Is the USA in 'irreversible decline'?

And this brings me to what I would regard as one of America's greatest strengths, its unparalleled network of top ranking universities, well-funded national laboratories and dynamic industrial research labs that act as a magnet for the brightest and best scientists and engineers. The US is as close to being STEM paradise as you can get.

Shanghai Jiaotong University publishes the annual Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It is probably the most widely used of the international rankings systems especially when considering STEM disciplines. According to the 2011 ARWU, 53 of the world's top 100 universities are in the USA. (Most of the rest are in Western countries. Australia has 4 in the top 100.)

I could write much more such as how new technology is decreasing America's reliance on imported energy or how nervousness about China is causing many of China's neighbours- notably Vietnam, Philippines, Japan and, to some extent, India – to do their best to keep the USA engaged in Asia. They recognise that America is the only possible counterweight to China.

I could also write about demographics - especially China's rapidly aging population and shrinking labour force. China may get old before it gets rich.

But this will do for now.

I am well aware of America's many massive problems. In many ways America's worst enemy is America. But looking at the totality of the evidence, America does not seem to me to be a nation in irreversible decline. Neither, apparently, does it seem that way to the hundreds of thousands of China's brightest and best who are migrating there.