10 signs the US is losing its influence over its own backyard

[bit_pattern]

These are just the dot-points, follow the link for the authors reasoning:

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/10-signs-the-us-is-losing-its-influence-in-the-western-hemisphere-535456.html

1. Our most powerful regional ally--Brazil--refuses to follow our orders on Iran
2. The World's Richest Man is now a Mexican, not an American.
3. Three years after a US financial crisis, Latin America is again growing rapidly. The U.S.? Not so much...
4. Chile produces 300% more copper than America--the former world leader in copper production
5. Brazil now produces over four times as much iron ore as the U.S.. We used to lead that industry, too.
6. Canada and Venezuela will pass the U.S. in oil production in the next decade
7. Now Brazil exports over twice as much beef as we do
8. Brazil is now a critical partner for Russia, India, and China
9. Brazil, Canada, and Mexico all invest a greater share of GDP in clean energy
10. Hugo Chavez is still in power

[paiute]

These are just the dot-points, follow the link for the authors reasoning:

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/10-signs-the-us-is-losing-its-influence-in-the-western-hemisphere-535456.html

1. Our most powerful regional ally--Brazil--refuses to follow our orders on Iran
2. The World's Richest Man is now a Mexican, not an American.
3. Three years after a US financial crisis, Latin America is again growing rapidly. The U.S.? Not so much...
4. Chile produces 300% more copper than America--the former world leader in copper production
5. Brazil now produces over four times as much iron ore as the U.S.. We used to lead that industry, too.
6. Canada and Venezuela will pass the U.S. in oil production in the next decade
7. Now Brazil exports over twice as much beef as we do
8. Brazil is now a critical partner for Russia, India, and China
9. Brazil, Canada, and Mexico all invest a greater share of GDP in clean energy
10. Hugo Chavez is still in power

GDP of Brazil is about that of California.
GDP of Chile is about that of Alabama.
GDP of Venezuela is about that of Washington state.
etc.

[Nobbit]

GDP of Brazil is about that of California.
Serious (and possibly dumb) question: What does it mean, exactly, to say that the GDP of Brazil is about that of California?

The reason I ask is that I've often wondered how cross-currency GDP comparisons work, and what they are supposed to indicate.

[Aepervius]

1. not a good comparison. Your most powerful ally are not in the same region, jsut sayin'.
2. not a good appraisal of economical indicator. Theer are numerous example of theird world country politics or leader making higher rank than people from western countries.
3. It is easier to grow 10% on a 30 billion GDP, but % says nothing as a 1% on a 1 trillion GDP is the triple in absolute. But I give the point anyway.
4. raw material production is given up by many western country as being not rentable. Why do you think (for example) china has the biggest production of rare earth material ? They udnercut everybody.
5. see 4
6. means the USA is clever to keep its oil production to compensate afetr peak, or for its miliatry. Strategic resource.
7. So what. We *have* up to recently to PAY farmer to stop producing wheat and meat. I dunno if it is still the case.
8. And so are a lot of countries. Because the economy are increasingly webbed.
9. 1% of 50 billion is still less than 0.1% of 1 trillion.
Give absolute number of investment. % of GDP are ridicule.
10. That has been the dumbest indicator you mentionned.
I fail to see how the fact a foreign leader is still in power, that it is a loss of influence for the USA. To that I will counter : sarkozy a french president , kow tow to the US president. I can't remember seing that in living memory.

[bit_pattern]

10. That has been the dumbest indicator you mentionned.
I fail to see how the fact a foreign leader is still in power, that it is a loss of influence for the USA. To that I will counter : sarkozy a french president , kow tow to the US president. I can't remember seing that in living memory.

I guess the author was struggling to come up with a neat 10 points :p

[paiute]

Serious (and possibly dumb) question: What does it mean, exactly, to say that the GDP of Brazil is about that of California?

The reason I ask is that I've often wondered how cross-currency GDP comparisons work, and what they are supposed to indicate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product

Details therein.

[Nobbit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product

Details therein.
So when a cross-currency GDP comparison is made, the calculation is based on either the currency market exchange rate or the purchasing power parity exchange rate.

When you said that the GDP of Brazil is about that of California, which exchange rate was used?

[drkitten]

So when a cross-currency GDP comparison is made, the calculation is based on either the currency market exchange rate or the purchasing power parity exchange rate.

When you said that the GDP of Brazil is about that of California, which exchange rate was used?

Doesn't really matter. The nominal GDP of Brazil is about $1.5T (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29); the PPP GDP is about $2.0T (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29).

California's "GDP" (by abuse of nomenclature) is about $1.85T. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_California)

[Nobbit]

Doesn't really matter. The nominal GDP of Brazil is about $1.5T (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29); the PPP GDP is about $2.0T (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29).

California's "GDP" (by abuse of nomenclature) is about $1.85T. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_California)
So further assuming that the size of the black market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_market) (as a percentage of GDP) is 30% in Brazil and 10% in California, we get the following figures:

Brazil: $2.6T
California: $2.0T

I'm not sure what relevance these have to the OP, but there they are, anyway. :)

[The True Scotsman]

The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) are certainly interesting cases. While their rise is not necessarily a threat to the US and may even prove to be beneficial, it will certainly change the dynamics of foreign policy.

[AcesHigh]

since when is Brazil the US backyard?

maybe Mexico and Canada are the US backyard... not Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

ps:
distance NY - London: 5.800 km
distance NY - Rio: 7.500 km

[bit_pattern]

since when is Brazil the US backyard?

Since we divided the planet into Western and Eastern hemispheres... Or, at least, since the Monroe Doctrine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Backyard

[aleCcowaN]

California's "GDP" (by abuse of nomenclature) is about $1.85T. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_California)Yes, California is about the economical size of Italy. About 10th GDP ppp and 7th GDP nominal. And?

[Puppycow]

We used to have so much influence. Not!

Hey, Castro is still in power too.

Only the first one in that list has anything to do with influence.
The rest are just a random grab-bag of numbers.