In the 1980s, Japan was widely regarded as on the verge of overtaking the US; today, after more than two decades of Japanese stagnation, no one would take this scenario seriously. And in the 1990s, monetary union was considered likely to propel Europe to greater global prominence; today, the European economy is frequently in the world’s headlines, but not in a good way.
华盛顿—关于美国实力已死的报道常常夸大其词。20世纪50年代，苏联被认为已经超越美国；如今，苏联早已不复存在。20世纪80年代，日本被广泛认为即将超越美国；如今，日本经历了二十年的停滞，再也没人把这种论断当真了。而在20世纪90年代，人们认为货币联盟有望让欧洲赢得更大的全球主宰力；如今，欧洲经济经常见诸世界报端，但不是因为好事。