[CarnbY]

I agree that China as the sole superpower would be a bad thing, just as the US as the only superpower is a bad thing. What we need is a balance of power. Judging by humanity's track record I doubt we'll ever see equality on a grand scale though. The ones in power will do what's necessary to stay in power, and the less fortunate will do what they can to turn it around, only to adapt the role of oppressor if they are succesful

[entropyfails]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', '
')
There have been a number of new political systems developed in recent history, including democracy and communism. Anarchy has a well-developed political theory, even though it hasn't been put to practice in any country yet. But I wouldn't discount it as entirely impossible just because it never happened before.

[Ebyss]

In all fairness, if China attempted a World War the way you're suggesting, everyone would be against them. Everyone. China's army may be enormous, but they have to come get us all without oil. There's just no way China could invade and conquer the US without oil. Even with oil they'd stand a slim-to-none chance. America would just nuke them to high heaven before it let itself be invaded.

I agree that China as a world leader isn't exactly desirable, but I don't think it'll be as simple as them just deciding to take over, and the world falling at their feet. China may have 1.3 billion people, but the rest of the world has the other 5.2 billion.

And as previously mentioned, China's current industrial (read = oil based) growth is entirely dependent on the rest of the world buying their sh!t. When no one can afford to buy anything from them, there'll be no money going in. Having said all that, China will probably fare quite well if THSTF, they are used to having very little of anything, particularly oil.

[NeoPeasant]

Peak Oil will make transcontinental expeditionary warfare pretty impractical. If new empires are built, they will not cross continental boundaries. I expect the US sphere of military influence will eventually shrink back to the western hemisphere and maybe just North America. No one is going to cross the oceans to take territory by force. They just won't have the gas to do it.

[BastardSquad]

I'm going to have to agree with Ebyss on this one.

As an American,I can say that I'm less than happy with most of the decisions made by American politicians over the last 50 years or so,never the less,I can't imagine they'd ever let us be invaded by China.


If China ever tried to invade us,oil or no oil,we would completly obliterate them.We have enough nukes to burn their country from one end to the other 10 times over.

The Soviet Union fell apart but I don't see anyone invading them.You know why?Because they still have plenty of nukes.Just because the Russian economy is in the toilet doesn't mean they can still push "the button" if they had to.

We would stomp Chinas ass if they ever dared setting foot on U.S. soil!

The only exception would be if there were some kind of conspiracy in which our great leaders wanted us to be invaded from some crazy reason.

[DomusAlbion]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'P')eak Oil will make transcontinental expeditionary warfare pretty impractical. If new empires are built, they will not cross continental boundaries. I expect the US sphere of military influence will eventually shrink back to the western hemisphere and maybe just North America. No one is going to cross the oceans to take territory by force. They just won't have the gas to do it.

[Raxozanne]

Imagine this:

The whole global capitalist system falls, lots of people die off, local subsistance farming reigns etc... Then 50 years later people on the coast look out to sea and they see thousands of angry looking chinese on a large fleet of sailing ships with bows and arrows........

[julianj]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')Linlithgowoil
3. china has always harboured a desire for a massive empire - everyone knows this - this might be their chance.

[jaakkeli]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('linlithgowoil', 'W')as just thinking - a lot of people on here seem to be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of the amercian empire ending. Problem is, china and the communists would replace them - militarily and economically.

[Clouseau2]

The more I think about it, the more it seems like China is much more doomed than the United States.

China has about the same land area as the United States but has to support 4 times the population.

They have used their country as a toxic waste dump, and they also have major desertification issues. We have taken better care of our country with environmental regulations, and we have more domestic oil production and the tar sands in Canada next door.

China is set to become a massive importer of food in the next few years as their grain harvests are plummeting.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('linlithgowoil', 'I') wonder if you'd all be pretty happy to see the red flag of china flying in washington and mass murders of americans to clear space for all the chinese?

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('linlithgowoil', 'P')roblem is, china and the communists would replace them - militarily and economically.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('linlithgowoil', 'P')roblem is, china and the communists would replace them - militarily and economically.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Bytesmiths', 'S')o remember, every time you go to Wall Mart and buy something that says "Made in China", you're voluntarily conceding to Chinese rule!

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'H')aving a slip of paper certifying your claim to a piece of land, and having the power to occupy and control it are entirely different things.

[DomusAlbion]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Bytesmiths', 'N')o, we'll start to see that money invested soon. The US economic bubble bursts over escalating energy prices, the dollar crashes, and the only thing worth anything in dollars any more is real estate. Then China will have enough to simply <b>purchase</b> the United States.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DomusAlbion', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Bytesmiths', 'N')o, we'll start to see that money invested soon. The US economic bubble bursts over escalating energy prices, the dollar crashes, and the only thing worth anything in dollars any more is real estate. Then China will have enough to simply <b>purchase</b> the United States.

[DomusAlbion]

Bytesmith,

To me the dollar "crashing" spells hyperinflation, hence my statement about it's value being near to worthless. In addition a country can just not pay its debt. What are the creditors going to do? Invade? I don't think that is a practical way to collect on a debt.

What would happen is what we see happen in countries such as Argentina.
Lot's of trouble, no doubt. They suffer locally and their credit rating with other countries is ruined but nobody goes over and seizes their property.

Besides, we wouldn't let them.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DomusAlbion', 'B')esides, we wouldn't let them. :twisted: