The world's next superpower?

[Teddybare]

According to the latest news their economy is now in the junk bond category.

 

Why? Have no idea but's that's the word

 

Credit rating agencies are junk. Ask anyone who invested in Enron. Glorified pr/advertising firms. "pay us and we'll tell everyone you're awesome".

Hannover Re learnt this lesson the hard way.

Now they're just being used by speculators to pick off small economies and firms that don't conform in the drive for profit and privatisation.

[Lounge Jay]

International interdependence will create a global equalibrium. I beleive that ultimately, that is what the worlds political elites are working towards.

[johncocker]

depeneds what your definition of a super power is

China is buying up resources on 4 continents. Those hitched to the China wagon such as Australia, and Brazil, have booming economies. China is not bothered about disputes with Japan, India or even the US, and will make it's own decisions on

Burma, North Korea and Iran.

China is building infra structure in Africa, which is a lot more beneficial than the Billions of wasted Western Aid, most of which is recycled to Swiss Banks anyway.

China is the most influential nation on the planet.

it already is the super power

get used to it

[johncocker]

Many believe China but it's democracy is still in the stone age and it's one child policy has caused a serious imbalance among males to females at a time when a vast number of Chinese are reaching retirement age and will depend on support from the younger generation which as a result of the one child policy will be far less in number than is needed.

 

and if they did'nt have a one child policy what state do you think it would be in with over 1.5 billion?

[Mecky]

Many believe China but it's democracy is still in the stone age and it's one child policy has caused a serious imbalance among males to females at a time when a vast number of Chinese are reaching retirement age and will depend on support from the younger generation which as a result of the one child policy will be far less in number than is needed.

 

I suspect China is already a superpower and probably the world's largest economy by now.

[johncocker]

Many believe China but it's democracy is still in the stone age and it's one child policy has caused a serious imbalance among males to females at a time when a vast number of Chinese are reaching retirement age and will depend on support from the younger generation which as a result of the one child policy will be far less in number than is needed.

 

 

 

 

 

Firstly, the whole concept of a superpower is an abstract one, so it is impossible to define whether or not any country is an actual superpower, as the notion is completely subjective. Secondly, I am not convinced that a country's power is defined by its democratic conditions, or in fact the conditions of the populace in general.

[Ex-sTAb]

I think China will be the next "Superpower", though it all depends on the next batch of leaders.

 

America is in decline, its military budget will go the same ways ours did in the 1920s and 1930s, though it might take 20 years or more I think they will start to pull back from there overseas strongholds in Asia and Europe, not go into isolationism per say but be less bothered about been the "World Police" so to speak.

 

The next step will be China's, do they seize the opportunity to take Taiwan? They have already more or less claimed the South China Sea and all its resources verbally will they use new found strategic freedom to control physically too?

 

If they do seek to control how much room will the Western Powers give them? Do we appease like Chamberlain in the hope that it works this time, Where would we draw the line? India? Australia?

 

I think the West will still have enough power to stop the Chinese, as their Army is just too vast to throw into one place, but it would need more than token forces we've got at the moment.

 

A lot of the World's poorer nations have sections that want to knock the West off its pedestal of power, they would likely back China's rise to power (Except the ones immediately set to lose from an Expansive China).

 

If the Chinese Leaders show restraint and don't explode into expansionism, I think the transition between America and China will be a lot less painful for all involved.

 

Too many ifs... Sadly I don't think once America steps down from the plate the Chinese will just keep that Massive Army for show...

[Phanerothyme]

I'm not sure the notion that the size of power blocs always goes up, is a valid one.

 

I'm not sure I claimed the size of power blocs goes up.

 

I claimed you get progressively fewer. Like languages, economies, and multinational corporations.

[janie48]

I think Skoda are coming up shortly with a V12, 8.5 litre electric two-seater variant of the Estelle. Very fast apparently ... probably a match for Lambo and Ferrari! I tried to find a pic of it on Google but I've lost my computer glasses.

 

When i first saw the thread title i wasn't quite sure which type of superpower it was referring to,but even I make sure i'm wearing the right glasses! before reading the first post.

[callippo]

"In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

 

Orson welles in Third man

 

a funny line, from a great film, unfortunately it's complete nonsense. Switzerland has always had a highly developed economy, even in medieval times compared to everyone else and industrialised very quickly. It was probably the first economy in the world that passed the 50% mark of services as a component of GDP.