Is America in decline and why?

[anvi]

Yes, it is in decline.  And that's both alright and deserved.  It's alright because the U.S. hasn't done anything unequivocally good on the world stage since we helped defeat Germany and Japan in the '40's; since then, we've screwed up lots of places and should scale back the global military presence already.  In terms of deserts, we'd rather throw spitballs at each other and still thump our chests with pride than do things to improve our situation, and a country that acts like that doesn't deserve to do well.  The well-being of a people as a whole matters more than concentrated wealth or dominating power, and until we get that, then our continued struggles are entirely appropriate.