So as not to throw the Obama spending thread too far off topic, I opted to start a new thread based upon the 'super power' discussion that was emerging there. I found this article written in November of 2008:
http://tothecenter.com/news.php?readmore=7711ToTheCenter wrote:United States Superpower Status in Decline - According to Report
A report from The National Intelligence Council which is made up by the 16 intelligence agencies present in the United States, says America’s billing as the ‘World Superpower’ is lessening, as it predicts by 2025, the two biggest Asian countries China and India will create a ‘Multipolar Global Order’ joining the States grasp at the top of the world.
Just how the United Kingdom
were the sole superpower in the 19th Century, America took on that mantle in the 20th Century, being the true leader of world democracy and being the saviour in the Great 2nd world war, now coming into the 21st Century the power structures are again changing like they have in the past.
Now democracy won’t be at the forefront of politics, with the collapse and defeat of authoritarian governments (Fascists and Communists) in the previous century, as with Russia’s and China’s semi-open democracy which is a hybrid, won’t be the issue. According to the report it is the broadening of terrorism which is the real threat, yet apparently Al-Qaida’s threat is going to wane as they struggle to gain support from the Islamic World by alienating most and only recruiting few. However in general, there will be a rise in terrorist threats as deadly technological warfare such as chemical weapons become easier to access.
This shift to the East is major, throughout modern times (since the middle ages) it has been European empires and then the United States who have constructed the shape of the world, now we see the influence coming from the growth of China, India, and even Brazil.
What’s more governments are going to yield less power in the ever-increasing globalized world, networks from corporations, religious organizations, and crime syndicates continue to have an increasing control of socio-economic and political issues. While due to population growth, there will be enhanced pressures on supplies of the necessities which include energy, food and water, which are even in short supply in many regions of the world.
In summary though, it all means that there will be “less room for the U.S. to call the shots,” according to the report, yet previous reports from the same source have been incorrect on certain trends. For instance in 1980, when Japan were the equivalent of a China today, one felt it was going to be the future economic giant, yet we saw what happened – Japan experienced a long downward spiral in their markets later on the in 1980’s. While America soared with the introduction of major computer giants, such as Microsoft and Apple.
Whatever the future does hold, it is sure to relate to new forms of threats, and new structures of governance to take precedence, where classic governments hold less power due to the many factors in the world climate of today.
