First, nowhere in the world can you find such a high concentration of optimism and daring.
Second, the United States is radically global.
Third, the United States is the only nation on earth that can do business globally in its own currency.
But there is a flip side to the coin.
Make no mistake about it: at the start of the new century, the United States is still a superpower. But it is a superpower that faces tough competition from outside and difficulties within. The feedback effects involved in globalization are especially intense for the US economy — so much so that large parts of the US workforce are now standing with their backs against the wall.