Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Which countries do you think would be among the top 5 in terms of economic power, political power and military power?
The top 3 is fairly easy.
USA is still No. 1 on all fronts
China is No. 2 for economic power, it is probably tied with Russia in terms of political and military strength. Overall, it is No. 2.
Russia is still powerfully militarily and politically, but is weak economically.
Which countries deserve the 4th and 5th spots?
Germany and Japan are economic powerhouses, but politically and militarily insignificant.
UK and France are the opposite. To me, Japan and France would be in the top 5, but UK and Germany are very close
You only have one choice in the poll, which would prompt us to decide which one nation we believe is the most influential global power at this time. I chose China.
Pretty sure this topic has been done many times before, however
4th or 5th spot is going to be a significant regional power, IMO, not a global one. I think there could only be 2 global powers at any one time, max. There have been multiples throughout history, but 2 always last the longest while the 3rd or 4th go into decline. Spain and Portugal were global powers in the early colonial era, but as they declined, France and the UK took over. Then France declined, followed by the UK, and they were replaced by the US and USSR. Germany was always a regional power, they were a small colonial force, but mainly concentrated their past hegemony on the European mainland. Japan did surpass Germany in all areas in the not too distant past, and cemented itself a place in history among the greatest (in size and wealth, anyway) empires in history. But, their status as the 3rd global power was too short lived due to WW II, which backs up my point that having more than 2 global powers makes things too crowded.
I still think Germany and Japan still have ambitions of world domination. They both want to be top dog in their half of the world but not with bullets, but commerce. Whereas in the past it was about the domination in the military sphere, today it's the economic sphere.
Last edited by theunbrainwashed; 05-06-2014 at 07:23 AM..
OK. Maybe not global powers, it is rather a ranking of powers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed
Pretty sure this topic has been done many times before, however
4th or 5th spot is going to be a significant regional power, IMO, not a global one. I think there could only be 2 global powers at any one time, max. There have been multiples throughout history, but 2 always last the longest while the 3rd or 4th go into decline. Spain and Portugal were global powers in the early colonial era, but as they declined, France and the UK took over. Then France declined, followed by the UK, and they were replaced by the US and USSR. Germany was always a regional power, they were a small colonial force, but mainly concentrated their past hegemony on the European mainland. Japan did surpass Germany in all areas in the not too distant past, and cemented itself a place in history among the greatest (in size and wealth, anyway) empires in history. But, their status as the 3rd global power was too short lived due to WW II, which backs up my point that having more than 2 global powers makes things too crowded.
If we are just going by military strength alone, then 4th spot is not any of those countries listed, but North Korea. Politically, UK; economically, either Germany or Japan.
There's also the question of how the EU fits into this framework as a supernational entity with many of the powers traditionally held by sovereign nations. I suppose if the EU was considered as one, then it would be fit somewhere in the top 3 slots.
There's also the question of how the EU fits into this framework as a supernational entity with many of the powers traditionally held by sovereign nations. I suppose if the EU was considered as one, then it would be fit somewhere in the top 3 slots.
I think so, too. And, despite claims made by the Libertarian Right in the US and their British counterparts (like Ron Paul acolyte Nigel Farage), I think the EU is headed towards more integration, not less. The EU survived its greatest test and threat to its existence, so I hardly think it's going to breakup.
I think so, too. And, despite claims made by the Libertarian Right in the US and their British counterparts (like Ron Paul acolyte Nigel Farage), I think the EU is headed towards more integration, not less. The EU survived its greatest test and threat to its existence, so I hardly think it's going to breakup.
Do you mean Ronald Reagan's test for Jimmy Carter?
"Are [people in the EU] better off now than [they] were four years ago?"
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
