I think @kr talked about this a few weeks ago. I have been anticipating Armageddon since the late 1980s. I remember the "Japan will overtake the U.S." fear mongering. I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying that in my lifetime I have witnessed a continual slow decay. I doubt Hemingway's "gradually, then suddenly" will happen. Remember, Hemingway's character went bankrupt without the power to print more money.