The Next Superpower

Scroll to see replies

Reply 60

Aj12

Original post by jumpingjesusholycow

When the oil runs out, there will be no super powers.

Given the amount of research being done into alternate fuels. Hydrogen, algae, biofuels ect. I really doubt this.

Reply 61

jumpingjesusholycow

Original post by Aj12

Given the amount of research being done into alternate fuels. Hydrogen, algae, biofuels ect. I really doubt this.

There is absolutely nothing that will replace the edifice built on fossil fuels. We haven't even begun to implement the energy infrastructure needed to sustain even half of our lifestyle relying on alternative energies. We rely on fossil fuels to exist. It's every facet of our being, from the ships we use to get Strawberries grown in China to the lorries used to get food into our supermarkets. The idea that 'algae' and a non existent hydrogen economy is going to be the saviour of over 7 Billion people that currently use our oil economy as a means of existence is absolutely laughable.

I will at this point make light of our rate of population growth:

Reply 62

username358506

Original post by jumpingjesusholycow

The human species wasn't as reliant on a single energy source to fuel our existence. Unless you expect every city dweller to become immediate farmers, I highly doubt there'll be much room for global profiteering.

Indeed, but other energy sources will replace oil - how will that make the international political system bipolar?

Reply 63

jumpingjesusholycow

Original post by Stalin

Indeed, but other energy sources will replace oil - how will that make the international political system bipolar?

See above your post. I just answered the same question which was also posed by Aj12.

Reply 64

fellowjoe

None, its just a matter of which one will be overtaken.

But Japan will be the last on earth to crumble.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 65

Hernán Cortés

I personally believe that the EU will move closer together and eventually will be one. If that happens then the EU will be the biggest power on the world stage culturally, economically and maybe militarily.

Although China's economy is massive I don't believe it is a superpower, or will really become one. Being a superpower is more than just having a massive economy and strong military. When you look at the USA you'll see that not only did/do they have a huge economy they also have a lot of influence. Coca Cola, McDonalds, Ford, NASA, Hollywood, Apple, Microsoft, KFC, Boeing... The list goes on. China simply cannot compete on this front and never will. The Chinese and other Far East countries are just not innovative enough. They really struggle with thinking outside the box and are afraid of upsetting the hierarchy.

It will be interesting to see whether Brazil and other South/Central American states move together in the coming decade or so.

Reply 66

Super Cicero

Original post by Hernán Cortés

While the EU is currently the world's largest economic entity, it is in decline. Europe's GDP as a % of the world's total has been getting relatively smaller and smaller over the past few decades, and given the current state of the Eurozone economy, this trend looks likely to accelerate rather than stop. The world's cultural superpower? Hmm not likely - I don't really see European films overtaking Hollywood anytime soon.

As for Europe being militarily the world's strongest power - this is not going to happen unless the US goes all isolationist (which is unlikely to happen). The US Navy is larger than the world's next 13 largest navies combined. The US has bases and allies in every corner of the world. Britain too once had such naval dominance, and bases (and colonies) all around the globe, but it voluntarily gave most of them up following WW2. The only way to knock the US off its perch of being the world's unquestionably dominant military superpower is to get someone elected president who believes in an isolationist foreign policy.

Reply 67

username358506

Original post by Super Cicero

I think voluntarily is the wrong word. It would imply that Britain could have kept its colonies, bases and influence, which was simply not the case.

Reply 68

Super Cicero

Original post by Stalin

I think voluntarily is the wrong word. It would imply that Britain could have kept its colonies, bases and influence, which was simply not the case.

You're right - it would not have been possible for Britain to retain most of its empire - especially troublesome places like Palestine, and above all India, without being prepared to fight massive wars (which the British would inevitably lose) against insurgents as the French did in Indochina and Algeria, and Portugal did in Angola and Mozambique.

However, the point I was trying to make was that Britain did make a decision to leave behind the age of "Rule Britannia" in favour of building "Jerusalem" in Britain itself - i.e. abandon all efforts to remain a world superpower in favour of focusing on domestic issues. If Churchill had been re-elected in 1945 then things might have been a bit different - after all his main theme in that election was the imperial rallying cry "Advance Britannia". If it had wanted to, parts of the empire could have been kept by Britain. Britain could have kept, in order of likelihood:

- Malta. In 1956, 77% of people in Malta in a 1956 referendum voted to be integrated into the United Kingdom, with a devolved parliament similar to Scotland's today.
- Belize.
- Guyana
- Jamaica and other Caribbean islands.
- The Gambia
- Sri Lanka
- Singapore (difficult due to Japanese conquest in WW2, but if Singapore can be successfully defended during the war, its likely it would stay under British rule).

Reply 69

Kimyoung

I'm Chinese and i really wanna say that China is developing really quickly, it's changing every year, every month and even every day. I believe it wont take to long for my country to become a superpower, even now, it is dominating in some fields, just watch Olympics and you'll agree. :smile:

Reply 70

bvlpro

I think that the United States still a superpower

Which country can replace the US ?

Reply 71

smithymatty

"Everything is connected to everything else" - Lenin

Reply 72

username865376

Original post by Kimyoung

Although it's undeniable that China is developing fast into a fully industrialised nation, it has some big problems it will have to deal with before it could become a true economic and political superpower. One of these being the massive real estate bubble which looks like it could pop within the near future.

This video shows you the scale of the problem they are facing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPILhiTJv7E

Reply 73

Zenomorph

China's housing bubble is nothing, bubbles happen all round the world including the West on a regular basis, and it didn't stop their development.

Reply 74

The_Great_One

If youre talking about money I'd say Qatar.

Reply 75

Spaz Man

America should remain on top for at least another 30 years before China really challenges them for that top spot. As long as they develop that blue-water navy and keep up an economic growth rate of 5%+ that is. They're long-term meticulous development of infastructure suggests that inflation won't be a problem at least.

Reply 76

liamb109

China, India and Brazil. US will slowly become less powerful, lose their hegemony over South America in favour of Brazil or possibly, the collection of socialist countries as leftists win all over South America, and as they lose their hegemony over Asia with rising influence of China and even India. A federal EU could possibly do well, as well. They have the highest combined GDP in the world.

Reply 77

Zenomorph

India ?

Noooo, to be a world leader you must a track record of achievement and success, India has never had that.

Besides the Indian base level, well - some would call a basket case.

Reply 78

Vertigo2012

Even with the US in decline and an ascendant China I can't see any one nation dominating the world stage like America did.

I see a uni-polar situation as being much more likely, with several dominating regional powers as opposed to a single gobal one.

Reply 79

Pearl_BR

Original post by DynamicSyngery

Brazil is a very mediocre country without a strategically important position, a particularly large population, or good institutions. I don't buy it.

Original post by RyanT

What a joke. Will you suggest that the USA will swap positions with Brazil? The EU has both a larger population and a larger economy then the USA, yet for some strange reason the EU will slip behind Brazil, which has less then 1/4th of EU population. That's right, you're saying 1 Brazilian will be worth the same as an Italian, Frenchman, German and Brit. Whatever it is you're smoking, I'd quite like some. You also have to bear in mind that the EU has very good growth prospects due to the potential development of eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Ok, i'm not quite a fan of Brazil, if being my homecountry, but i think you are very mistaken.

Our position is strategic, we are one of the biggest countrys in population AND land, in fact , our land is ALMOST the total area of europe, and we have good instituitions and talents.

We are not a continent, but we have some decent economics, a great consumer population with room to grown. And we are a young country, with a young population, and lots of room to build a great nation. EVEN if we were exploded for almost 400 years by the Europe (Portugal, Spain and, yes, England) while the USA was a ocupation colony, with no resources ripped fro their land, and lots of support of the Europe. And that's the biggest diference between where U.S.A was the last century, and where Brazil were.

We have a population samller than Europe, but AGAIN we are NOT a continet, we are a country. And it works in our favor, because we have room, we have more natural resources, from energy, to food and minerals. We can grown, where the europe is quite stagnated. I love europe, and I admire it, and you are more evolved, after all, you have thousands of years behind you. But you ruled the world for hundreds of years, USA ruled for two centurys, and now is time for a next big nation to step in. This doesn't bring Europe down, this doesn't mean that you are beneath nothing, or that you are less than other people. It just means that you are a mature continent that had already a big part on the world's history, and now can sit, advice, and watch, without being in the center of the history.

But Brazil have a big problem called corruption. And thats what keeps Brazil underrated besides it's big potential. So, i cant say that we can be the next superpower, but, we could if we'd had some good politicians x.x