The race for global dominance is no longer fought over land, oil, or military might, it is rapidly unfolding in the realm of data. Across the world, governments are fortifying their digital borders, investing in surveillance technologies, and rewriting laws to claim ownership over the information flowing through their networks.   What emerges is a contest not for territory but for control over the data that defines modern life, who produces it, who stores it, and who decides how it is used. This silent power race is redrawing the global order, creating new hierarchies of influence built on algorithms and infrastructure rather than armies. As states weaponise information, the battle for sovereignty is shifting from physical borders to the digital terrain of human behaviour.

This analysis provides a comprehensive analysis of the United States economy as of November 2025, addressing the query of whether its current status is one of a "boom" or a "downslide." The principal finding is that the economy is exhibiting clear signs of downsliding in the immediate term. This assessment is substantiated by a pronounced deceleration in the labor market and a pre-emptive, counter-inflationary interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, which has explicitly prioritized mounting employment risks over persistent inflation.   The 2025 economy is uniquely defined by the simultaneous implementation of two contradictory, multi-trillion-dollar policies. This has created a state of extreme tension and volatility:   A Contractionary Trade Shock: A new, aggressive tariff regime has been implemented, acting as a significant, broad-based tax on imported goods. This policy is demonstrably raising prices, eroding household purchasing power, and creating a drag on economic activity.   An Expansionary Fiscal Stimulus: The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) was passed, enacting a massive, deficit-financed stimulus by extending the 2017 tax cuts. This policy is designed to boost demand and investment.   The current "downsliding" dynamic is a direct result of the tariff shock's immediate contractionary impact, which has, for now, overpowered the stimulus. The Federal Reserve's October 2025 decision to cut interest rates confirms its judgment that "downside risks to employment" constitute the most immediate threat.   This analysisU.S.  forecasts a volatile and unstable path. The 2025 slowdown is expected to give way to a temporary, stimulus-fueled "sugar high" in 2026, as the OBBBA tax cuts take full effect and boost demand. This artificial boom is projected to fade quickly by 2027-2028, revealing an economy structurally strained by a gross national debt exceeding $38 trillion, a persistent $1.8 trillion annual deficit, and a deteriorating net international investment position of -$26.14 trillion. The new policy mix has locked in this structural weakness.  

Simulation technology is witnessing a profound transformation with the emergence of Digital Cognitive Twins (DCTs), the next generation of Traditional Digital Twins (DTs). These advanced systems go beyond conventional monitoring functions, integrating sophisticated AI models, particularly machine learning networks and natural language processing (NLP) techniques.   This convergence grants DCTs complex capabilities, enabling them to perform autonomous decision-making, conduct real-time self-optimisation, and develop predictive and anticipatory mechanisms. As a result, this technology is reshaping key sectors across multiple domains. In Industry 4.0, it enhances the efficiency and resilience of logistical supply chains; in urban governance, it enables the intelligent management of resources with exceptional accuracy; and in the healthcare sector, it accelerates the adoption of precision medicine tailored to the individual.   The exceptional performance of these systems depends on their ability to absorb and aggregate vast datasets, comprising thousands of variables for a single individual. These datasets extend well beyond the conventional boundaries of personal information, encompassing biometric inputs, genomic data, clinical records, and continuous monitoring of behavioural and psychological patterns derived from digital interactions.   This aggregation produces human simulation models of exceptional fidelity, a defining feature that places this technology squarely within the dual-use domain. While these models promise vast societal benefits, the compromise or seizure of these composite data repositories would constitute a catastrophic national security threat: the harm arising from the exposure of citizens’ data would be strategic, permanent, and irreparable.   The gravest risk lies in the possibility that state or non-state actors might exploit these datasets. Whereas past influence operations—most notably the disinformation campaigns of the last decade—targeted broad audiences, behavioural models derived from integrated digital-transformation processes enable bespoke cognitive-warfare interventions at the level of individuals or small groups. This capability transcends conventional geopolitical forecasting, enabling real-time prediction of societal behaviour.   At the core of the threat is the capacity to selectively manipulate these datasets or even fabricate synthetic records to engineer a pretext for intervention. By corrupting cognitive models, an adversary can simulate a manufactured state of public unrest, precipitate mass psychological collapse, or stage apparent systemic institutional failure—thereby manufacturing a spurious justification for political, economic or security interventions.