What I found unsettling was the thread that ran through all of them, that the US was somehow in control.
I missed that thread, link please
Numan was chewed out for bringing up the alternative, that the future of the economy might be outer directed. I am not sure that he wasn't right.
Numan has been chewed out numerous times.... usually because of his monomanina on one particular topic
I am not sure how anyone got the idea that the world is moving in a direction of ever greater US military, political and economic control. Certainly that has not been the trend of the last 40 years... and I see no reason why the trend lines would reverse.
That said, I also do not think it s obviously true that the US will collapse into a heap of rubble in the near term ... not do I think that increased strength of other countries necessarily implies that the US must surely collapse.
I wonder... is there room for a middle way... a way between absolute and complete US domination... or alternatively the US collapsing into a smoldering ruin?
Consider for example the following question... suppose that India had to for trade with either the USA or with Iran... which trading partner do YOU think they would choose? IT is true that India gets oil from iran, but I have heard rumors of an international oil market. surely India can buy their oil from elsewhere should they choose?

On the other hand, India has massive facilities designed to provide back office and programming support for US firms.... In your view, what is the good alternative for India to utilize these facilities to earn revenue should they tell the USA to go F itself because India wants to buy its oil form Iran?

IS that an alternative that India looks likely to pursue, or want?
Likewise China.... will china want to close it's ports to USA exports.... Sorry USA, we are through making cheap crxp for you? Is that a likely and desired path that China will want to pursue?
OK, gold is wonderful and all, but once india and china have all the gold in the world.... then what.... do they shut the country down and say game over, we got all the gold now, we win?
Given the size and importance of the USA as an export market.... please name the countries who will want the USA to disappear as a market for their goods?
I am not saying that this guarantees the survival and dominance of the USA... on the other hand, it is also not obvious to me that there is a great advantage for most nations if the USA were to disappear.
And given that most countries will not want the USA to disappear, I am suspicious that they will spend an inordinate amount of effort trying to achieve a goal that would not be in their apparent interest?