Iyke-D:

Please put down the drugs so you can make sense . . .

Nothing lasts forever. No empire last forever, however, you can rest assure that the US will continue to dominate the world in virtually all aspect of world affairs in the next few decades - militarily, economically, culturally, technologically, etc.  Simply put, no other single country have some many things put together like the US.

China is an economic power house, but certainly still no where close to the  US.  The US is emerging from an economic storm now, the other big question is when will the bubble bust in China, its' economy can't continue to grow forever year in year out?

The US is indebted to China, but that also means they can wipe out China's savings overnight if they chose to by devaluing the dollar since it makes up the bulk of  the Chinese foreign reserves. It is a catch-22 situation. China is being used to rebound the US economy and as things improve in the US, watch out for them to begin to re-assess the economic relationship between the two countries.

Unlike Nigeria, US have policy makers who are aware of this growing economic threat and working to re-calibrate it. When we are now substituting prayers for sound policies, its a downward spiral.  Nigeria's president is on medical leave in another country. Her daughter is also in another country trying to have a baby, what do these events tells the world about Nigeria and its loss of any importance it once had?

Sorry dude, but China has much more economic clout than the US. I don't understand what you mean by American economic dominance, all countries now look toward China for economic leadership, even the last vestige of US economic hegemony, the dollar, is under increasing and sustained pressure http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/6263992/Dollars-demise-plotted-by-oil-producers-China-and-France-report-says.html

The US is miles ahead of China in military might, a gap that will take a decade or more to bridge, but technologically, China is much closer to the US than you think.
China is currently 3rd in the number of annual patents filed, behind only the US and Japan; but with their number of granted applications is rising at a much faster rate than either the US or Japan.

@ Iyke - D, you explained very well using the theoretical principles in Macroeconomics.

China as always is an emerging developing world power " They are not there yet but are getting there" its just only a matter of TIME, as soon as they reach that equilibrium point like U.S. did, their bubble will burst. There is a said theory in economic principles that every expanding economy grwoing at a particular rate will shrink at that same rate when it goes past that point. While China is eager to grow, they are very cautious of their growth at the same time adnd if you gonna base your opinion on the current U.S. recessive economy, please know that they are just shrinking and nothing else.

Just for the record although U.S. is indebted to China through their reserves, U.S. policy makers are however evaluating her relationship with China because when China's bubble burst, you think the U.S. wants to be dragged in to? That would explain why U.S. is seeking better relationships with smaller emerging nations, so is China.

Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation Failed Nation

God help us,

The whole thing is utter bollocks. And the envoys are just political buggers, talking to keep their jobs, if you ask me.

All through the wasted military years, where was the US and their envoys? They have always treated Nigeria as part of the British 'sphere of influence', and kept us at arms length. Now, all of a sudden, they are interested in seeing 'true democracy' and 'reforms' thrive in Nigeria.
Let all be warned. Most nations the US had taken interest in, had ended up on a downward spiral. This is not the time to be naive, and turn ourselves into mouthpieces of the US government. These guys have nobody's interest but theirs at heart. All this analysis is nice, but rather than engage in meaningless arguments with each other, let's dig into history.

Just go get a copy of Phillip Agee's 'CIA Diary', and learn about the progressive undermining of Central and South America as a direct result of 'US foreign policy'. We get plenty problems in Nigeria, but we certainly do not need the undue attention of Uncle Barak and his men.

@OAM4J, Iyke-D, Manny4life, the thing is I'd love to be able to tell you guys in about 10yrs time: I TOLD YOU SO but it wouldn't be worth it. If you understood simple math and debt-which you obviously do not-you would see pretty clearly that America is finished. Done. Dead. What is military might if you can't service the troops? What is military might without a SOUND economy to support it? Who do you think finances all the wars the US is engaged in? The country is in a perpetual state of war! The US has over 170 military bases across the globe and counting! If that isn't reminiscent of the Roman empire then I don't know what is. You think this economic mess is over? Think again. It's only just begun. Enjoy the US while you still can 'cause within a decade it's gonna be a shadow of it's former self.

Nigeria's got massive problems, some might even call it a failed state however our problems pale in comparison to that which the US is going to be mired in-in the coming years. You have been warned.

ezan:

@OAM4J, Iyke-D, Manny4life, the thing is I'd love to be able to tell you guys in about 10yrs time: I TOLD YOU SO but it wouldn't be worth it. If you understood simple math and debt-which you obviously do not-you would see pretty clearly that America is finished. Done. Dead. What is military might if you can't service the troops? What is military might without a SOUND economy to support it? Who do you think finances all the wars the US is engaged in? The country is in a perpetual state of war! The US has over 170 military bases across the globe and counting! If that isn't reminiscent of the Roman empire then I don't know what is. You think this economic mess is over? Think again. It's only just begun. Enjoy the US while you still can 'cause within a decade it's gonna be a shadow of it's former self. 

Nigeria's got massive problems, some might even call it a failed state however our problems pale in comparison to that which the US is going to be mired in-in the coming years. You have been warned.

My friend, despite my seeing a bit more reasoning in your position after this post, let me caution you.

Although there is evidence of similarities with other previous empires in regards to multiple and disperse wars and the challenges of funding them, this is the information age. This USA have an advantage of having an advanced system and are leaders in the area of Knowledge management and rapid sharing of it using the right processes and technology, which is a very valuable asset to tackle challenges. This ability is one previous Empires lacked and accelerated their demise when they faced huge challenges as they struggled to adapt. I doubt the USA would not adapt, considering this Knowledge management capability advantage. Though I think they might drop from the pecking order slightly (still be top 3 at worst) in a few decades, not in 10 years and definitely they will not evaporate.

ezan:

@OAM4J, Iyke-D, Manny4life, the thing is I'd love to be able to tell you guys in about 10yrs time: I TOLD YOU SO but it wouldn't be worth it. If you understood simple math and debt-which you obviously do not-you would see pretty clearly that America is finished. Done. Dead. What is military might if you can't service the troops? What is military might without a SOUND economy to support it? Who do you think finances all the wars the US is engaged in? The country is in a perpetual state of war! The US has over 170 military bases across the globe and counting! If that isn't reminiscent of the Roman empire then I don't know what is. You think this economic mess is over? Think again. It's only just begun. Enjoy the US while you still can 'cause within a decade it's gonna be a shadow of it's former self.

Nigeria's got massive problems, some might even call it a failed state however our problems pale in comparison to that which the US is going to be mired in-in the coming years. You have been warned.

The last time I checked, US was still sending troops out there. That is not a picture of a done-dead country. Yes they have an economic challenge now, but they also have the know-how, the determination, the leadership and the resources to pull through, many of which we unfortunately lack in Nigeria.

Sorry, bad as it is, except by an act of God (natural disasters), I don't see US going down in 10yrs and I don't see them down this century.

Beaf,

I am not sure how you can say China has more economic clout than the US, because if it is I find it hard to believe that they continue
to invest a chunk of their reserves in US dollars (about 60% or more of it)? Last time I checked countries all over the world are still buying the US Treasury bills, not Chinese Yuan - I think that alone says much for the state of world economy today. The US economy is by far the most advanced and transparent than that of the Chinese. While China is racing economically, any attempt to claim that they are at the same parity level right now as the US just doesn't hold up to the facts.

I agree with you on your point about number of patents, but that is only a part of the picture as China is still ways away from being the leader in innovative technology. One thing they have done well is to import technology from the US, but to become the leader you have to truly lead and innovate, not copy. China is largely where it is today because of the exodus of manufacturing jobs from the US by US companies, just as India carved a niche from business IT outsourcing from the US as well.

For those thinking or wishing that the collapse of the US is near, you need to think again because you have a lot of waiting to do.

Unlike Nigeria, US have policy makers who are aware of this growing economic threat and working to re-calibrate it. When we are now substituting prayers for sound policies, its a downward spiral. Nigeria's president is on medical leave in another country. ?

Exactly, people miss the point that the US has superb policy maker who would do everything by hook or crook to at least prolong US market dominance.

@OAM4J, Iyke-D, Manny4life, the thing is[b] I'd love to be able to tell you guys in about 10yrs time: I TOLD YOU SO but it wouldn't be worth it[/b]. If you understood simple math and debt-which you obviously do not-you would see pretty clearly that America is finished. Done. Dead.

Nigeria's got massive problems, some might even call it a failed state however our problems pale in comparison to that which the US is going to be mired in-in the coming years. You have been warned.

Ur optimism is way more than that of the chinese. Are u silly? let us assume economics follows "simple math", has it occurred to you what drives chinese markets? Who buys Chinese goods? Can the average chinese afford some of the luxury goods made in china? Do you know a significant part of China is still underdeveloped, and China would need significant growth. I am not talking about areas like guangzhou and beijing, but severely underdeveloped areas.

And your statement America is finished , you used the Roman empire as an example without extending your analogy to the US economy. U shuld know Empires fall, but they rarely crash. Assuming that China grows as rapidly as you postulate, then US and China would have the same economic clout- they would be at equilibrium, in which one depends on the other. Some major economic catastrophe has to occur to place one country over the other. But I doubt something like a major depression could occur in America and leave the chinese unaffected, the chinese have knotted their destiny with those of the americans, vis-a-vis to their economy.

Furthermore, china's policies makes it impossible for it to hold much major economic clout. China would have to liberalize its economy to even get close to the economic activity. Speaking of economic clout, do you think a bunch of european countries would be willing to take orders from the chinese? Many more factors can be pointed out which would stall chinese growth or dominance that you are suggesting.

Economics isn't just about simple math, its about the politics of the times as well, and the politics favors western nations.

first of all,lets not think ahead of ourselves, we shouldnt take  a few comments made by ex US ambassadors as a possible take over by the States. sadly everything threy said happens to be the truth about our 'great country' . we shud stop deluding ourselves. if the US wants to take over_{(which is highly unlikeky}), then it wont be thru a war or wateva, all they'll do is bribe our greedy polititians and voila! they're in control. its so sad to sit back and watch a nation of 150 million people being run by greedy self-centered clowns.

OTOH, coupla things i wanna know,

What the f"ck is goin on in this goddamned country ? the president in has not been sighted since god knows when, crazy clowns calling for his and vps resignation. they're all acting like nigerians are weak minded fools. we av a right to know exacly what the heck is going on. we need alot more than prayers to save this joke of a country

@ezan are you mentally retarded ? Do you know that the US has a GDP that is bigger than that of China, Japan, Germany and England combined ? You go and your maths before coming here to post rubbish.

edoyad, no, you're the one who is retarded.

@ sefago, the US has superb policy makers? You really are daft.

@sagamite, the UK is no different; they're f*cked too.

@Iyke-D, did you see how the US treasury auctions performed over the last few months? I'm not sure what the 'F' you're talking about. The US is currently spending about $2.09 for every $1.00 in revenue. Let me break it down for you in one word: BANKRUPTCY.

@ sefago, the US has superb policy makers? You really are daft.

I agree.

Anyways, back to topic, I really dont see why we are debating who dominates who financially as long as it isn't us. Who cares about America and China, except as models for economic growth- we should be looking out for our own instead.

LOL @ezan i'm sure you're in secondary school right ? Let me tell you something, the size of a country's economy is measured using the GDP - Gross Domestic Product.
That of Japan and China is about 4 trillion dollars each, go and check what that of the US is before you come back and make such remarks.
By the way, your Nigeria's GDP is about 300 billion dollars only.

@Iyke-D, did you see how the US treasury auctions performed over the last few months? I'm not sure what the bleep you're talking about. The US is currently spending about $2.09 for every $1.00 in revenue. Let me break it down for you in one word: BANKRUPTCY.

Let me break it down for you: SUPPOSITION. You assume that the US policy maker don't know what they are doing, or dont understand the markets, but of course you do- you are obviously in a better position to predict what would happen to the most economically developed economy.

@edoyad, what is the US's debt to GDP ratio? If you understand that you'll zip it.

Alright gentlemen. let's leave US and China. And focus on the thread topic.

Do we agree Nigeria is losing its Importance in the world?

If a dysfunctional economy like Nigeria's with a GDP of $250 billion about 4 years ago could service a debt profile of about $36 bn 1:7, tell me how much the US owes that makes it look all doom and gloom- mind you they're out of the recession.

^Was nigeria ever important,and if so in what way and to whom.

Basically the question of what, where and who needs to be answered then we can go from there. Because I really dont think anyone ever considered Nigeria important, except ourselves of course. Yes, Nigeria is quite a strategic way of entering west african markets, great culture and its large population does have merits, but with respect to importance, we are as unimportant as a noble with a profound family tree, but no money to back it up.

Singapore is of more significance to Global trade than 1.8 million barrels of crude a day for all who care to know.

@edoyad, you're in Kaduna-it seems-and somehow you KNOW the US is out of a recession?! You probably believe in the tooth fairy and santa claus.

It looks like some dirty propaganda machine for US oil interest in Nigeria. In my opinion US has lost as much credibility in recent times as well anyway. They might have just come out of recession, their GDP to debt ratio is alarming. When the financial crisis hit them, they had to be printing money they did not have ( quantitative easing) else they could have gone bankrupt I guess ? Nigeria needs to do what it has to do to be a Country with good standing internationally. My point is US standards should not necessarily be Nigeria's benchmark/ Target etc. In my opinion the statements from those three envoys are just a prelude to some other agenda/ motives. I for one do not think its military perse, but ecomomic. America has enough problems on their hands, they should mind their business for once. On the other hand Nigeria needs to buckle up to be a great Nation, not necessarily after the dictates of US or any other Country.

Dude, you make me laugh . Do you think the rest of the developed world is like Nigeria where you access to statistics and data is a myth ? (nigeria probably has no mechanism for gathering such data in the first place. Ask the govt how many jobs were gained or lost in Ngr this year and lets hear ?)

China takes over in less than 15yrs.
BUT DID ANY ONE TELL THESE ENVOYS THAT THE USA IS LOSING GLOBAL DOMINATION TO CHINA?

edoyad:

Dude, you make me laugh . Do you think the rest of the developed world is like Nigeria where you access to statistics and data is a myth ? (nigeria probably has no mechanism for gathering such data in the first place. Ask the govt how many jobs were gained or lost in Ngr this year and lets hear ?)

Word.
I can assure you, we don't even know if we are in recession or not. We don't even know where our president is or who is calling the shots (if anyone is) in Abuja.
. . .Talkless of gathering data.

The things most of us aren't grappling with are twofold;

[list]
[li]The US military is an integral part of the Worlds most assured and aggressive foreign policy machine, geared toward security and money making[/li]
[li]The US needs a strategic base in West Africa for Africom[/li]
[/list]

According to him, Nigeria stood the risk of becoming a security concern to the US[b] in a way that may not be in the interest of the country[/b], listing the Niger Delta as a possible terrain for such a development.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=131209&ptitle=Nigeria

That in my opinion is a clear threat that the possibility exists to excise the Niger Delta from the rest of the country by United States military might.

^What an interesting conclusion- the US spending millions of tax-payer dollars on an African situation- the republicans would literally have obama for breakfast.

^ How happy i'd be that day . Then I'll see who'll be rushing to abuja in search of national cake ?

SEFAGO:

^What an interesting conclusion- the US spending millions of tax-payer dollars on an African situation- the republicans would literally have obama for breakfast.

"African situation" or oil money and the most strategic location for a military base in Africa?

What do you think will be the opinions of Harlibuton, Chevron and Exxon Mobile would be? The Republicans you mentioned, would be in a mad scramble for a piece of the of what will be very high return business.
We better get our act right, because people want the very things we are throwing away. We might be in far more dangerous times than we think.

In the coming weeks, lets watch for any new investigations or pressure on the human rights situation in the Niger Delta and the US position. Those were unprecedented words, especially as they came from ex diplomats (who are never far from the security services).