New Orleans overcame Hurricane Katrina, and really recovered. I'm a fan of the New Orleans Saints who are based in New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina hit the team were all over the place, but made their stadium an evacuation centre. Five years on, they appeared for the first time in the Super Bowl, something they had always wanted to do, and went on to win. There is still a pile of problems in New Orleans, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (although this was a man-made disaster) but as long as the National Football League exists, it's ok.

From a global perspective the dollar is no longer a key currency. Europe (there are many problems in EU countries) with the euro, and Asia, are both functioning independently, and in future there may not be a US-led economy. US employment, consumption and growth rates are all slowing down. As Ms Hama said, this may be idealistic, but surely it'll soon be time for something like a world currency?

It's not a case of will it get better or worse.  There's a paradigm shift going on.  Discussing whether it will improve or not is nonsense.
 

I think that the US Economy will be able to recover, but it will take time. Actually they have severe structural problems. But the effect of US-growth on world growth is shrinking. BRIC countries will take over the position of the engine of world growth.
 

Because of exchange rate patterns, it will be difficult for the US economy to recover.
 

Is the world heading for the next stage?

Recently a few incidents have made us aware of the limits of the US national power and strength, such as disturbances over a default the other day and the end of the shuttle launch.  As long as there are no fundamental improvements, US decline is only a matter of time.  China is gaining power, so perhaps a world beyond the US has arrived.
 

With my wishful thinking. Although the downgrade of the national bonds is a pain in the neck, the dollar still remains the key currency even though the value is declined. The euro zone is in the midst of confusion. The emerging nations aren't ready yet even though their economic boom. None of them can substitute the role of the United States.

It is because President Obama decided the economic policy of 34 trillion yen.

The frontier spirit is the base of the United States, the people who should be the bearer of the spirit are getting weaker. The new immigrants only insist on the right to receive the benefits, who are indifferent to the duty to advance the society.

The country no longer has the absolute power to lead the world both politically and economically as before.

The country has resources and huge farmland as well as a lot of talents gathering. It is the center of the economy in all fields.

It is because there is a disparity of expectations between the President and the congress.

It is because Japan has the real ability such as the revival of the auto industry.

The fiscal deterioration. The rise of the emerging nations.