……by Roger Waters.

We watched the tragedy unfold
We did as we were told
We bought and sold
It was the greatest show on earth
But then it was over
We oohed and aahed
We drove our racing cars
We ate our last few jars of caviar
And somewhere out there in the stars
A keen-eyed look-out
Spied a flickering light
Our last hurrah
And when they found our shadows
Groups ’round the TV sets
They ran down every lead
They repeated every test
They checked out all the data in their lists
And then the alien anthropologists
Admitted they were still perplexed
But on eliminating every other reason
For our sad demise
They logged the only explanation left
This species has amused itself to death….

You look at these terms from a filter of the past. I believe that the “nation state” that was a great creation of the Industrial Age is now becoming anachronistic. I deal with this in my upcoming book.

Basically what I mean by American staying a ‘great’ nation’ is that it is full of creativity, innovation and economic power. These forces must be harnessed not to create a greatness as defined over the last 50 years, but a greatness as defined by the new world global reorganization that is going on.

The question is “How can America be great and find its place in a global economy, a global government and a global culture. It is no longer about military power and production but about influence, innovation and intellectual property. We must define a new greatness.

David

i take issue with the idea that the america should “remain a great country”…. why should that be a goal? can the country even afford it? at what expense to the rest of the world? in what fields? self-centerdeness? hubris? fiscal wisdom? resource use?

if it happens by accident that america is considered a leader in being an example for how to live on a planet with many other countries, peoples, ideas, fine….

but as a goal it is pure ego and a good example of what has to be left behind to get to a useful future for all.

enjoy, gregory