Quote:
Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat
time for a bump 3.5 years later
any new opinions?
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Sure.
After WW II we lived in a bipolar world with two camps. That which was supportive of and supported by the US and one supportive of and by the USSR. A little under 20 years ago the USSR collapsed and a power vacuum was created. Briefly there was and has been a more monopolar world with the US as the "World's Only Superpower". Too many Americans tend to think this will last forever.
Now, naturally and as they always do, things are changing. There are two main power considerations I think; military and economic. Economically the US has been or is in the process of being joined by the EU. Soon, within a few decades they will quite likely be joined by China. India could also come into play down the road. None of these entities will be capable of dominating the other economically. China has political hurdles they have to jump over but they have handled them masterfully so far.
As far as military there are too many possibilities. Equal economic powers mostly have the option to become equal military powers but it is a choice they have to make. Will the EU become more nation-like and form a military under one command? Will the temptation of being a military superpower for China be too strong? Will the recognition that there will be multiple economic powers mean that US leadership will care less about military options? Maybe we'll all just "get along" but history gives very little hope of that.