> More than that, it is still one of the places where
> the most interesting cultural, intellectual, scientific and political
> innovations come from.
I can't speak for the scientists, but I've spent a decade studying the transnational media, and the US mainstream media is becoming as stagnant as its sclerotic politics and failing Empire.
Film: where's the US equivalent of Miyazaki? John Woo? Bekmambetov? Amir Khan?
TV: where's the US equivalent of McGoohan (The Prisoner), Kieslowski (Decalogue), Lund/Meirelles (City of Men), or Satoshi Kon (Paranoia Agent)?
Music: where's the US equivalent of MV Bill? Serebro? Seryoga? Marcelo D2? Amadou and Mariam? Baaba Maal?
The only exception is videogames, where the US position is decent, thanks to Santa Monica Studios and Insomniac. But the rest of the world has Guerilla, Hideo Kojima, Yamauchi, Remedy, etc. No US dominance there, anymore.
-- DRR