>>>>>This may seem dramatic but I am seriously thinking of leaving the country when Emily leaves for college a year from now. I don't like what the U.S. has turned into. It's an ugly country full of hatred. Our better days are behind us and we are on the downslope of empire. I'm not sure who will replace us as a world power -- things pretty much suck all over -- but we are not what we were. I am thinking of Vancouver, Toronto, New Zealand, and Scandinavia. Can you get by speaking English in Scandinavia or would I have to learn long unpronounceable words? ;-)
>>>>
>>>>Better days behind us???
>>>>
>>>>Open up a History book and point me to the page of History you're talking about.
>>>
>>>If I were to pick the date, I'd say the US peaked November 9, 1989. ;)
>>
>>At this date the gap to the second place was about greatest - no doubt -
>>but I see this date as lready coupled with a downward trend as well
>>[competition was getting easier before that date, so US did not have to "forge ahead"]
>>I'd pick July 20, 1969, even many of the reasons were not scientifc, but PR.
>
>This was a good date, but the question is "Better days behind us???" that would justify leaving your home country for another...Vietnam War....comes to mind on this one, so it doesn't fall into "Better days".

As long as you were not actually *in* Nam, US citizens at that point in time were getting "better" compared to other countries inhabitants on a [decidedly ideosyncratic] mix of personal freedom, economic growth and chances, stability of law and government.
In my POV the "downslope of empire" in Roman times could be argued to begin with Octavian - just turned away from the early mix of changing helm through established rules for consular change to Cesaric reign, coupled with arguably the greatest sphere of influence but having decided problems with some unruly barbars with yellow hair<g>.

In the roman periods before that there were other wars besides [Julius] Cesar's and the Punic wars - also not all wars were indiscussed/unanimously supported. So IMO not always "easy" days, but "better" days if operationally defined as increasing the gap to the rivals instead of closing it.

For myself I did nowhere argue/propose to leave my/western countries in those posts... Even declining Rome had for a long time much more to offer than other areas - decadence has its charme as well <bg>. Downslope can still be coupled with good place to live in. OTOH less stable countries - giving you more opportunities with more fluctuations/"dangers" are becoming more attractive - the gap is closing also in my "list of possible alternate places", where the US and South Africa are not as much in the lead as 30 years ago.