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China with 1.3 Billion people......the world's fastest growing major economy......3rd largest in the world if you include the European Union(which is the largest).......an advancing space and science sector.....largest standing Army and the ability to project power(economic) worldwide and a large regional military power projection.
The European Union with over 500 Million people....the world's largest economy....a robust science and space/technology sector........several large and capable military powers......certainly seems to now qualify for superpower status as well.
Quickly, quietly the EU gains superpower status (http://www.oxfordpress.com/hp/content/shared/news/world/stories/05/08_EUROPE_SUPERPOWER.html - broken link)
Brazil....with nearly 200 Million people....the largest country in Latin America both economically and by population.....the world's 8th largest economy.....fast economic growth projected to be the world's 6th largest economy in the coming decades.......and abundant natural resources......appears poised to achieve eventual superpower status.
India....with 1.2 Billion people and the world's 11th largest economy and the world's largest Democracy seems also poised to achieve superpower status as it's economy is growing at a rapid pace.
Russia is almost there again...it's military is still second only to the United States and it too possesses abundant natural resources. With 143 Million peopole and the 12th largest economy it too should emerge once more as a Global Superpower.
Honorable mention to Japan with 129 Million people and the world's 5th largest economy. Also a robust technology and science/space sector. Militarily though Japan may lag in any superpower debate.
We will remain a superpower only if we stop wasting our resources protecting the international petroleum industry for free. If we continue our pseudo imperial wars over oil resources we do not own we will be bankrupted.
The long term problem concerns what to do with industrial workers when the machines replace them. Just as machinery has replaced many low level farm workers it has also replaced many low level industrial workers. Without some form of income how will these displaced people remain able to still consume the output of the robotized factories?
Maybe it would be better for us if we weren't a superpower any more. You want foreign aid? Go to China or Brazil, not the US. And let some other country inherit the mantle of being the world's policeman. (Who would have imagined that George Washington, way back in those low-tech times, was right when he counseled against 'foreign entanglements'?)
the only military that rivals ours is russia since india and china either buy them from one us or in chinas case copy russian and american stuff.
china cannot project force and has not fought in any major conflicts in a long time and japan and the EU are allies of the US. india is building a nice modren military and well brazil does not really rank with china, japan, america, russia and India.
So, if we do not have any real military opponents capable of actually invading this country, why do we spend so much on our military? Could it just be the only acceptable sway to provide endless subsidy to a few chosen contractors?
WE can no longer afford to be the world’s petroleum police tasked with protecting the monopoly’s access to and control of the world’s oil resources. This will bankrupt us and China will be there with cash at the assets sale.
We will remain a superpower only if we stop wasting our resources protecting the international petroleum industry for free. If we continue our pseudo imperial wars over oil resources we do not own we will be bankrupted.
The long term problem concerns what to do with industrial workers when the machines replace them. Just as machinery has replaced many low level farm workers it has also replaced many low level industrial workers. Without some form of income how will these displaced people remain able to still consume the output of the robotized factories?
IMO.....one of the few things keeping the United States in the "superpower club" is our advanced military machine......
However.....like ancient Rome we are bankrupting ourselves by maintaining an overly robusty military(higher expenditure than the next ten countries COMBINED).....spending far more than any other country in the world........while our economy is faltering.
the only military that rivals ours is russia since india and china either buy them from one us or in chinas case copy russian and american stuff.
china cannot project force and has not fought in any major conflicts in a long time and japan and the EU are allies of the US. india is building a nice modren military and well brazil does not really rank with china, japan, america, russia and India.
Remember the thread is about the next superpowers. Brazil for example is projected to have the 5th largest economy by 2050(depending on whether the EU is counted as one entity). India will be equal with the United States by then and China's economy will be nearly double ours.....there are many factors in superpower status with different degrees of importance........ depending on the country and who you "ask".
China can project force throughout the world in an economic sense and throughout Asia as a military power.
Don't rely solely on military power projection for example. And whether or not a country is an ally of the U.S. is IMHO....frankly irrelevant to the debate.
Last edited by PITTSTON2SARASOTA; 07-07-2011 at 12:53 PM..
Not mch is going to really change. Europe problem is that it spends most of its money supportig dependnt consuming popualtion that return no welth just consumes it. China since it has adopted calialist markets will do well but not in our life time compared to weswtern nations for the overall popualtion. India alos has a long ways to go.But even then a supre power must alos have a military supre power presnets. Europe had not ahd that since WWII. America was a super power even before WWII because of it potential as shown during the war justr has china and other have potential but still alot of real problem bring the potnentail to its popualtion.The USSR was a supre power it eh world but always failed to trtanlate itinto any thig for their people.
Not mch is going to really change. Europe problem is that it spends most of its money supportig dependnt consuming popualtion that return no welth just consumes it. China since it has adopted calialist markets will do well but not in our life time compared to weswtern nations for the overall popualtion. India alos has a long ways to go.But even then a supre power must alos have a military supre power presnets. Europe had not ahd that since WWII. America was a super power even before WWII because of it potential as shown during the war justr has china and other have potential but still alot of real problem bring the potnentail to its popualtion.The USSR was a supre power it eh world but always failed to trtanlate itinto any thig for their people.
I see the US failing because with 5% of the world's population we expend 40 to 50% of all military monies. Eventually our economy will not be able to support the "machine" and we already have overextended our military like Rome once did.
I'm not basing my criteria on military power projection as much as some people/posters.
Isn't the whole point of "globalism" to eliminate "superpowers"?
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