I guess you could say America was once the recognised super power in all aspects, not military power, but economy. It is not bombs that make money, it is growth and forward thinking. The US excelled in that years ago yet got very very lost along the way... like all good things, there are negatives that will drag a positive down. I believe a lot of US commercial sectors got greedy. They wanted it all as fast as possible, which has helped bring down the US economy. The US is now used as an example around the world of what not to do, and where not to go in future planning and development. I guess as unfortunate as it is, your loss is the worlds gain. But why I guess is the big question? I believe it has a lot to do with greed, and whilst that is not the average joe blow citizens issue, it is now their issue because the top tipped over.