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Who Will Be Tomorrow's Superpower?
Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith via Peak Prosperity,
There’s a popular geopolitical parlor game called Who will be the next superpower?
While the game excels at triggering a mind-fogging tsunami of nationalistic emotions, it doesn’t shed much light on the really consequential question: What is power?
These are important questions to ponder as, around the world, unsustainable policies from the 20th century are beginning to fail in earnest. What will the future geopolitical landscape look like in their aftermath?
What Is Power?
In geopolitics, the conventional view is that Power is the capacity to coerce others to serve your interests at the detriment of their own.
This is a scale-invariant definition, meaning that it applies equally to the school bully, the drug lord, the dictator, or the Emperor. Each has the power to coerce others to do things that are counter to their own interests to serve the interests of the powerful.
While there is certainly truth in this definition, at the geopolitical scale it leaves much to be desired. General and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was well-positioned to understand the limits of coercive power, limits which he described in this truculent phrase: "Do you know what amazes me more than anything else? The impotence of force to organize anything."
The greater power than coercion, it turns out, is the power to align others’ interests with one’s own, so they willingly submit to your authority as a means of furthering their own interests. To do this effectively and sustainably, power must organize the transnational flow of capital and labor in ways that offer benefits to all participants.
The great superpower of the ancient world, the Roman Empire, showcased this form of inclusive organizational power: though the Legions were available to suppress outright rebellions, Rome’s long Golden Era was characterized not by perpetual wars of rebellion but by widespread peace and prosperity for even the far-flung members of the Empire.
This is not to gloss over the institutional slavery and oppression that enforced the Ancient Rome’s grip, but the point is that free participants accepted the dominance of Rome because it protected their opportunities to better themselves in relative safety, providing they did not undermine the Empire’s interests.
Even so-called Barbarians benefited from trade with Rome. Many tribes intermarried with peoples under Rome’s sway, and by the end of the Empire, the line between Barbarian and those living under Roman rules blurred.
Even as political and military control eroded and was lost, the organizational system created by Rome’s power—of roadways, waterworks, money, trade and commerce—continued to hold former dominions together. It was only when that complex system fell to pieces (for many reasons, a good deal of them resource-related) that the Empire expired.
There is a third form of power that is often overlooked, perhaps because it’s so obvious in functioning systems we don’t even notice it: the power to solve problems. The power to solve problems with the resources at hand is perhaps the greatest power, far greater than coercive power and ultimately more powerful than organizational power, which erodes if power cannot solve problems with the available resources.
How does power solve problems? Though the answer is complex, we can discern a few generalities:
- Power must accumulate capital and invest it productively
- Power must invest the capital where it has long-term leverage (i.e. in systems that conserve resources, labor and capital over the lifespan of the system)
- Power must enable the free flow of intellectual capital/knowledge and encourage experimentation as a means of solving new or emerging problems
The ancient world empires tended to accumulate capital in two ways: by taxing their own citizens, and by conquering the wealth of other regimes. Modern-day great powers tend to accumulate capital by taxing their own citizens and fashioning economic arrangements for profitable commerce and credit that attract capital, talent and profits that can be taxed.
In other words: power solves problems by attracting capital and talent, and then enabling their productive use in a system that is effectively organized to solve problems.
Capital and talent are two forms of wealth that don’t respond well to coercion. Capital and talent both flee dictatorial control; and in today's world, both are increasingly mobile. So the source of modern power’s wealth is not coercion so much as being more attractive to those with capital and talent than the alternatives.
This has two facets:
- enabling people to serve their own interests within the dominant power structure, and
- maintaining an inclusive system that is organized to optimize solutions
If the system is too chaotic or rapacious to enable solutions to be implemented, capital and talent are both fruitlessly squandered.
If capital must be spent suppressing rebellion, there is less available for productive investments. The empire soon collapses under its own inefficiency. This is why empires based on coercion burn out quickly. And why empires without inclusive, well-organized systems also fail.
The Roman Example
The Roman Empire offers some useful examples of problem-solving via productive investment. Rome’s expansion of durable roadways and fresh water supplies were critical to the growth of trade and the expansion of healthy urban centers that fostered innovation, the sharing of knowledge, and the accumulation of capital.
Rome’s suppression of piracy enabled the free flow of grain from North Africa to Europe, and the extension of trade routes to faraway Britain.
Technologies such as engineered concrete aqueducts and metalworking spread throughout the Empire due to the sharing of technologies and expertise.
Roman coinage enabled low-risk commerce all throughout its boundaries.
While the occasional drama of slave revolts and rebellions against Imperial might are the natural subjects of movie dramas, the day-to-day reality was spectacularly mundane: without the advantages of fossil fuels, Rome managed to extend relative peace and prosperity over much of the human world.
The same can be said of the Tang Empire in China: providing additional validation that security, commerce, a unified money system and widespread prosperity go hand in hand.
What System Is Best Able to Solve Problems?
Virtually every nation and trading bloc faces the same set of entrenched problems: demographics, debt, energy and currency. The problems created by aging populations afflict the entire developed world, and fast-growing developing nations face the opposite problem: not enough work for their burgeoning cohort of youth.
Debt has long been the solution to all problems: just borrow more money (or borrow it into existence) and throw it at the problem of the day. But since debt accumulates interest, and interest siphons off productive capital, this “solution” has run into rapidly diminishing returns.
The foundation of the modern global economy is abundant, cheap energy. And the traditional source of that abundant cheap energy—fossil fuels—is no longer cheap (despite the recent drop in price, the production cost for oil remains near all-time highs), or it comes with real-world limits on its expansion. Declining supply and rising costs crimp growth of consumption and the expansion of capital, the twin foundations of the status quo arrangement.
Currency—paper money—is the financial basis of that arrangement. The ease and appeal of printing money (or credit) becomes increasingly compelling as diminishing returns set in, but the rampant expansion of money and credit undermine the system just as fatally as the decline in cheap, abundant fuels.
The temptation is to create money out of thin air to solve the other problems: just create money (or borrow it into existence) to pay for old-age social security, youth unemployment, higher energy costs, and every other problem facing the status quo.
But this “solution” generates its own problem. Even more damaging, issuing money and credit doesn’t actually solve any of the other structural problems; it simply papers them over, allowing them to fester behind the façade of freshly printed money and debt.
Power and Superpower
We can now formulate a preliminary answer to the parlor game question Who will be the next superpower?
Any nation or trading bloc that sustainably solves its pressing structural problems will qualify as a Great Power, simply by avoiding the consequences of not solving these problems, i.e. collapse. Muddling through is not a sustainable solution.
There is no law or rule that mandates the existence of superpowers. The world can go on quite well without a dominant global power. That said, what qualifies a nation or trading bloc to be labeled a superpower?
Within the context outlined above, the answer is: the solutions organized by the superpower become the dominant global system because they are far more effective, efficient, resilient, flexible and sustainable than the solutions organized by other nations and trading blocs.
In Part 2: Who Will Dominate This Century?, we look at the key requirements for sustainable power in this new century and which countries are best-positioned to exert their influence going forward.
That long-standing geopolitical relationships are changing is a given at this point. The question is: is the world ready for what's coming next?
Click here to access Part 2 of this report (free executive summary; enrollment required for full access)
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Kenya
when ya' got 'em smoke 'em
the author cites Napoleon Bonoparte who is known for another saying at the end of his life:
"The hand who gives is higher than the hand who receives"
He acknowledged the role of bankers and reasons for his downfall ... cest la vie
Simple, the guy with the most folks wins
Superpower? In an era of 4GW and 5GW, who gives a fuck?
Army of one, bitches.
In my opinion we're still going through WWIII which is a long, drawn out currency war...and it's going to take a lot longer to shake out. But eventually...someone's going to fuck shit up real bad. That's why we stack now while we can, so in case we surive we've got what we need. Prepare bitchez. Guns, ammo, knives, food, water, phyzz silver and gold, hunting/fishing/camping/cooking gear, bug-out/hunting/farm land, etc. etc. etc. You know the drillz, bitchez...Oh...and werd 2 duh wize....don't be a bankster. Nail guns and all...WWIV is gonna be a bankster holocaust. Just sayin'...
The article looks at it about the same way I do and I basically agree fully. That being said to be successful requires enlightened self-interest and a willingness to work together to achieve large goals. The problem is basic human greed and stupidity come into play with people gaming the system to gain a larger share of the wealth and power. Once one person or group starts doing it it becomes open season for everybody to start grabbing with both hands and screwing everybody who gets in their way. The next superpower? At this point I wouldn't bet on anyone, at least until after the present batch blow things up completely.
CHS once again looks at the dysfunctional government created world and concludes that there isn't a way to survive without government.
It's pretty obvious to anyone not a fish in the government ocean that the effect of government is anti-civilization.
It is, and always will be, a curse from the animal world.
IMHO Rome is bad example, because Rome homogenized the entire region by forcing its ways (de facto by cultural genocide) and will (force of the weapons) onto others. (Same as USA).
Much more better example is Sassanide or rather the ancient Persia as whole, because of the organizational and cultural cooperation.
BTW similarities between Rome and USA is NOT a coincidence.
actually, most of what is taught about Rome and it's empire is way too superficial
de facto, most of the territories which we paint as "Roman provinces" were very autonomous, and considered themselves as allies of Rome. Sure, the Italic tribes considered themselves as closer, and eventually asked for equal political rights as the Romans. This was resolved in the Social War
but if you look more closely, most Roman "governors" were something like ambassadors, military coordinators and tribute collectors. "Roman" was a meta-culture only, and Latin only one of the two main languages, the other being Greek
people kept their own cultures and their own social structures in the provinces. even in the Italian peninsula, where many Greek cities kept their Greek identity, something that was very clearly evident after the Western Empire collapsed and the (more Greek) Eastern Empire recaptured for a while the peninsula
the "cultural genocide" is bogus. with a few exceptions, like the suppression of the Druidic cults. but that had clearly political reasons, because the source of Druidism was outside the empire, in Britannia, while having political reverberations in Gaul. this was solved by Emperor Claudius when he occupied today's England. he specifically mandated the complete suppression because of their use of human sacrifice, but in reality it was because their use of self-sacrificing "terrorist" assassins for political purposes
what really happened is that Roman Law was more and more applied everywhere. but only if someone went to a Roman court of law, instead of resolving conflicts in local arrangements
remember that Romans were for a long time... gentiles
the true meaning of this word is in their world view: every "gentes" (Greek: genos), meaning People having a divine right on their own religion, their own burial grounds, their own customs
the same outlook is still kept in the Italian word "gentile", which means "courteous, gentle, mindful of others", the English words "gentle" and... "gentleman", which still somehow contains the "mindful of others" and the "not putting his nose where it's none of his business" part... at least among gentlemen
if you really want to depict Romans as "cultural genociders" - which is just another word for "cultural warriors" - you have to wait until most Roman cities became... Christian
and then, the long "culture war" between the urban Christians and the pagans. From the word "pagus", which were rural towers/fortresses/temples/burial grounds and their attached tribal territories
"The stream of revolution has been undammed, but must now be channeled into the secure bedrock of evolution."
Sincerely
AH
The UN
The kleptocratic circle jerk and debating society of Turtle Bay? Not frigging likely...
USA! USA! USA!
"Kenya"
He who owns the Ebola, controls the Ebola... OOOPPPS wrong country. They all look alike over there.
WTF dude, go away.
It's all Africa, like this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFcR96SPF2w
The amish
At least they can work together....
apparently they can't.
http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-arrests-7-amish-haircut-attacks-ohio-153051950...
Not Kenya:
....the solutions organized by the superpower become the dominant global system because they are far more effective, efficient, resilient, flexible and sustainable than the solutions organized by other nations and trading blocs.
From that definition, Google is already the dominant superpower.
Why the entire Western Media including ZeroHedge backed out the Peshawar Attack ?
#PeshawarAttack Continuation of Colonial British Strategy for the Subjugation of the Subcontinent
http://greatgameindia.com/peshawar-attack-the-empire-strikes-again/
The recent attack in Peshawar following the blueprint of the ongoing disintegration of Pakistan is not just a matter of penetration of the military and the intelligence services by forces friendly to the Taliban, but is the direct result of Colonial British Strategy—with the help of U.S.-based co-conspirators—to partition the country into a potpourri of ethnic entities.
The break-up of Pakistan’s westernmost wing is evidently backed by the colonial forces, and their adjuncts; it would establish an unstable state that would depend wholly on Western powers for its survival. That would cut off both India and China, in particular, from land access to the Central Asian oil and gas fields, as well as from Iran. Over a period of time, it would also endanger Russia’s southern flank.
PeshawarAttack Continuation of Colonial British Strategy for the Subjugation of the Subcontinent
http://greatgameindia.com/peshawar-attack-the-empire-strikes-again/
Thank you, SK, for bringing this up. I was really surprised to see a complete pass by ZH, of all sensationalistic places, on this incident.
Perhaps Tyler can tell us why a picture of Bill Clinton w/ a pair 'a tits is more important.
G Duff actually has a few interesting things to say about that attack here...one of his few lucid moments when he's not rooting for the dumocrats in the red team / blue team line of bullshit he so loves to spew.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/12/17/gordon-duff-on-richia-allenuk/
Good read SK.
And I agree the tits were TMZ material.
The ego of T E Lawrence betrayed him
The tits, obviously.
I just spit my drink bill Clinton with a pair of tits if he did I'd bet they'd look like two socks filled with sand hanging from a nail.
Did you not see the tits ?!?!?!
Chester, PA.
Nobody would be dumb enough to attack Chester. They should steal the battleship New Jersey from Camden and equip it with frikkin' lasers. Then on to Delaware which needs invadin' in the worst way.
If New Jersey is the asshole of the world...
Chester is just 3 miles up the anal canal.
Spread Eagle, WI
Two Guns, Arizona
Canine coitus Alabama
Cut and Shoot Texas....
why do we need a superpower?
We don't but it seems there is always at least one dominate power that comes along.
On a long enough timeline ....... you know the rest
Stock markets rise?
Erections fall?
A McD's burger will rot?
A newspaper will report something intelligent?
Pakistan will become majority Christian?
The US dollar will combine with Mexico and Canada's currencies?
The Sun will go supernova?
Or what?
my money is on the cockroach...maybe an ant or bee even.
I'm still going with the tardigrade.
I agree.
tomorrow. superpower. seemingly oxymoronic.
Excellent book on the subject: "The 48 Laws of Power".
Yes, an excellent book and a good combo with Sun Tzu's.
People with guns and dead communists who flaunt increasing the US Debt level to kill off the US reserve currency to rein in another mode to control the serfs. While, blaming everything on terrorism which has to do with currency wars created by Bank of International Settlements, Federal Reserve, IMF, United Natation’s and Central Banking Planners.
You’re fucked, GPS tracking will find you to either kill your family first or kill you. Agenda is a lost bullet point. You lose!
Do we have to have a super power?
Or if we have to have one, can we dispense wth the need for psychopaths to be running the show?
How about nobody being the next superpower.
Switzerland or Singapore?
Andorra. No one knows where it is, so it is safe from retaliation.
Been there sking
I know! How about we quit all this bullshit and get on with solving problems at a local scale? Go stand on the roof of your house... everything you can see is 'local scale'. The rest is, as Douglas Adams put it, an SEP - Somebody Else's Problem!
Next Superpower? Well if you bellieve all wars are banker wars then you already know that nations are just pawns of the central banks, they are the superpower.
We were warned 53 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jb8KqaerhQ
Banksters (Global financial powers) are the Great Whore who rides the beast. (Revelation chapters 17 & 18)
The next superpower will be Iran and its allies, a ressurgence of the Persian Empire.
"The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction." Revelation 17:11
"I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" - Revelation 13:3,4
It is this ressurgence of the Persian Empire that will destroy the Great Whore, Babylon the Great.
You could also say that America in general, and New York City in particular, is Babylon. There is even a Babylon, NY, which is right next to the UN.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7242015/America-the-Babylon-1
There are many other references to Babylon in the Bible. They refer to ancient Babylon (already destroyed) and future Babylon (will be destroyed). Future Babylon is cleary an empire, and it seems to match America.
The Beast, I think, is the world government/NWO system.
Does riding the Beast imply controlling it, or merely letting it carry the rider along, for some benefit? America certainly isn't in control of its own destiny at this point.
Identifying “Babylon the Great”
THE book of Revelation contains expressions that are not to be understood literally. (Revelation 1:1) For example, it mentions a woman with the name “Babylon the Great” written on her forehead. This woman is said to be sitting on “crowds and nations.” (Revelation 17:1, 5, 15) Since no literal woman could do this, Babylon the Great must be symbolic. So, what does this symbolic harlot represent?
At Revelation 17:18, the same figurative woman is described as “the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.” The term “city” indicates an organized group of people. Since this “great city” has control over “the kings of the earth,” the woman named Babylon the Great must be an influential organization that is international in scope. It can rightly be called a world empire. What kind of empire? A religious one. Notice how some related passages in the book of Revelation lead us to this conclusion.
An empire can be political, commercial, or religious. The woman named Babylon the Great is not a political empire because God’s Word states that “the kings of the earth,” or the political elements of this world, “committed fornication” with her. Her fornication refers to the alliances she has made with the rulers of this earth and explains why she is called “the great harlot.”—Revelation 17:1, 2; James 4:4.
Babylon the Great cannot be a commercial empire because the “merchants of the earth,” representing the commercial elements, will be mourning her at the time of her destruction. In fact, both kings and merchants are described as looking at Babylon the Great from “a distance.” (Revelation 18:3, 9, 10, 15-17) Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that Babylon the Great is, not a political or a commercial empire, but a religious one.
The religious identity of Babylon the Great is further confirmed by the statement that she misleads all the nations by means of her “spiritistic practice.” (Revelation 18:23) Since all forms of spiritism are religious and demon-inspired, it is not surprising that the Bible calls Babylon the Great “a dwelling place of demons.” (Revelation 18:2; Deuteronomy 18:10-12) This empire is also described as being actively opposed to true religion, persecuting “prophets” and “holy ones.” (Revelation 18:24) In fact, Babylon the Great has such deep hatred for true religion that she violently persecutes and even murders “the witnesses of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:6) Hence, this woman named Babylon the Great clearly represents the world empire of false religion, which includes all religions that stand in opposition to God.
Typical JW brainwashing. If Babylon the Great is a religious empire, why do the merchants of the earth weep for her when she is destroyed?
The "magic spell" she uses to mislead all the nations is clearly FINANCIAL power, money conjured out of nothing, which is exactly what fiat currency is. " Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray." Revelation 18:23
Time to wake up and question what the JWs are "teaching" you.
Babylon was the FINANCIAL center of the world, and it is where modern fractional resrve banking, fiat currency, stock markets, etc began.
Babylon the Great is the Global FINANCIAL empire, the great whore, that has ridden the backs of all the governments/kings since the collapse of ancient Babylon.
It continues to this day.
Iran (Persia) is the only regional power of Biblical importance and note that does not have a Rothschild Central Bank.
Coincidence?
Nope.
That slain head was the leauge of nations. It got healed when the UN took it's place 1945.
Regurgitated JW puke.
That slain head was the end of the ancient Persian Empire. The nations don't "marvel" at the United Nations, it is a laughingstock.
But they will definitely marvel at the ressurgence of the Persian Empire, the beast that rises from the abyss and the beast that was healed from its death stroke are one and the same- The Persian Empire.
Put away the JW literature that has brainwashed you, pray for the Holy Spirit, and it will open your eyes.
United States of Goldman Sachs.
Define super power?
Military might?
We all have nukes, tanks, boats, planes are pointless, everyone has nuclear submarines. . . . with such weapons wars end in days/weeks and no one is left standing in the after-math.... so military might is a pointless scale at this level of weaponry.
Economic power???
All the economies are fragile, but I would say in terms of production capacity, China is leader without a doubt
In terms of living standard??
Depends how you calculate that, if its just a $$$ figure of "wealth" owned . . . USA is probably the wealthiest population on average (everyone has a car, a roof over their head and a chicken on every plate), we all live better than medieval kings . . . for the most part . . even the poorest of us.
War in our times essentially amounts to a "reset" button, when the systems we create get too complicated for us to control and manage, war resets and lets us build a simpler reality.
There are no super powers anymore, just developed nations and un-developed nations.
Corporations have replaced the state we don't even have countries anymore.
We have a corporate owned military securing interests of investors. . . thats about it thats why all the laws being passed are there to create barriers to entry in markets, the corporations have taken over and are securing their power with a monopoly on force and taxation (destroy your competition through lobbying for legislation to make it impossible for your competition to turn a profit).
This is how the world works now.
Yup. Resources to exploit and petty tyrants to establish, whether in developed or undeveloped nations. It's like free-trade (which isn't free and isn't about trade) short term gain.
Rapidity of communication is the background development. Coercion folds to alignment when communication becomes easier, and alignment will fold to decentralization in like manner.
Gotta have a superpower - it's just human nature...
"Everybody wants to rule the world...."
Ain't sayin' it's a good thing......just sayin'
Maybe if the UN is the next superpower - like if we get such an unholy series of global crises that all the UN members agree to forfeit their national sovereignties to make the UN the 8th world power, with power vested in the Security Council, and the veto abolished, so that a simple democratic majority holds sway, and dissenters face the prospect of total economic/financial sanction (and the resulting social/political collapse), then we'd finally have a world government.
It could happen - if it comes to the point where there are only two choices - global chaos and destruction, or a return (forced) to global order.
Ain't sayin' it's a good thing.....just sayin'......
I think the horn with eyes and a mouth, from the 7th chapter of the Book of Daniel, IS the internet, and it will be the next superpower, but not for long.
Shorter Charles Hugh-Smith: "Pay me! Pay me! Pay me!"
Nobody!
depends on who can folk the most. Numbers count - until starvation sets in
If anyone did not figure out this article, it directs you to part two for you to go to is sending money for the answer to the rambling first part of this article.
I think the Tsunami is already well in motion. The attempt at an Iron curtain around Russia will Fail. The Containment of China by Sea and the Tpp will Fail. Necessity is the mother of Invention, and both these Players will forge something great and wonderful for the future. Truly The west has become an empire of Chaos, and each year will like empires before it, bring diminishing returns.
Full read recommended.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175935/tomgram%3A_pepe_escobar%2C_eurasi...
Go West, Young Han
As Washington “Pivots” to Asia, China Does the Eurasian Pirouette
By Pepe Escobar
November 18, 2014: it’s a day that should live forever in history. On that day, in the city of Yiwu in China’s Zhejiang province, 300 kilometers south of Shanghai, the first train carrying 82 containers of export goods weighing more than 1,000 tons left a massive warehouse complex heading for Madrid. It arrived on December 9th.
Welcome to the new trans-Eurasia choo-choo train. At over 13,000 kilometers, it will regularly traverse the longest freight train route in the world, 40% farther than the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. Its cargo will cross China from East to West, then Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France, and finally Spain.
You may not have the faintest idea where Yiwu is, but businessmen plying their trades across Eurasia, especially from the Arab world, are already hooked on the city “where amazing happens!” We're talking about the largest wholesale center for small-sized consumer goods -- from clothes to toys -- possibly anywhere on Earth.
The Yiwu-Madrid route across Eurasia represents the beginning of a set of game-changing developments. It will be an efficient logistics channel of incredible length. It will represent geopolitics with a human touch, knitting together small traders and huge markets across a vast landmass. It’s already a graphic example of Eurasian integration on the go. And most of all, it’s the first building block on China’s “New Silk Road,” conceivably the project of the new century and undoubtedly the greatest trade story in the world for the next decade.
Go west, young Han. One day, if everything happens according to plan (and according to the dreams of China’s leaders), all this will be yours -- via high-speed rail, no less. The trip from China to Europe will be a two-day affair, not the 21 days of the present moment. In fact, as that freight train left Yiwu, the D8602 bullet train was leaving Urumqi in Xinjiang Province, heading for Hami in China’s far west. That’s the first high-speed railway built in Xinjiang, and more like it will be coming soon across China at what is likely to prove dizzying speed.
Today, 90% of the global container trade still travels by ocean, and that’s what Beijing plans to change. Its embryonic, still relatively slow New Silk Road represents its first breakthrough in what is bound to be an overland trans-continental container trade revolution.
And with it will go a basket of future “win-win” deals, including lower transportation costs, the expansion of Chinese construction companies ever further into the Central Asian “stans,” as well as into Europe, an easier and faster way to move uranium and rare metals from Central Asia elsewhere, and the opening of myriad new markets harboring hundreds of millions of people.
So if Washington is intent on “pivoting to Asia,” China has its own plan in mind. Think of it as a pirouette to Europe across Eurasia.
Absolutely nothing is changing in the world as the same power that controlled the past is still controlling the future
1945 British National Archives Document Calls For New World Order Now
There Are No More Nations Mr Beale
No lo se...creo que America del Sur, posiblemente.
Mi espaniol es no muy bueno, Ingles ahora...
A buddy and I took on this question about a year or so ago and we had some solid reasons (in our opinion;-) to think south of the equator has some real advantages...as does a lot of wealthy folks moving that direction these days (I wish I could be one of those:-). Consider this:
Many countries south have low overall debt loads and debt to GDP ratios simply because no one would lend them any money in the 20th c., often times for good reason, and other times because the deals were so lopsided even tin pot dictators refused. Then you have resources, and we know they have that a plenty. The northern governments are hardly less corrup than their southern counterparts now. Aging populations are nails in a nations or empires cofin...the south has a much better demographic position there. And finally...RADIATION!! It seems like an odd thing to add to the mix but the northern hemisphere already had much higher levels of raidation than the south and it's only increasing as recent news has shown. That can be a huge deal with regard to crops and desease of course...which are incredibly costly to both get during a shortage (the former) and treat (the latter).
The article and the mindset of too many are too northern-centric IMO. Plenty of history of empires in the south prior to the modern eras (which are a blip). If money and talent heads that way, as it seems to be, then that only strengthens our argument. Could the 21st c. see the resurgance of the southern hemisphere, with some latin American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia for example), South Africa and some of it's neighbors, and New Zealand, Australia and some of the souther pacific nations leading the way?
I'm going to add to this...for shits and giggles I go to Bloomberg and look at their news on "latin America". Lead story on Colombia...
Colombia Holds Rate at 4.5% Amid Fastest Latin American Growth
By Oscar Medina Dec 19, 2014 12:15 PM CT0 Comments Email Print
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SaveColombia’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight month as a construction boom sustains demand amid a slump in the price of crude oil.
The seven-member board left the overnight lending rate at 4.5 percent, Governor Jose Dario Uribe told reporters after the meeting. The decision was forecast by 28 of 29 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, with one economist predicting a quarter-point cut.
Colombia’s economy grew at the fastest pace among major Latin American economies in the third quarter, as a surge in home building and public works projects mitigated a contraction in manufacturing and oil. The central bank will probably leave rates unchanged until the second half of 2015, as these forces pull the economy in opposing directions, said Alejandro Reyes, head analyst at Ultrabursatiles brokerage.
“The bank sees that there’s good strength in the local economy, but some risks coming from abroad,” Reyes said in a Dec. 18 phone interview. “Internal demand could decelerate, but at the moment it’s growing at a good pace.”
The price of crude, which accounts for more than half of Colombia’s exports, has fallen 47 percent over the past six months. The peso has weakened 18 percent over the same period, making it the worst performing major emerging market currency after the Russian ruble.
Annual inflation accelerated to 3.65 percent last month, the fastest pace since 2011. Uribe said in an interview with El Tiempo newspaper last week that a monetary policy response may be required if the weaker peso causes inflation expectations to rise.
The economy expanded 4.2 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, compared with 2.2 percent growth in Mexico, 1.8 percent in Peru, 0.8 percent in Chile and a contraction of 0.2 percent in Brazil. The economy will grow about 4.5 percent next year, Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said Dec. 15.
So I post:
Huh? I guess I'm the only one here. Hmmmm? You would think an economy the size of Colombia's...larger than Israels, or Egypts, S. Africas, Hong Kongs, or even Denmarks (and larger than Ukraine and Kuwaits combined) would be of interest to some people. That's OK with me :-)
Me thinks I smell some opportunity. Let's go to Colombia ZHers!!!!
The I||uminati, same as always. Duh!