Potential New Superpowers

[Lord Baal]

Currently the United States is the sole superpwer still. Despite everythng else thus far. But not all good things last forever. I personally Think it is naive at best for Americans to beleive that they will still be in the same position of supremacy in the next 25-30 years in terms of Economics/Finance, Political Credibility, even Militaristicly. (I don't mean to offend) but given that in today's world in an every growing and changing globalised world I have seen some potential in countores which show great potential in shifing the current global order which are as follows:

China
India
Russia
European Union
Brazil

Now with all of these countries and surpanational organisation (EU) I have noticed that in terms of economics, military, and political influence in the next few decades that many of these countries/organisations listed above will be the type of peers that the US is going to have to contend with across the entire board.

Now please people keep it civil, despite ones national preference or bias, we should be honest and not give in to insults or anyting of tha nature. Anyway there is the topic. So lets her what all of you think.

[Empy]

Currently the United States is the sole superpwer still. Despite everythng else thus far. But not all good things last forever. I personally Think it is naive at best for Americans to beleive that they will still be in the same position of supremacy in the next 25-30 years in terms of Economics/Finance, Political Credibility, even Militaristicly. (I don't mean to offend) but given that in today's world in an every growing and changing globalised world I have seen some potential in countores which show great potential in shifing the current global order which are as follows:

China
India
Russia
European Union
Brazil

Now with all of these countries and surpanational organisation (EU) I have noticed that in terms of economics, military, and political influence in the next few decades that many of these countries/organisations listed above will be the type of peers that the US is going to have to contend with across the entire board.

Now please people keep it civil, despite ones national preference or bias, we should be honest and not give in to insults or anyting of tha nature. Anyway there is the topic. So lets her what all of you think.

Well I sure hope we aren't a superpower anymore soon ... (the US). I'm quite sick of it! Seriously though our economy is going to collapse if we don't stop the Federal Reserve, and China/Japan are going to stop loaning us money because they will realize we will never pay it back. Once that happens hyperinflation will occur and we will be Germany after WWI basically.

I'm not so sure about some of the countries you named being the next superpowers, but China definitely. Russia again, not so sure. Brazil? I think not. India, meh. European Union?! *shakes fist*

The US is definitely declining and unless things besides minor fixes are made we aren't going to be a superpower much longer and maybe after that Americans will come to their senses and fix what's wrong here.

[Ashu]

Currently the United States is the sole superpwer still. Despite everythng else thus far. But not all good things last forever. I personally Think it is naive at best for Americans to beleive that they will still be in the same position of supremacy in the next 25-30 years in terms of Economics/Finance, Political Credibility, even Militaristicly. (I don't mean to offend) but given that in today's world in an every growing and changing globalised world I have seen some potential in countores which show great potential in shifing the current global order which are as follows:

China - lacks organization and an operational hierarchy.
India - poor and uncaring to human resources.
Russia - old and the "conscript" way of thinking that's killing their military service.
European Union - NO.
Brazil - where did that come from?

Now with all of these countries and surpanational organisation (EU) I have noticed that in terms of economics, military, and political influence in the next few decades that many of these countries/organisations listed above will be the type of peers that the US is going to have to contend with across the entire board.

Now please people keep it civil, despite ones national preference or bias, we should be honest and not give in to insults or anyting of tha nature. Anyway there is the topic. So lets her what all of you think.

[Cole]

Currently the United States is the sole superpwer still. Despite everythng else thus far. But not all good things last forever. I personally Think it is naive at best for Americans to beleive that they will still be in the same position of supremacy in the next 25-30 years in terms of Economics/Finance, Political Credibility, even Militaristicly. (I don't mean to offend) but given that in today's world in an every growing and changing globalised world I have seen some potential in countores which show great potential in shifing the current global order which are as follows:

China
India
Russia
European Union
Brazil

China = a likely future superpower, but still great differences between rural world and urban populations.
India = the country may have skills in the new technologies such as computer related services, but it's growing way too quickly and cannot deal efficiently with its poverty, and still has its casts system.
Russia = Relies too much on gas, oil and other fossile energies and ressources. Sure a "Russian Silicon Valley" is meant to be created, but I don't think it's yet ready to be a super power. It has military powers, obviously.
European Union = the problem is the difficulty to act as one, due to various differences and disagreeings, but it's along with China the most likely to become a superpower. It used to be super powers but divided, sooner or later it will manage, but united. S
Brazil = can become an important economic country, but it also has issues with its poverty.

[Tek]

The EU will never move as one militarily.

However id have also played down a Joint UK/France Military pact so we're obviously going to take over the world under the blue & gold.

[Lord Baal]

Well I sure hope we aren't a superpower anymore soon ... (the US). I'm quite sick of it! Seriously though our economy is going to collapse if we don't stop the Federal Reserve, and China/Japan are going to stop loaning us money because they will realize we will never pay it back. Once that happens hyperinflation will occur and we will be Germany after WWI basically.

I'm not so sure about some of the countries you named being the next superpowers, but China definitely. Russia again, not so sure. Brazil? I think not. India, meh. European Union?! *shakes fist*

The US is definitely declining and unless things besides minor fixes are made we aren't going to be a superpower much longer and maybe after that Americans will come to their senses and fix what's wrong here.

Yeah I changed my mind on Brazil. Although they have made excellent economic progress on Free Market reform, they still need alot of work in terms of law and business regulation to make their business invironment sound, perticularly on Anti-trust legislation and property rights, and fiscal accountability. They can be an economic regional power house, but that is pretty much it thus far. China I think definately. Russia is still a wild card, due to the fact they still have some internal problems, but they wield huge influence over resources and caiptal flows in eastern and central europe, and central asia /middle east area, so I wouldn't count them out just yet. India still needs some work in terms of well anything but economics, And quite frankly I'm surpised the european union isn't counted as a superpoer already. Nearly every country in that Union is a fully developed and stable economy.

[Lord Baal]

Cole i think you have the most correct anaylsis thus far.

[Kit-Fox]

Removed

[MEZZANINE]

China - Id say are already a superpower, they have Nukes, they have the largest population, largest army, vast territory, massive cheap labor allowing them the export and undercut western nations, already competing for worlds oil supplies, etc etc. It may be played down in the media but have no doubt the Chinese are here to stay and their international influence will keep increasing.

India - They have the population, and the tech but decided to try and play nice with the west so are getting bogged down my many of the ideals and rules that are causing our problems, and will increasingly get poorer as they try to be more like us.

Russia - USSR collapsed under it's own weight but Russia as the head never really went away, they still have the means and will to fight and trade with the big boys.

European Union - Bankrupt super-bureaucracy, standard of living peaked way above the rest of the world but is unsustainable, as is the population growth. Hell we cant even afford to give our troops vehicles that cant be blown up my home made bombs, and soon we will be sharing aircraft carriers.

Brazil - Economic powerhouse, a huge supplier of the worlds food, but superpower no, and I think they are smart enough not to try to be.

[Lord Baal]

The EU will never be a superpower as the UK will not remain with it long term. I mean to realise that all you have to do is look at the very wide gaping differences between UK culture & the cultures on the EU continent. We are completely different

And when the UK leaves the EU it will collapse under its own weight and internal bickering.

EDIT: Not to mention the UK will never surrender control of its Armed Forces to anyone.

The UK isn't the heart of the EU you know. The UK itself has crushing national debt in it's own right. There is still alot of countries inside of Europe with much healthier economies , wit the PIIGS countires not included. But I think it will be natural even if Europe wasn't integrated to form a collective common market in terms of a trade bloc to make Europe the economic superpower of the west. Europe alone produces 30% of the worlds GDP and carries out the most FDI. So even if they weren't integrated to such a degree as Europe is today, I think market integration is inevitable in that region, so close together it would'nt make sense to be economically nationalistic. But the political work however is a whole different story.

[Kit-Fox]

Removed

[Lord Baal]

Oh the EU might collapse. but what makes you think it won't be replaced by something else. After all first was the EC, then the EEC then EFTA now gthe EU. Personally I think you can destroy the insitution but you can't destroy the idea. I mean wth economies like that living so close to eachother and all the financial capital/labour/goods moving throughout the continent. I think it will only make sense to have some Europe wide trade zone in place. However the political part like defence policies and initiatives, I agree, it can't work. As a trading bock however It should stay.

And FYI the largest Financial contributer to the EU is Germany.

[Mordack]

In economic and militaristic terms, China is already one of the most powerful countries in the world. The problem with China, and the one which so many Western Analysts fail to grasp, is that they don't have the same 'superpower' mentality which the British Empire, the United States, and their ilk have had. They don't think the same as we do, and that's what makes them thoroughly misunderstood.

I wrote a dissertation on this exact same thing, coincidentally. I won't be a prick and post the entire thing, but here's what I said about the percieved rise of China:

Many in the Media are fond of citing China as the ‘next big thing’ in the twenty-first
century; citing rapid GDP growth widespread foreign investment as evidence of a
power on the rise. Yet China isn’t expansionist either, unless one counts their claim to
Taiwan which is traditionally part of the Chinese civilization anyway. China has invested
heavily in other countries, though. Kynge (2009) lists Chinese overseas investment
in Africa as being in and places it at AMOUNT
worldwide. China has also bought up extensive foreign currency reserves, giving them
an amount of leverage over the international economy which is not too dissimilar from
that which the United States employed over forty years earlier. In economic terms,
China is a definitive heavyweight.

The rules of the international game were rewritten in the twentieth century. The
impact of NGOs, the advent of globalization, greater communication, international law-
making groups such as the United Nations and a global economy have changed the
way in which the game is played. Countries seldom invade one another and openly
justify it on the grounds of profit or territorial expansion, and countries which employ
naked intimidation, coercion is bribery are liable to find themselves ostracized from
the international community. So could it be that expansionist tendencies still exist but
have merely been modified to keep in line with the new norms? Has indirect military
control been replaced by indirect economic control? Could economic savvy be now be
the primary indicator of major power status?

[EbilCC]

the EU hahahahahahahahah

superpower hahahahahaha

they will never be a superpower military wise too many divisions

[MEZZANINE]

the EU hahahahahahahahah

superpower hahahahahaha

they will never be a superpower military wise too many divisions

History has shown us that all empires and superpowers have there day, all rely on expansion of territory or influence, and all eventually reach a point where they have expanded to far and collapse under the expense of maintaining the power they have achieved.

In economies, populations, territory or influence the fact is all things that rely on continuous growth are unsustainable and doomed from the start.