DANIEL DREZNER: Predictions about the death of American hegemony may have been greatly exaggerated. “The United States is not in decline; in fact, it is now wealthier, more innovative, and more militarily powerful compared to China than it was in 1991.”

Plus this: “Since the Second World War, the pattern in the global political economy has been for the United States to adjust to systemic shocks better than any potential challenger country. A lot of very smart people have predicted that this time was different — the United States wouldn’t be able to do it again. These trends suggest that maybe, just maybe, that might be wrong.” Well, we have the worst political class in our nation’s history. On the other hand, the political classes elsewhere aren’t anything to write home about, either.

I AGREE: Ars Technica: Throwing Hollywood under the bus could pay dividends for GOP.

A striking trend in Congress’s reaction to Wednesday’s protests against the PROTECT IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act was the partisan divide in the Senate. At least 16 Republican Senators—more than a third of all GOP members in the body—declared their opposition to PIPA for the first time on Wednesday. In contrast, as far as we can tell, only three Democrats jumped off the bandwagon that day.

Why were Republicans so quick to abandon PIPA? For an inside perspective, Ars talked to two conservative operatives who have long opposed Hollywood’s campaign for ever-more draconian copyright laws. Reihan Salam is a blogger at National Review and a policy advisor at Economics 21, a conservative think tank. And Patrick Ruffini is a conservative political strategist and founder of the PR firm Engage.

Salam and Ruffini told Ars on Thursday that the differing reactions to the online protests reflects structural and philosophical differences between the two parties. They said Democrats have deep ties to Hollywood and to labor unions who staff Hollywood productions, which makes it hard for them to buck these interests and vote against PIPA. In contrast, they said, Republicans have few ties to groups that support PIPA, and they have a Tea Party faction that has grown increasingly invested in Internet freedom as it has become more reliant on the web for its own organization.

That seems about right. Read the whole thing. Also, repeal the Eisenhower tax cuts!

UPDATE: A reader emails: “Along with the repeal of the cuts, shouldn’t we also institute a Cinema Windfall Profits Board that decides how much is reasonable for a movie/television show to earn, and tax any excess profits at 100%, just like the Democrats recently proposed for the Oil Industry?” Now see, if I were in Congress I’d start attaching this to every bill that went by, just for fun.

CALIFORNIA OIL: EIA estimates California Monterey to have four times the technically recoverable oil of the North Dakota Bakken oil field. Well, this might be a solution to California’s debt problem.

Related: Movable Sleeves could reduce the cost of oil fracking wells by up to two thirds.

AT AMAZON, markdowns in Home, Kitchen, and Garden.

Also, today only: Yamaha YHT-S400BL Home Theater System, $249.99.

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA? (CONT’D): Gallup: Americans’ satisfaction with the state of the nation’s economy has dropped by 23 percentage points since January 2008 to 13%.

From Gallup: “As President Barack Obama prepares his annual address to Congress, Americans are broadly dissatisfied with the state of the nation in several specific issue areas, with satisfaction down sharply in some cases since January 2008. However, three issues — the nation’s economy, the size and power of the federal government, and the moral and ethical climate in the country — fit both of these unwelcome criteria.”

ANDREW MALCOLM: 3 states, 3 victors: Now what for Republicans?

STILL MORE ON THAT Iowa Obama-Staffer Identity-Theft Case.

HMM: Pundits: Newt might win over his party like it’s 1994.

On the other hand, we’re also seeing glimmerings of nostalgia for W. “Republicans could also use a little of the Bush message right now. He used to say, ‘I’m a uniter, not a divider.’ Some pundits made fun of it, but that’s what many Americans want right now, especially after Obama’s failed promises to end partisanship in Washington.” Miss me yet?

CHANGE: Nigeria Crisis Deepens.

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEKEND:

Former Obama Staffer in Identity-Theft Scam Aimed At Discrediting Republican Secretary of State in Iowa. Mark Tapscott thinks this story might be bigger than the South Carolina primary. John Hinderaker says it’s not just a dirty trick, but a crime.

Bill Maher, Yes-Man for Big Entertainment.

Coming to Nevada: “The Ritz-Carlton of Brothels.”

As Price Of Oil Surges, Many Shiver.

Congressional Research Service Report: Congress Can Require Keystone Pipeline Approval.

Labor Union Quits Alliance With Greens Over Keystone Pipeline.

EPA-Caused Refinery Closing Will Lead To Higher Gas Prices for East Coast.

Electric-Car Parking Spots: A Subsidy For The 1%?

Blog Comment of the Day: “I remember during the last Administration when the operative MSM narrative was that Bush DOJ was ‘completely politicized.’ Now we have important DOJ officials taking the Fifth. More hope and change, I guess.”

The Hill: Consumer Group Accuses Hollywood Of Threatening Politicians.

Zombies are so last year.

A newspaper profile of Robert Bidinotto and the success of his new novel, Hunter.

Also, in the Wall Street Journal, a very nice review of Austin Bay’s book on Kemal Ataturk.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The 2012 Election Circus.

SCIENCE: Political Activists Gagging TV Meteorologists on Climate.

OBAMA THE JOB KILLER: “Republicans shouldn’t let a single day go by without reminding voters of the Keystone pipeline, the most visible symbol of the Obama administration’s hostility to economic growth and job creation.”

It’s worth noting that the Hovendra refinery shutdown cost 2000 jobs, because of EPA regulations. In addition to the higher gas prices that will result.

HOPE AND CHANGE: Why Apple took its jobs overseas and — as Steve Jobs told Barack Obama — “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”

SOPA/PIPA: In fight between lobbyists and the Internet over piracy bill, techies won. Generally, if it’s an outright battle between special interests and the public, the special interests lose. Which is why everything is designed to minimize the likelihood of the public figuring out what’s going on until it’s too late.

NANOTECHNOLOGY UPDATE: California High School Student Devises Possible Cancer Cure. Hurray for smart teens. On the other hand, CBS’s layers of editors and fact-checkers need some copyediting help:

Angela’s idea was to mix cancer medicine in a polymer that would attach to nanoparticles — nanoparticles that would then attach to cancer cells and show up on an MRI. so doctors could see exactly where the tumors are. Then she thought [t]hat if you aimed an infrared light at the tumors to melt the polymer and release the medicine, thus killing the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells completely unharmed.

Well, the point’s fairly clear, but the writing is atrocious.

PHOTOS: When Hope Came To Town.

Yes. This iconic photo from the early days of hope-and-change now seems prophetic.

RAND SIMBERG ON THE WAR AGAINST PAULA DEEN. “Not that there isn’t some anti-southern bigotry involved as well, of course. Like that against Christians, it’s the only other acceptable form of bigotry among the politically correct elite.”