Let me just throw this question out there..... "Is the USA in collapse?" Are we (USA) now in a kinda 2nd Rate status?
Some evidence:
1. America's economic difficulties.
2. Our low saving rate.
3. Our poor education.
4. Our rising demand for welfare state entitlements.
5. Shrinking moral characteristics.
And since the USA's preeminence is based on the fact that it is the only country with the military, diplomatic, political & economic assets to be a decisive player in any conflict in whatever part of the world it chooses to involve ourselves in, is this current administrations resolute attitude to trim the armed services going to be a factor in sinking the ship?
No, but we are in a slow, steady glide path toward destruction. Every so often a Republican administration comes along and pulls the stick back, raising the nose of the plane and giving us some more airspace. Reagan was able to engage the engines for awhile and actually lift the plane for a while.
He did that because many on his administration lived through WW2, so they were bound and determined (with frame of reference) to make the world a better place while propping us up as the primary leader. But those guys have gone by the by. So do we need another World War to make it evident?