The US will simply be unable to afford to fuel their colossally far-flung outposts.

Those who think the US economy is a house of cards are correct in financial terms.

But the sheer scale of US human resources in terms of ingenuity, knowledge and sheer entrepreneurial spirit are phenomenal. So too, the massive agricultural and other resources currently given over to monoculture and cash crops.

If the US could turn their phenomenal capacity to constructive use, instead of using it to drain the lifeblood of so many regions through conflict and debt, then anything is possible.

And what gives me hope was the fact that within 18 months a 19 year old single-handedly destroyed the (US-dominated) business model of the global music industry.

This process of peer to peer connection and disintermediation is beyond the point of no return, and I believe that a "tipping point" is approaching.

China, Japan, Russia and the rest will soon be holding their dollar bills up to the light and seeing them for what they are: worthless pieces of paper.

Then it will not matter how powerful the US is in military terms: their government will not be able to save their economy - but I believe their people can.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson