Who is the 2nd leading power in the world?
- Thread starter Jason280
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HAWK-HKG11
New member
China.
Derek Zeanah
New member
China.
Marko Kloos
New member
Leading in what? Flip-flop manufacture?
Get real, folks. China is a vast, untapped market with lots of potential, but they're pretty far from being the second most powerful kid on the block...whether you look at it from an economic standpoint or a military one. (Off the top of your head, what's the Dollar-to-Yuan exchange rate?)
We have one remaining superpower (USA), and lots of regional powers. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, and Japan still leads Asia (although the Little Dragons are rapidly catching up). From a military standpoint, the USA is the varsity, although plenty of other countries have either nukes or credible modern armed forces.
China will be the dominant force in Asia, in about 25 years...and only if they don't get into expansionist games with nuclear-armed Russia or the US.
Get real, folks. China is a vast, untapped market with lots of potential, but they're pretty far from being the second most powerful kid on the block...whether you look at it from an economic standpoint or a military one. (Off the top of your head, what's the Dollar-to-Yuan exchange rate?)
We have one remaining superpower (USA), and lots of regional powers. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, and Japan still leads Asia (although the Little Dragons are rapidly catching up). From a military standpoint, the USA is the varsity, although plenty of other countries have either nukes or credible modern armed forces.
China will be the dominant force in Asia, in about 25 years...and only if they don't get into expansionist games with nuclear-armed Russia or the US.
HAWK-HKG11
New member
Well much of it is subjective. I think China is the 2nd power because they have the largest military in the world (manpower) and the largest nuke supply of a country that is not our ally. Plus I think China is the only country the United States considers fearing.
hksigwalther
New member
I take the question as :
If the US were to go to war with any one nation in the world, one on one, who would we have the hardest time with?
IMO, China. The only question I have with my pick is what is their air lifting capabilities?
If the US were to go to war with any one nation in the world, one on one, who would we have the hardest time with?
IMO, China. The only question I have with my pick is what is their air lifting capabilities?
Whenever I read or hear someone suggest that China is not a power in the world, I remember two stories. Truth or myth, they make a point.
When some of the Chinese leadership proposed entering the Korean war, others are reported to have balked, saying "What if the Americans use their nuclear weapons?" The hawks replied "So we lose two or three million...."
An American diplomat harangued the Chinese ambassador over China's closed door emigration policy. The ambassador smiled and said "You are right, we are wrong. How many millions will you take?"
When some of the Chinese leadership proposed entering the Korean war, others are reported to have balked, saying "What if the Americans use their nuclear weapons?" The hawks replied "So we lose two or three million...."
An American diplomat harangued the Chinese ambassador over China's closed door emigration policy. The ambassador smiled and said "You are right, we are wrong. How many millions will you take?"
MeekAndMild
New member
US.
EU is number one and China is number three.
EU is number one and China is number three.
China would be really dangerous if they had a navy 
.
As is, even Taiwan can sit there across 100 mile or so of pond and blow razzberries at 'em.
China can't invade Russia by land, because as their massive army was walking/rolling across vast empty chunks of Russian wilderness, Russia could just tac-nuke 'em to death on any day with a good southbound wind. They've got enough bombers as delivery platforms and fighters to give cover.
China can't threaten India because land-based logistics across the Himalayas would be nightmarish.
So who CAN they pick on? Vietnam? They tried that. The Vietnamese kicked their arses. Cambodia? Sure, but *why*?
China really, REALLY wants the resources in Siberia, and may one day go to war over it. Russia better keep a good stockpile of clean, small tac-nukes of the sort you use on mass waves of tanks and such.
Better yet, Russia oughta sell a chunk of Siberia to the US, which could pay for it with private money from oil and mining companies. We'd develop our 1/4 to 1/3rd or so, and the money would let Russia develop the rest...and Russia would have US support in place as a check against China. Siberia is awash in gold, diamonds, oil, all kinds of stuff. Everything Alaska has, multiplied by 3x to 10x or so. Russia doesn't have the money to develop it, China is looking at it with greedy eyes. Bad situation all around.
.As is, even Taiwan can sit there across 100 mile or so of pond and blow razzberries at 'em
.China can't invade Russia by land, because as their massive army was walking/rolling across vast empty chunks of Russian wilderness, Russia could just tac-nuke 'em to death on any day with a good southbound wind
. They've got enough bombers as delivery platforms and fighters to give cover.China can't threaten India because land-based logistics across the Himalayas would be nightmarish.
So who CAN they pick on? Vietnam? They tried that. The Vietnamese kicked their arses
. Cambodia? Sure, but *why*?China really, REALLY wants the resources in Siberia, and may one day go to war over it. Russia better keep a good stockpile of clean, small tac-nukes of the sort you use on mass waves of tanks and such.
Better yet, Russia oughta sell a chunk of Siberia to the US, which could pay for it with private money from oil and mining companies. We'd develop our 1/4 to 1/3rd or so, and the money would let Russia develop the rest...and Russia would have US support in place as a check against China. Siberia is awash in gold, diamonds, oil, all kinds of stuff
. Everything Alaska has, multiplied by 3x to 10x or so. Russia doesn't have the money to develop it, China is looking at it with greedy eyes. Bad situation all around.CastleBravo
New member
LOL! The EU is about as cohesive as a NAACP - KKK pick-up game. I'll worry about them when they quit arguing over cheese subsidies
As for the UN, I actually worked on a UN peacekeeping mission and got to deal with their military bureaucracy. Suffice it to say they couldn't subvert a Girl Scout troop with an army of Justin Timberlake clones. It was kind of heartwarming, I like the idea of a would-be mortal enemy that lost a chess game to Forrest Gump.
In terms of killing everyone alive, I'd say Russia is still #2, followed by China. In terms of economic power, I'd say Germany and Japan are still the other big dogs, but they are way behind us, stock markets notwithstanding. In terms of conventional forces, probably China, except for the fact that they can't physically get anywhere near us... the U.S. Navy overmatches every other fleet on the Earth combined, maybe by a factor of 5 if you consider real combat power.
China, Russia and now India are all towards the top in terms of potential, but not actual, power in the world. Last I checked our military budget is about the same as the rest of the world combined, though as a percentage of our total budget is fairly small.
China.
In case anyone doesn't know, they are spending their money modernizing their military in terms of ballistic missles & subs. Guess where their technology comes from? -Stolen from the USA with the help of Clinton & Gore.
China still only has sealift capabilities of one division, which is why Taiwan is not in danger of invasion. They ARE in danger of ballistic bombardment.
N. Korea has more active military than China, which has dropped the doctrine of massive manpower in favor of technology supremacy. China's armies are organized provincially in order to survive nuclear conflict, and still be 100% operational.
China views the accidental bombing of their Embassy in Yugoslavia as a "vieled threat" by the USA to curb their expansionism in wake of the Soviet collapse.
China sees it's number one threat as the USA, this should give you some concern.
In case anyone doesn't know, they are spending their money modernizing their military in terms of ballistic missles & subs. Guess where their technology comes from? -Stolen from the USA with the help of Clinton & Gore.
China still only has sealift capabilities of one division, which is why Taiwan is not in danger of invasion. They ARE in danger of ballistic bombardment.
N. Korea has more active military than China, which has dropped the doctrine of massive manpower in favor of technology supremacy. China's armies are organized provincially in order to survive nuclear conflict, and still be 100% operational.
China views the accidental bombing of their Embassy in Yugoslavia as a "vieled threat" by the USA to curb their expansionism in wake of the Soviet collapse.
China sees it's number one threat as the USA, this should give you some concern.
Economically? Only regions as mentioned.
Politically? Un // NATO // EU is trying.
Militarily? Conventional? only regionals
Militarily? Unconventional? don't rule out South Africa and Israel. Open secret is Israel has about 400 nukes? SA would be in the same area. Biggest surpise the Chinese could get is to pull something really stoopid only to find out the Taiwanese do the nuke thing also. Add to that persistent rumors Japan has special capabilities and you will see more stability in the region than is apparent now. The US? Why did we reintroduce nuclear capable cruise missiles into Okinawa? Just to add uncertainty to China's strategic calculations.
Who is number two in the world? Hard to answer.
Politically? Un // NATO // EU is trying.
Militarily? Conventional? only regionals
Militarily? Unconventional? don't rule out South Africa and Israel. Open secret is Israel has about 400 nukes? SA would be in the same area. Biggest surpise the Chinese could get is to pull something really stoopid only to find out the Taiwanese do the nuke thing also. Add to that persistent rumors Japan has special capabilities and you will see more stability in the region than is apparent now. The US? Why did we reintroduce nuclear capable cruise missiles into Okinawa? Just to add uncertainty to China's strategic calculations.
Who is number two in the world? Hard to answer.
Rickmeister
New member
They don't need one.
How many here remember the war over the Falklands, and what a single Exocet missle can do?
Except for the subs, a navy is no longer the practical threat that it used to be (at least not against another superpower). If we were ever to slug it out with China, the only way we can win --- short of going nuclear --- is by virtue of our superior air force. Theirs currently sucks. So let's hope that:
A) we never have to go to war with them, or
B) their air supremacy will always lag our own
CastleBravo
New member
They need one if they want to come over here -- or anywhere else they can't walk -- to play.
If it wasn't for nukes, we could totally ignore China militarily. What would they do, wade over here? They sure has heck aren't flying over here.
If it wasn't for nukes, we could totally ignore China militarily. What would they do, wade over here? They sure has heck aren't flying over here.
the blind lefty
New member
China,because:
1) they have the will. Europe is passive.
2) they are efficient.
3) they don't need oil to progress.
4) they are an impractical target.
5) they are closer to our oil than the soviets.
- there's a good reason we continue to find conflict in the gulf;we need military presence near our life blood. China can focus on squashing us economically,and there's nothing we can do.well,actually there is.our immagration,and illegal alien levels will directly affect U.S. human rights in the same time frame as the 25 year blossoming of China. 401K plans are sorta like paying taxes to corperations,thus the tax shelter. figuring this,nationalism is the only thing that will save the U.S.
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i don't think about it much,it just looks that way from where i'm standing.i care,i just don't worry. neither should you. OKAY,45 or 9mm?....LOL! -
1) they have the will. Europe is passive.
2) they are efficient.
3) they don't need oil to progress.
4) they are an impractical target.
5) they are closer to our oil than the soviets.
- there's a good reason we continue to find conflict in the gulf;we need military presence near our life blood. China can focus on squashing us economically,and there's nothing we can do.well,actually there is.our immagration,and illegal alien levels will directly affect U.S. human rights in the same time frame as the 25 year blossoming of China. 401K plans are sorta like paying taxes to corperations,thus the tax shelter. figuring this,nationalism is the only thing that will save the U.S.
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i don't think about it much,it just looks that way from where i'm standing.i care,i just don't worry. neither should you. OKAY,45 or 9mm?....LOL! -