The US is the new Britain, basically, in that they are globally influential because they have massive foreign capital to operate and protect, rather than anything lofty like having the "right ideas" or demonstrating responsible stewardship of the world order.
They also attract the smartest people with the best ideas by being rich and paying in-demand workers more than everyone else, not by being an actual good place to live or raise a family.
Nothing else really matters here. You have a middle America that's basically saying, **** foreign capital, let's stop protecting it. And you have coastal America that's basically saying, **** labor, let's stop paying them. And then you "provincial" voters are all left wondering why America doesn't seem as great anymore.
They also attract the smartest people with the best ideas by being rich and paying in-demand workers more than everyone else, not by being an actual good place to live or raise a family.
Nothing else really matters here. You have a middle America that's basically saying, **** foreign capital, let's stop protecting it. And you have coastal America that's basically saying, **** labor, let's stop paying them. And then you "provincial" voters are all left wondering why America doesn't seem as great anymore.