiots.

 

[Zippyjuan]

We avoided having our infrastructure destroyed by wars being fought on our own territory. We were able to continue to build while others had to rebuild (with our help). After WWII we were the "last man standing" with financial and economic capacity.

 

[timosman]

We avoided having our infrastructure destroyed by wars being fought on our own territory. We were able to continue to build while others had to rebuild (with our help). After WWII we were the "last man standing" with financial and economic capacity.

and then we lived happily ever after ...

 

[r3volution 3.0]

On the eve of the first world war, US GDP was more than twice British, German, or Russian and was growing at a much higher rate.

The destruction of Europe in two wars sped things along, but the US was already destined to be the greatest world power.

 

[timosman]

the US was already destined to be the greatest world power.

by whom?

 

[Demigod]

On the eve of the first world war, US GDP was more than twice British, German, or Russian and was growing at a much higher rate.

The destruction of Europe in two wars sped things along, but the US was already destined to be the greatest world power.

No it was not. It was not even close and again this period was the time the USA was in its bubble period.

No large army to siphon money from the economy unlike the European powers.
No neighbors that could threaten the USA in any way.
A scarcely populated continent rich with resources and on average a great climate.
Benefiting from European capital and people running from the continent because of conflict and the terrible political climate.

No WW I means no access of USA industry to foreign markets because the European powers would still hold their spheres of influence.
No making money for 4 years from the war in Europe.
No where near the flight of money and capital from Europe.

And finally a very possible next target for carving up between the European powers.