I prefer the chart of Japan's GDP. Didn't you hear? They conquered the world, their influence was undeniable. Their competence was feared across the globe.
By 1988 Japan had surpassed the US in GDP per capita. The US is now ~53% ahead. That's no discredit to Japan, they're a very advanced industrial nation. The US simply happens to be the greatest economic train in history, one that has rarely stopped expanding in the last two centuries.
Maybe China will manage a century of mostly unbroken growth. We'll see what they do now that the easy growth - filling in their vast economic slack and correcting particularly extreme inefficiencies - has long since ended (which is why they took on tens of trillions in debt post 2007).
By 1988 Japan had surpassed the US in GDP per capita. The US is now ~53% ahead. That's no discredit to Japan, they're a very advanced industrial nation. The US simply happens to be the greatest economic train in history, one that has rarely stopped expanding in the last two centuries.
Maybe China will manage a century of mostly unbroken growth. We'll see what they do now that the easy growth - filling in their vast economic slack and correcting particularly extreme inefficiencies - has long since ended (which is why they took on tens of trillions in debt post 2007).