Over the last few years, discussions of American decline have become commonplace —but recent events have made them more prominent. That’s because the country that marshalled the resources and resolve to help win two world wars and a cold war has proven unable to deal with the challenges thrown up by the coronavirus.
In light of these events, the eminent historian Harold James wrote that “like the Soviet Union in its final years, the United States is reeling from failures of leadership and suppressed socioeconomic tensions.” It is important to remember, he warns, that “up until the moment the Soviet system collapsed, very few thought it could actually happen.”
