The US/rest of the world is producing more wealth/value than it ever has thanks to globalization and tech, and that isn't going to stop any time soon. More people are on food stamps and public assistance because our system of education, "no work, no food" mentality, etc. are geared towards a fictional world in which the goods we consume are all manufactured here, by humans instead of robots or child slaves in China working for pennies. That world is growing smaller in our rearview mirror everyday. Germany and Japan get the idea, as they have an excess bad *** engineers all over the place, and better access to hi-tech education. They are the ones making off with most of your precious iphone dollars, not US, not China.