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Comment by tim333

7 days ago

Have to say I disagree there. It was American exceptionalism first which then led to the dollar being popular.

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tim333

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ozmodiar  7 days ago

But a large degree of the exception was being excepted from being blown to smithereens during WW2, which is the kind of opportunity that doesn't usually come around twice.

  • lolinder  7 days ago

    > which is the kind of opportunity that doesn't usually come around twice.

    On the contrary, it most definitely did come around twice (hence the 2), and those same geographic advantages are still at play, barring thermonuclear war. It wasn't pure chance that Europe combusted in WW2, Europe had been on fire off and on for hundreds of years. Its geography just lends itself to large scale conflict.

    The recent period of peace is an exception, but it's not the first exception and there's good reason to suppose this one won't last forever either.

    • vladms  7 days ago

      I could say the same about the period of peace in the USA which is only from 1865 (Edit: 1865 is the civil war, but thought hey let's look, and it seems there were conflicts with Indians up to 1924!) . It is an exception, because before that it was "the wild west", with various conflicts around.

      And not sure how this will play out long term, I don't get an impression that USA states are so aligned on everything.

      5 replies →

  • sebastianz  7 days ago

    > doesn't usually come around twice.

    There is a _2_ in WW2 :)

    Sadly looking at history these "opportunities" come around quite regularly.