America as superpower: shaken, not deposed (The Christian Science Monitor)

By Howard LaFranchi Thu Oct 9, 4:00 AM ET Washington - The eagle has crash-landed – or has it? The US financial crisis that has all but certainly thrown the world's largest economy into recession is also prompting pronouncements that what had been dubbed "the American century" is over. From gleeful declarations in places like Iran and Venezuela that the era of American superpower is finished, to the more-measured statements of European leaders about a new era of "multipolarity," the conclusion is the same: A global power structure based on US predominance and leadership is in shambles – never to rise again. Such a conclusion follows the predictions of shrinking American global power that flowed from the Iraq occupation. Yet others say, "Not so fast!" and predict the American era will continue – in part because the world has... [read full story]