snake eating it's own tail

The end of American empire is going to be interesting.  Economic devaluing of our money means that American-associated status goods and images may be all we have left to offer the world in foreign trade.   We all noticed the rush of 'we buy gold' commercials.  Incentive was the high price of gold and the low strength of the American dollar which made buying tiny pockets of gold efficient.  Most of our natural resources are gone.  Other than cheap food (which the world hates us for anyway), we're busted.

The implications will be broad.

1.  America will be tourist wonderland for a while.  Then international visitors will smell the desperation.  Did anyone else see the Russian Billionaire with a giant yacht slipping through SF bay . . .

2.  American celebrities will increasingly seek money in foreign lands.  Allen Iverson heads to play in Turkey. 

3.  The imagery and representation of wealth and status will be made available to lower class American consumers.  Knock-off luxury automobiles, versions of 'top-shelf' liquors available in drug stores, not to mention the cheapening and deepening of the digital entertainment media will soothe the sting of being a citizen in a second or third world nation.  

4.  American will increasingly celebrate the cheaper things in life.  For instance the new Zagat's guide to food trucks. http://www.psfk.com/2010/11/zagat-announces-food-truck-tracking-site.html