December 16, 2025
Who’s holding the world remote?
Thomas Piketty: 'The reality is the US is losing control of the world'
Is America slipping—or just dropping the mic? Debt panic, China flex, and colonizer jokes
TLDR: Thomas Piketty says the US is losing global control as China’s output surpasses and debt pressures rise. Comments split: some warn creditors could punish Washington, others argue US deficits prop up export nations, and many fear who replaces America—making this a big deal for jobs, markets, and security.
Economist Thomas Piketty dropped a grenade: the US is “losing control of the world,” with China’s output already bigger and debt worries rising. The comments exploded. Finance doomers rallied behind Tom Clancy vibes, with jleyank warning, “if you piss off your creditors…” while others mocked Trump’s fantasy land of taxing foreign bondholders and “seizing” Greenland, Panama, and Ukrainian minerals like it’s a board game of Risk. One drive‑by posted receipts and bounced, fueling popcorn energy. Piketty paints Washington as erratic and over‑leveraged, a sequel to Iraq‑era hubris now colliding with higher interest rates.
Then came the split: mrweasel argued America isn’t losing power, it’s just handing the keys over — reason unknown. corimaith shot back that US trade deficits actually prop up export‑heavy “surplus” countries; if the world rebalances, those nations eat the pain first. zelphirkalt fretted about the vacuum: if the US steps back, who fills the role — and are they friendly? Meme lords joked “colonialism DLC,” while serious folks debated PPP (purchasing power parity), headline GDP, and looming interest payments to foreign holders. One camp sees an erratic Washington losing the plot; another says the US is tired of playing world cop.
Key Points
- •The article argues the U.S. faces a turning point that undermines its economic, financial, and political power, citing leadership instability.
- •It asserts China’s GDP (PPP) surpassed the U.S. in 2016, is now over 30% higher, and could double the U.S. by 2035.
- •Persistent U.S. trade deficits have pushed external public and private debt toward 70% of GDP by 2025, according to the article.
- •With rising interest rates, the article contends the U.S. may owe substantial interest to foreign holders of U.S. securities; it notes proposals to tax those payments.
- •The author compares U.S. trade deficits (1995–2025) to those of European colonial powers (1880–1914), arguing the U.S. lacks comparable external asset income; it also claims Trump seeks to seize foreign resources.