http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2...AAw&refer=home

Interesting choice of words, quoting George (senior) Bush. What is going to come out of this? Certainly the time is right and obviously sensed by many countries: Russia flexing it's post-Soviet military muscle, Euro climbing every year as the second world reserve currency, and China becoming the manufacturing centre of the world as GM, Ford and Chrysler scramble for $50 billion to help them through.

So, the next ten years: a time of chaos? Or will order quickly be restored, with someone else or a group "in charge"?

Not just a post-American era, but the end of the domination of world affairs by Europeans or people of European descent. 1492 marked the start of this domination. 2008 marks its end. It'll be a long, slow, uneven process but it's begun...

Be careful about what you wish for. The West is still more than capable of using war to further its aims.

Regards...jmcc

Really? With three of the four main power blocs (US, Russia, EU) all of European descent, I think you're banking a lot on the Chinese there...

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A lot of these "one worlders" haven't a clue about geography.

Regards...jmcc

I appreciate that the post-Cold war paradigm of a unipolar power structure couldn't last forever. The question we'll all be facing in forthcoming years is to what extent a multi-polar power structure can be created and maintained without resort to ongoing violence and skirmishes in third-party zones like the Middle East or Africa over fuel, water and other resources.
A heavy question mark hangs over America's ability to retain its economic edge, given the clear severity of the economic crisis it currently finds itself in. If it recovers quickly a la the Asian Tigers, then we're looking at a momentary hiccup which gives the Chinese and Russians space to position themselves as counterweights (and the EU too, if it could ever get its act together). If it takes as long as Japan in recovering, which is looking likely, then ongoing instability could lead to the rapid rise of others to the top table too.
Obviously India has its eye on this prize. It's not inconceivable that a resurgent Bolivarian bloc could form in South America and look to attain some global influence also.
The EU in all of this is critical. Apart from being itself a potential axis of influence and power, it also offers a significant template for co-operation between nation states. How Europe proceeds is important, and it should proceed in unison. But that's still no argument for nonsense like Lisbon, obviously.

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What worries me is that China may find itself in the same position as Japan did in the 1930s. It was resource poor and needed external resources (steel, oil etc) for its economy. A lot of China's activity in Africa seems to be geared towards securing those resources. However that may not go unchecked.

Regards...jmcc

Christ ye're jumping to an awful lot of conclusions just because I made a statement about what seems to be happening! As an Irishman I'm not exactly looking forward to the long-term relative decline of Europe but I'm realistic enough to accept that it could be under way.

Anyway, there's more to Asia than the Chinese - there's the Indians for a start.

The EU isn't a serious power bloc because it's too fragmented. If it was a United States of Europe that would be another thing. But that's probably never going to happen. The Russians will run out of oil and gas eventually. Then what? What do they manufacture that the world wants to buy? Vodka? Kalashnikovs?

I'm talking about the long-term here lads. The next several centuries. Sure it's impossible to say for certain what's going to happen but I strongly believe that Asia will eventually take the place that Europe/America has held for the past few centuries.

The Chinese are in a very strong position to become the dominant global power eventually. They have a continent-sized state, with a massive population and dominate global manufacturing. They're flush with cash, can afford to buy up commodities from Africa and don't have to worry about public concerns over trading with dodgy regimes. If they develop good relations with the Russians then we'll be in for some very interesting times indeed!

Three of the current four main powers, if you can even count the European Disunion as a power...

It may take decades before it begins to become clear who the new dominant global powers will be, but I think that the Americans and Europeans have had their day and it's just a matter of time before that becomes clearer. Perhaps it'll take a century or more but happen it will.

The alternative being?