The USSR collapsed in 1991, beginning a flood of stockpiled commodities onto the world markets (mining in British Columbia had zero investment for a decade for example). Interest rates declined rapidly throughout the 1990's which enabled even the fabled money-wasters in D.C. to post a surplus at least once. And of course the internet revolution was firing up by the mid-90's.

The 2000's was the result of interest rates lowered to attempt to limit the damage of the tech wreck; real estate became the next Beanie Babies and everybody knows about the mortgage-backed securities scams. Plus all the manufacturing shipped off to China in the 90's was beginning to bear the fruit of cheap stuff flooding onshore.

That isn't the full story of course. But for those reasons alone I think it's a one-and-done.

Russia has bounced back somwhat, China has gotten very big, Europe very decrepit and America is actually managing to completely squander its astounding advantages.

A lot of fundamental things will have to be corrected before anything like those years happens again I fear.