End of the American Century or Worst Person In the World

End of the American Century

Author: David S Mason

"The End of the American Century demonstrates the social, economic, and international decline that marks the end of a period of world dominance that began with World War II. The costs of the war on terror and the Iraq War have exacerbated the already daunting problems of debt, poverty, inequality, and political and social decay." The European Union is more stable in economic and social terms, and countries like India and China are more economically dynamic. These and other nations will soon eclipse the United States, signaling a fundamental transformation of the global scene. This transition will require huge adjustments for American citizens and political leaders alike. But in the end, Americans - and the world - will be better off with a more modest and interdependent United States.

Table of Contents:

List of Figures and Tables

Note from the Author

Introduction The Beginning and End of the American Century 1

Ch. 1 Imperial Overstretch and Economic Decline 13

Ch. 2 The End of Affluence and Equality 31

Ch. 3 Torn Social Fabric: Inadequate Health Care and Violent Crime 47

Ch. 4 The Dimming of America: Education, Science, and Fundamentalism 65

Ch. 5 Ailing American Democracy 87

Ch. 6 Abandoning International Order: Unilateralism and International Law 107

Ch. 7 The Last Gasp of U.S. Supremacy: The Iraq War and Terrorism 133

Ch. 8 The World Sours on the United States 155

Ch. 9 America's New Rivals: Europe, China, and Others 177

Ch. 10 America and the World after the American Century 207

Bibliography 227

Index 241

Interesting book: Your Public Best or The Womens Healthy Heart Program

Worst Person In the World: And 202 Strong Contenders

Author: Keith Olbermann

The stinkers, the rascals, the reprobates. . . and the just plain dumb.


(Yes, Bill, he's talking about you.)

Geraldo Rivera. The Coca-Cola Company. Victoria Gotti. Tom Cruise. Various members of the Bush administration. All have earned the dishonor of "Worst Person in the World," awarded by MSNBC's witty and controversial reporter Keith Olbermann on his nightly MSNBC show Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Now, he brings all his bronze, silver, and gold medalists together in this wildly entertaining collection that reveals just how twisted people can be—and how much fun it is to call them out on it.

From tongue-in-cheek observations to truly horrific accounts, Olbermann skewers both the mighty and the meek, the well-known and the anonymous for their misdeeds, including:

Ann Coulter, for, among other things, calling Muslims "ragheads" in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington

Barbara Bush, for making a generous donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund earmarked exclusively for the purchase of computer software . . . software sold by her son, Neil

The staff of Your World with Neil Cavuto, for the story about the murders of Iraqi civilians that was accompanied by the on-screen graphic: "All-out Civil War in Iraq: Could It Be a Good Thing?"

Olbermann also reports on some of the recent fallout from his awards, such as the controversy with John Gibson and the mysterious disappearance of remarks about Cindy Sheehan on Rush Limbaugh's Web site. Plus, he reveals the winner of the most coveted award of all: "Worst in Show."