New world disorder

Translation: for the past 500 years, liberal modernity, a.k.a. colonialism, slavery, global environmental disaster, and genocide has come from Europe. Thank goodness and good riddance for the death of "liberal democracy".

wearetheworld @ 8:25 AM PDT, Sep 12, 2008

Unless the US stops useless wars, which it cannot afford, and devotes more resources to its educational and physical infrastructure, it will fail in the globalization contest. Given the great, and increasingly bitter, political divisions, that the union may split. The more prosperous states (particularly those with a large deficit cash flow with Washington) may decide to declare independence. It is also possible that fascism may take over the US; corporate influence over national government is already very strong and the military is being shredded by current policies.

oxheadone @ 10:17 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

Also, I just wanted to point out that the US has no rival in terms of hard, or for that matter soft power in the world. A united Europe could be that rival, but we can see they have no desire to unite. Furthermore, China, India, and Russia have less in common than they do differently. Each one of them is far closer to each other (and therefore more concerned about each other) than they are to the US or Europe. Lastly, I wanted to make a point that seems to be missing everywhere here, which is that those greedy corporate entities have lifted more Chinese people out of poverty than any aid program ever has.

Larry @ 7:46 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

Maybe I'm the only optimist here, but I see several problems with analysis coming out of everyone here. Firstly, while China's catching up economically to the US, it faces a series of problems far greater than anything the US faces. For example, they are staring down the barrel of a horrible demographic crisis in the next few decades (thank the one-child policy for that). Also, I just wanted to point out that the US economy grew on cheap energy, now the Chinese economy will have to deal with growing up in an expensive energy environment.

Larry @ 7:45 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

We can thank greedmongering American corporate entities like WalMart, who promoted shifting the manufacturing base from domestic liberal sources to foreign authoritarian sources (namely China) solely in order to increase their own personal wealth at the expense of America overall, for engendering and nurturing the current freak-of-sociopolitical-nature: authoritarian capitalism.

antiaristocrat @ 3:22 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

Authoritarian or criminal capitalism? Criminal capitalism has spawned cultures of greed as exemplified by the housing bubble, predatory lending, and the increasing economic disparity. While people are driven into poverty by foreclosures, loss of jobs, and high prices, others are becoming very rich through globalization. A country is more than just an efficient economic system where profits flows upward to the rich; government must ensure the balance between capital and labor so that the people needed to protect the country have jobs The people who most push war and globalization have the lowest percentage of people in our armed forces.

Ransome @ 2:22 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

I believe that it's too late for anyone to be concerned with China's taking over the world. Numerically they surpass every country,intellectually they surpass most countries and technologically they are at the same level with most of the technologically developed nations. The worst par of it is that the west is to blame for that. Given the fact that in the future of our planet there is no room for disorder,then maybe there is a room for such governments wich are going to be in charge of all the natural resources wile allowing the population to experience some sort of freedom.

Scito Magana @ 2:02 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

But the question on everyone's lips should be on the anniversary of 9/11, is Bush going out with a big 'Bang' in Pakistan? FOR TODAY he has authorized that US special forces can undertake incursions into Pakistan WITHOUT even the approval of their government. This is something that he wishes to do and what a better way to leave office than to start a new little war for his friends in the defence industry. Another nice little earner I would say before he leaves office and additional personal security for the future (no I don’t mean our security either) ! Dr David Hill World Innovation Foundation Charity (WIFC) Bern, Switzerland

david hill @ 1:12 PM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

I'm just a simple layman but 'authoritarian capitalism' sounds pretty close to facism. All it takes to step over the line is a popular crackpot leader who has the fawining support of the US/European business community. Get out of China before it is too late!

HA @ 9:40 AM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

The case cannot be made clearer for the necessity for humanity to manage relations, depleting resources, transcending division and making sustaining progress. Is the optimism of the will awaiting recognition of the intellect?

lescaine @ 7:58 AM PDT, Sep 11, 2008

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