Just two and a half weeks after he was elected and before he even set foot in the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama was presented with a 120-page report that was supposed to help him to peer into the future.
The top analysts at the U.S. National Intelligence Council had spent a year surveying other experts and studying global trends in a bid to give the president-elect an over-the-horizon view of the year 2025.
The international order is in the midst of profound change, the report, Global Trends 2025, concluded.
U.S. economic and political clout will decline over the next 15 years; the world will become a more dangerous place; food, water and energy shortages could spark regional conflicts and, while the appeal of terrorism might decline, terrorists themselves will become more deadly and dangerous thanks to new technology, the report says.
“The international system — as constructed following the Second World War — will be almost unrecognizable by 2025,” the study predicted.
New powers, especially China and India, will grow in influence and the world will be transformed by a globalizing economy and an historic transfer of wealth and economic power from West to East.
[More]
See Also:
Notes:
Reading over this material I am well aware that I am being over simplistic here but I will say this. The west started to transfer it’s wealth to the east when Richard Nixon made his famous trip to China and western markets began to lose jobs even as cheap products coming from China and other places in the far east began to flood our markets. It has been unceasing and by now — perhaps unstoppable.
But I will add this.
It does not have to be this way in my mind. By imposing high tariffs on foreign manufacturing (unless they build their factories here) we can shut the floodgates and put people back to work. I’ve said many times that China is rich now because Nixon gave them the go ahead and sold out his country to cheap labour. That was a bad move and several decades later we learn the cost of his largesse.
I repeat — it does not have to be this way. It is because our politicians have been bought and our manufacturers enticed to move elsewhere and then they flood our markets with the very same goods we can manufacture right here.
This problem can be stopped dead in it’s tracks tomorrow by use of tariffs on imported goods. More to the point (Tom Clancy was the first to suggest this)…a new law is required which “mirrors” the trade practices of countries who don’t play fair.
I suppose the opposite argument would be “Ya, but what about that huge market over there?”
What about it?
Do we care and where are the benefits so far?
Maybe I’m all wet and my perception is far to simple but then again the very best ideas are, aren’t they?
Occam’s razor and all that.
On a clear day I can see Russia.
Brilliant U.V., absolutely brilliant!
The Great One is not the one to turn the tide of North American trade: raw materials west - finished goods heading east.
It will take some leader that is in the game to lead, and not apologise at every opportunity. Someone that cares for the workers in their home country more than their own image.
Thats why its so important to look elsewhere to sell our goods, raw materials, services etc.
Kudos to HM PM Harper for recognizing this fact and travelling to potentially big buying nations like China, India etc.
Obama read the report and decided socialist/corporatism was the best solution for America despite the failure of socialism everywhere it has been tried. The report must have brought a smile to Obama’s face.
Just because they gave the report to Obama doen’t mean he read it! After all if it didn’t appear on his teleprompter he wouldn’t have had time.
The longer I watch Obama in office the more I am reminded of a silly movie I watched years ago where the President died in office but because his lackeys didn’t want to lose their positions they import a look alike body double actor to be president. All goes swimmingly until the actor decides to take the initiative.
Somewhere in there was a line similar to, “Get that idiot off stage; he’s beginning to think he is the president!”
The problem is that the alternative (Republicans) is much worse as they appear to be more concerned about fighting everything/everyone than organizing their party into something that could represent all of the people.
For example, their distortions about universal health care is unbelievable which must be a surprise to all of the industrialize countries who have had it for years. Now the U.S. plan seems to be a ‘mish-mash’ of everything under the sun.
All some americans are asking for is the same health care coverage they give all of their federal politicians.
I love the states but it can be a strange place at times.
“All some Americans are asking for is the same health care coverage they give all of their federal politicians.”
Whaaa ? You mean treat the citizens equally with the elitists in Washington? If you gave the citizens that, next they’d want limos too.
Where this should have started was legislation that gives the politicians and government employees the same Health base as the worst off American. Then just stand back and see what happens. Soon everyone would have their own private Mayo Clinic.
More seriously , the flaw is that politicians don’t have to settle for ObamaCare too.
And while both parties dither, millions of americans go without any health care coverage particulary the 16 million or so who have recently lost their jobs along with their benefits (that will soon run out).