300 years ago a British Prime Minister - - -
said that the future of the Columbia River Basin would be determined in the bedrooms of New England.
In other words, the expanding population of the US would take over that portion of the country.
Demographics are in favor of China and India. My guess is that the US has started the decline England has experienced in the last 150 years, but it won't take as long.
Just wait until China and India will pay more for energy than the US can afford, and there will be major disruptions in the world financial markets.
Arf