Empires rise and fall. They start out as under dogs like the Brits plundering Spanish bullion and end up ruling the seas, trade and banking. US empire took over from The British after WW2 and now China is emerging as the dominant power. The elites know what is happening but know that acknowledging it is not often a vote winner. The core problem is the sense of entitlement that wealth and success brings and the inability to recognise that your time as the dominant power is almost up. US exceptionalists take note! But they won't.