Well... the only way the US can maintain its economic superiority is if the populations of China and India are dramatically reduced. So either this grand solar minimum is gonna do the trick, or someone's going to release some kind of biological weapon.
Being human is interesting to say the least - the shit we will do to each other over a false and fleeting sense of supremacy. It's enough to make a man want to remove himself from the whole equation and ignore villains and victims all.