I saw this on the BBC's "Have your say" section and thought that this would be good to discuss here.

As America has taken hit after hit from poor foreign relations decisions, wars and now a partial economy collapse, will it be able to stay in the the world spotlight? Will Obama be able to turn things around? Or will the Growing powers of China and India combine to be the last push that force's America off its throne?

Eh, I don't think thats going to change for a while.

Europe.

God. everyone makes fun of china and india. it would be kinda sad if they got total power over the world.

nah, would never happen. They have too many internal problems.

China holds the manufacturing world by the balls anyway. They've been on that throne for decades. If China pulled exports to the US, that would be the end of it.

Let's wait and see. Everyone is asking the same questions about Obama, as if they can be answered right now.

I think Obama will undo most ( keyword here is most ) of the damage Bush did in his 8 years as president, but I also think it's time for America to step down from its position as world super power. (Gracefully.)

I have a feeling parts of Europe are going to flourish, maybe China if they can get their shit together. I remember a couple of months ago the price of scrap metal went up because China and India were buying ridiculous amounts to build up there infrastructure and what not, but it seems they stopped...or cut back or w/e because the price went back down.

Hey, out of curiosity, at its highest price how much did gas cost were you guys live? Over here in New Jersey it was like 4 something a gallon. Now a days it's like $1.70. :] Lower gas prices...the only good thing to come from our now shitty economy...

If China pulled exports to the US, that would be the end of it.

Yeah but it would also be a mayor downfall for the Chinese economy since USA is such a great customer. They'd never do it

The lowest we pay for fuel here is around $1.20 per litre, and google tells me:

1.2 (Australian dollars per litre) = 2.79590514 U.S. dollars per US gallon

Compare that to the $1.70 above... :/

ouch

nah, would never happen. They have too many internal problems.

Really? Their only real problem is the noise being made over Tibet. Although there are other problems, it wouldn't stop their ascension into a superpower. And India has the industrial power too. Not to mention the fact their posess Nukes.

I gathered from a guy I met at a resteraunt at Blackpool, that Brittish petrol prices were sitting at 1 pound 30 pence. According to xe.com, this is 1.30 GBP = 1.93291 USD

Right now petrol is like 11 SEK per litre here;
11 (Swedish kronor per litre) = 4.91363105 U.S. dollars per US gallon

Google sure is nifty.

The economical capitals of the world are definitely moving east. But neither of the developing countries in Asia would hold their own without exporting massive amounts to Europe. What I think we'll see in the future is further globalisation, eg. equalisation (is that a word?) between developing countries and first world countries. We'll get poorer, they'll get richer.

As far as super powers go, India and China are probably going to work hard to aspire for the position of top Asian nation, alongside Japan. They're both space racing the way America and the Soviets did in the 60's, and the competition'll likely escalate.

Edit:

Really? Their only real problem is the noise being made over Tibet.

India's currently at conflict with Pakistan, another incredibly powerful nation. China has some troubles both with the Tibet situation as well as the Burmese dictatorship.

I remember a couple of months ago the price of scrap metal went up because China and India were buying ridiculous amounts to build up there infrastructure

A huge amount of that scrap metal was stolen from pipes, cables, etc. from our country (South Africa). It has been a huge problem, and one of the main causes is that the Chinese government gives a blind eye to illegal imports such as this.
Anyway, I may be biased, but I would love to see an African country for once as a superpower. Highly unlikely, but would make a change.
Whoever emerges as the world super power, it doesn't really matter to us. Even if the world super powers went to nuclear war, we can just lurk away as we always have.

[edit]

Here the petrol price is still about US$1.14 per liter. That is US$5.18 a gallon.

Now compound that with the fact that our cars are over twice the cost of those in USA, and our salaries are about a third of that of USA.

India's currently at conflict with Pakistan, another incredibly powerful nation. China has some troubles both with the Tibet situation as well as the Burmese dictatorship.

I was just talking on China. India and Pakistan seem to have been at each others throat's for ages.

You know I think you guys are all idiots thinking China or India will be the worlds next superpower. Personally I think it will be Iceland, who knows what those guys are up to and now with global warming they'll be in a perfect position to take over the world. Also her in Ireland i've seen petrol prices as low as 99c which is roughly 75USc

Global Warming is an inside job.

Yeah but it would also be a mayor downfall for the Chinese economy since USA is such a great customer. They'd never do it

Its always possible that they find a better buyer.
Even with the population, China doesn't have the kind of military power to stand on its own. But it still seems that whoever is China's biggest buyer, is the owner of the manufacturing world.
I'm not nearly informed enough to make these calls, though, so I'm not going to dive any deeper.

within 2 years china will prevail as the mayor economy, India will probably taking second place, with USA coming in third, and Japan probably 4th. Europe will go down in the list.

Why?

The economy has been changing for a long time already, china and india have proven that there economy is up to the job and have bee growing extensively, the dominant position of the western countries which has lasted for over 200 years has been declining ever since. China's economy wont take much off a hit deu to the credit crunch/housing bubble. They have happily been buying US obligations for a long long time already and effectively been running the US economy. China has recovered the eastern economy's when they had a crisis in the 90's and thus created a stable region for others countries to grow in.

China is effectively creating its own costumer, the US. What not a lot of people realize, is that one day china is going to want it's money back, anybody would like there money back when they loan it. But the US cant afford this unsless declaring for bankruptcy. Which would be a interesting situation that wont happend deu to a dozen off reasons.

EDIT: WC, military power? It still needs to be paid, and the US developed some expensive toys they cant really afford without the money flow from china. aaah Irony!

I had a dream last night that the USA went into another great depression.

I can't remember much of the dream, but still.

My brother said that he once ad a dream that he got arrested for shaving an Aston Martin with a squirt bottle full of cheese.

China is going to overtake the US as the next World Superpower. Some may say that it already has.

If the Chinese stop export goods to the rest of the world, more than half of the world's population would be dead in a week.

That's pretty ridiculous, satchmo. It's not like China exports clean water or even food goods. Sure, a lot of economies'd collapse, but half the world dead within a week? -.-

That indeed is ridiculous, especially if you look per country were all the goods come from.

That there a world power is pretty certain. Althogh how the balance will end up cant be said for sure. Powers change overtime throughout history, the big question is, when will civilization as we know it end? For i doubt we can avoid it this time, if we know one thing then that is that history has a nasty way of repeating itself, although not in the same way everytime.

My brother said that he once ad a dream that he got arrested for shaving an Aston Martin with a squirt bottle full of cheese.

I think we can all can safely conclude that cheesy squirt bottles will be the next superpower.

Edit: Pepper, "they're" and "their".

China and india will surely overtake the U.S. as a global superpower in the coming years... how long it will take is anyone's guess. Japan while they have a good economy doesn't really seem to me to be a player as a global super power.

I've heard some say that ex-soviet russia may come out of their dismal economic problems to emerge as a new superpower due to there vast supplies of natural resources, not least of which oil and gas.

Quite possibly too a Russo-Chinese alliance might be in the cards as is mentioned in many historical and science fiction books, and it makes sense if you think about it...

Whomever will be the next superpower, i think America has not a chance, at least not in the foreseeable future. Dwindling jobs, runaway inflation, collapse of the housing market, and a dozen other things that aren't going away any time soon...

I think we can all can safely conclude that cheesy squirt bottles will be the next superpower.

I'm am supporting the new monarchy, I already have 2 cheese squirt bottles in my house!

does easy cheese count as a squirt bottle?

satchmo, how did you get your diploma when you come out with statements like that?

This is your new superpower.

He laughs at China, India, Russia and America.

Don't deny it, we must all partake in the technology of peace!

I take back everything i said. sometime in the early 2000s, Iceland will emerged as the new, dominant superpower.

Will emerged

And its ruler will command the ruthless misuse of past tense verbs!

haha grammar nazis unite and chastise all those who don't used the proper use of they're, their, and there, and not least of which the disgusting misuse of past-tense verbs. = )

Hunter: I don't think Satchmo's last comment was made to be taken literally.

I just found this little article that fits right in with this thread: According to this Russian professor working for his government, the United States is doomed and will split in to 6 parts, and the way he makes it sound, it will happen during President Obama's term in office: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a3sayDZz.QKc&refer=us

Personal comment: If you ask me, he is full of communist shit, he was obviously paid or ordered to say that.

It may be possible that the country could break up. Maybe.

If you take a look at German history post-WWI, you'l find that it had problems similiar to the US. Rampant inflation, massive debt, job losses and discontent over the state of the war (though this has to be somewhat loosely translated in order to fit into America's mindset, as it hasn't really taken hits from their wars.)

When the Weimar republic came up, many people tried to start their own revoltions. Before Hitler, communists and a different nationalist group tried to take over the country on seperate occasions. It was volatile beyond belief. One region down in the south (can't remember what it was called) tried to break away completely.

Now, I'm not saying that America is in such an extreme situation as Germany was, but you can use Germany as a base for what we may see in America in the future as it fits in better then you might think. Just as Hitler united Germany again, Obama has brought together America (with different political beliefs, of course.) As Pepper said, history has a nasty way of repeating itself, even if not the same everytime.

But to be honest, personally, I do not see this happening. I don't see America splitting up into so many pieces, if at all. Although I do agree that Russia and China would be potential candidates to take over the throne.

I can't see China being the next superpower, because I don't think there really are superpowers anymore.

Tito, that article was pure lulz.

I wonder what that professor is smoking.

New Zealand will be the next super power.

New Zealand

I doubt it for a country which has a negative growth rate (because so many people are emigrating from NZ) and has a total population lower than the city I live in - and the city I live in isn't even particularly large.

Iceland

You kidding me? That country had to be bailed out by other countries because of their economic meltdown!
I highly doubt a country which is dependent on other countries for financial support will ever become even vaguely powerful.

Ireland

Haha! Even I am Irish(Although living in South Africa), and I think that is a hilarious sentiment.

The thought of Russia or China as a super power makes me nervous. At least in the USA the government is vaguely sane, but Russia is dodgy as hell, and China isn't much better - Propaganda, censorship, invasion of other weaker countries, etc.

here gas is only 87cents a litre.. haha Canada for the win! We fuckin' rock!

Here the gas is more than 1 $ ....

Just as Hitler united Germany again, Obama has brought together America (with different political beliefs, of course.) As Pepper said, history has a nasty way of repeating itself, even if not the same everytime.

The only video clip I've actually seen of Obama was a two second clip of him during a speech, in which he was holding up his hand in a similar fashion to a Nazi salute. Maybe he doesn't have different political beleifs.

Iceland

You kidding me? That country had to be bailed out by other countries because of their economic meltdown!
I highly doubt a country which is dependent on other countries for financial support will ever become even vaguely powerful.

Are you sure? Iceland's part of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, right? Maybe the Iceland we know is just the tip of the iceberg, and just the visible part of a vast and powerful underwater empire spanning the entire Atlantic? One day they're going to surface and take over the East Coast of America, and Ireland, Britain and the West Coast of Europe.

Yay for Iceland it's an awesome country not that i've ever been there. i'm totally going to Vegas and betting that Iceland will become the new superpower.

)

At least in the USA the government is vaguely sane

Not under president Bush it's not. I don't trust Russia or China either, especially Russia...invading Georgia, saying they're going to pull out and not doing it, threatening the U.S. and Poland...the list goes on. I smell another cold war coming on...or maybe even a world war...but remember we can all survive an atomic blast by ducking and covering under our desks and eating canned foods and twinkies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0K_LZDXp0I

From what I know Bush doesn't have much power anymore.
Of course, I'm not American so I don't know too much about that.

He's trying to instate some weird laws and regulations before they kick him out of the white house. I'm pretty sure Obama can just reverse them when he gets in. Oh and here's an interesting tid bit of information, Bush might be tried for war crimes when he's out of office.

Unbreakable that's like 2.70 a gallon... The highest price anywhere in the US is 2.15 a gallon... and that's just the absolute peak price, like around where I am in California.

I don't trust Russia or China either, especially Russia...invading Georgia, saying they're going to pull out and not doing it, threatening the U.S. and Poland...the list goes on. I smell another cold war coming on...or maybe even a world war

The whole Russia-Georgia issue is a bit fuzzy for me to be honest. I'm more or less sided with Russia. Sure, they've followed the peace treaty somewhat poorly, but Georgia has done it's fair share of wrong-doings. They did start off the conflict and killed several Russian peacekeepers, and there is evidence that they attacked civilians on purpose, which is a war crime.

A new cold war? Doubt it. A new world war? Even less likely.

given the extreme poverty and civil unrest in china and india, i find it hard to see them becoming anything close to a world superpower, despite their unparalleled levels of economic development.

tasmania