Potential Superpowers of the 21st Century and Beyond

[Super Dude]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_superpowers

It's fairly obvious at this point that the American Century is coming to an end, even as most of the American people fight to deny it, and as those very deniers support the things that will inevitably lead to this downfall.  So who's up next?  Personally for the longest time I put my vote in for China, except the possibility of difficult times just around the bend has caused me to reconsider (due to the bad agricultural year and subsequent rise in food prices).  The European Union might just do it, provided they can pull themselves out of the financial crisis the US dragged them into and indeed come out of it in advantageous condition.  I personally don't have much hope for Russia, but maybe someone knows better than I.

[jsem]

Easily China.

The EU will be close behind, if it ever gets everything together now with it's massive fails. It'll be fun to see the development of human rights in China though, if there will be protests and the like that might disrupt the economic development.

[Super Dude]

Nobody else has anything to contribute?  But yes, I agree with you jsem.  I can only hope that with the development of human rights (which is just as likely as unlikely) will follow also a turn away from xenophobia.

[Progmetty]

Definitely China, a nation of 1.3 billion people who don't have "joy" anywhere near their priorities and been only raised and programmed to work, it's basically like competing with robots.

[rumborak]

Definitely China, a nation of 1.3 billion people who don't have "joy" anywhere near their priorities and been only raised and programmed to work, it's basically like competing with robots.

I think the flipside view is that competing with a country that has lost itself in consumption addiction is not difficult to compete with.

rumborak

[ack44]

China. The EU has no chance with its indebted countries and whatnot.

[Super Dude]

Who chose Other?  And Russia, for that matter.

[XJDenton]

I choose none.

[Super Dude]

I mean someone will fill the vacuum, one way or another.  Or maybe multiple powers will, as before WWII.

[rumborak]

Or maybe multiple powers will, as before WWII.

I think that is the most likely outcome really. There will be many strong players for a while, and that's actually a good thing.

rumborak

[GuineaPig]

In a century, Canada and Russia will be the economic superpowers.  That's my thought at least.

China will burn out.

[MetalMike06]

Or maybe multiple powers will, as before WWII.

I think that is the most likely outcome really. There will be many strong players for a while, and that's actually a good thing.

rumborak

Yeah this seems the most likely to me.
I don't think anybody can just fill the American void in a fingersnap. I mean a lot of the reason the US controls so much of the world is remaining bases, etc. as a result of WWII and the Cold War, and rather than pulling back from these places when the conflict fizzled out, the US just stayed and continued exerting power and influence from those places - against Russia via remaining military bases in Europe, China via Japan/Guam/Pacific, the Middle East via Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc. So it seems like there would have to be some other major conflict like that with the same sort of aftermath for a country to actually end up dominating so much of the world within such a short timespan.

I think economically though, the EU will stay up there, at least relative to the other major powers. Europeans seem much less prone nowadays to military dominance.

[Super Dude]

Or maybe multiple powers will, as before WWII.

I think that is the most likely outcome really. There will be many strong players for a while, and that's actually a good thing.

rumborak

Yeah this seems the most likely to me.
I don't think anybody can just fill the American void in a fingersnap. I mean a lot of the reason the US controls so much of the world is remaining bases, etc. as a result of WWII and the Cold War, and rather than pulling back from these places when the conflict fizzled out, the US just stayed and continued exerting power and influence from those places - against Russia via remaining military bases in Europe, China via Japan/Guam/Pacific, the Middle East via Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc. So it seems like there would have to be some other major conflict like that with the same sort of aftermath for a country to actually end up dominating so much of the world within such a short timespan.

I think economically though, the EU will stay up there, at least relative to the other major powers. Europeans seem much less prone nowadays to military dominance.

That second bit is absolutely right, but I get the feeling that China would be able to the equivalent with widespread market influence, as we've seen already.

In a century, Canada and Russia will be the economic superpowers.  That's my thought at least.

China will burn out.

Interesting, why would you say those, particularly Canada?

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Beer and donuts.

We all need them

[TL]

I think that, while China will be a superpower at one point, it will be surprisingly short lived.
Economically, while they're rising quite rapidly, much of their economic strategy simply isn't sustainable.

I think one of the most interesting countries to watch over the next couple decades will be Brazil.

[Super Dude]

Well yeah, except the HUGE discrepancies in income and civil equality in Brazil are staggering, and that may yet drag them down.

[GuineaPig]

In a century, Canada and Russia will be the economic superpowers.  That's my thought at least.

China will burn out.

Interesting, why would you say those, particularly Canada?

When global temperatures rise, Russia and Canada's agricultural output will increase while most others will decrease.  Both countries have massive mineral deposits.

Canada will likely get control of the North-West Passage, which will likely become the busiest shipping route in the world.  More importantly, having control of half the world's fresh-water will have some benefits when most countries start to feel the hurt.  Russia's massive supplies will come in handy too, especially for China and India.

[ResultsMayVary]

I chose China.

As much as I'd like to see the United States' Superpower-status continue, I think everyone can agree that the U.S. influence is declining dramatically, not to mention our country's ridiculous debt. 

[Super Dude]

In a century, Canada and Russia will be the economic superpowers.  That's my thought at least.

China will burn out.

Interesting, why would you say those, particularly Canada?

When global temperatures rise, Russia and Canada's agricultural output will increase while most others will decrease.  Both countries have massive mineral deposits.

Canada will likely get control of the North-West Passage, which will likely become the busiest shipping route in the world.  More importantly, having control of half the world's fresh-water will have some benefits when most countries start to feel the hurt.  Russia's massive supplies will come in handy too, especially for China and India.

I never really thought of that; well said.  Michigan will also be important, considering they're sitting on what will be the largest freshwater reserves in the world at that time.  It'll be a prime agribusiness center.