The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder
An eye-opening assement of American power and deglobalization in the bestselling tradition of The World is Flat and The Next 100 Years.
Near the end of the Second World War, the United States made a bold strategic gambit that rewired the international system. Empires were abolished and replaced by a global arrangement enforced by the U.S. Navy. With all the world's oceans safe for the first time in history, markets and resources were made available for everyone. Enemies became partners.
We think of this system as normal - it is not. We live in an artificial world on borrowed time.
In The Accidental Superpower, international strategist Peter Zeihan examines how the hard rules of geography are eroding the American commitment to free trade; how much of the planet is aging into a mass retirement that will enervate markets and capital supplies; and how, against all odds, it is the ever-ravenous American economy that - alone among the developed nations - is rapidly approaching energy independence. Combined, these factors are doing nothing less than overturning the global system and ushering in a new (dis)order.
For most, that is a disaster-in-waiting, but not for the Americans. The shale revolution allows Americans to sidestep an increasingly dangerous energy market. Only the United States boasts a youth population large enough to escape the sucking maw of global aging. Most important, geography will matter more than ever in a de-globalizing world, and America's geography is simply sublime.
Near the end of the Second World War, the United States made a bold strategic gambit that rewired the international system. Empires were abolished and replaced by a global arrangement enforced by the U.S. Navy. With all the world's oceans safe for the first time in history, markets and resources were made available for everyone. Enemies became partners.
We think of this system as normal - it is not. We live in an artificial world on borrowed time.
In The Accidental Superpower, international strategist Peter Zeihan examines how the hard rules of geography are eroding the American commitment to free trade; how much of the planet is aging into a mass retirement that will enervate markets and capital supplies; and how, against all odds, it is the ever-ravenous American economy that - alone among the developed nations - is rapidly approaching energy independence. Combined, these factors are doing nothing less than overturning the global system and ushering in a new (dis)order.
For most, that is a disaster-in-waiting, but not for the Americans. The shale revolution allows Americans to sidestep an increasingly dangerous energy market. Only the United States boasts a youth population large enough to escape the sucking maw of global aging. Most important, geography will matter more than ever in a de-globalizing world, and America's geography is simply sublime.
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Community Reviews
Since the 2014 forecast of the 2020-2030 era on a global scope, i think the predictions are still yet to be proven as possibly true. Since it's all predicated on American disinterest taking place, I found that it was difficult to get on board. The saying that no 2 countries with a McDonald's have gone to war comes to mind. I think there is a lot to be said for global laziness and letting the status quo continue until it can no longer continue is just something that nations and individuals tend to do.
I think it will take more than just the slow withdrawal of the American fleet to shake the world out of it's free for all shopping mall mentality. However, all great points to be explored, discussed, concerned about. It only takes one adventurous aggressive state to make a move and not be challenged by the rest of the world. Russian advances having already taken place and unchecked.
I also want to consider the pandemics into the equation to the demographies of the world. If the aged populations disappear just after retirement, then there's no care of, nor disposal of that wealth. It simply transfers to the savings and college tuition plans of the next generation just at the time that they need disposable incomes. And that's worldwide, not just the U.S. As pandemics become the norm in a globally connected world, I can see 10 day entry and exit quarantines impacting global travel moving forward. That is going to slow diaspora, and create many more nation state mentalities. It will make border controls that much more important. Wall or no wall, immigrants that have not been isolated will create serious health concerns for many. Still, should have turned all of the current residents into citizens long ago.
I think it will take more than just the slow withdrawal of the American fleet to shake the world out of it's free for all shopping mall mentality. However, all great points to be explored, discussed, concerned about. It only takes one adventurous aggressive state to make a move and not be challenged by the rest of the world. Russian advances having already taken place and unchecked.
I also want to consider the pandemics into the equation to the demographies of the world. If the aged populations disappear just after retirement, then there's no care of, nor disposal of that wealth. It simply transfers to the savings and college tuition plans of the next generation just at the time that they need disposable incomes. And that's worldwide, not just the U.S. As pandemics become the norm in a globally connected world, I can see 10 day entry and exit quarantines impacting global travel moving forward. That is going to slow diaspora, and create many more nation state mentalities. It will make border controls that much more important. Wall or no wall, immigrants that have not been isolated will create serious health concerns for many. Still, should have turned all of the current residents into citizens long ago.
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