All empires fall eventually, but can you call the USA an empire? Nuclear weapons will never be used in a war, it would be a differant matter if only one country had nuclear weapson, or only one aliance, but since every major world player has an arsenal of nuclear warheads, it makes them a non-viable solution, even to someone as stupid as George Bush, I hope... Which leads me as to how such a powerfull nation can allow a man who has trouble with words over two sylables long to lead them. The USSR had thousands of nuclear weapons, submarines all over the world, a did America, and like someone said, once you have enough to wipe out the entire world, what does it matter. The EU isn't socalist (which I'm pretty -*BAD WORD*- sure it isn't), it isn't even a major governing body yet, it does not wield any real power, that still lies with the France, Britain, and Germany axis. But eventually, it will control all of Europe, or all the countrys that matter, and unsurp the USA s the major focre in the world, which in turn will be overthrown by China, as they have a huge population, a massive potential work force, and an ecomemy which can pratically suport itself without outside interfierance, because of the huge market it commands inside it's own borders.