User blog comment:Eastward Expansion/What do you think the Future will bring? (Book Review part 1)/@comment-461469-20100730013813

This is what I believe will happen:


 * The US, battered after the Great Recession, will have to take a less aggressive stance in the world, possibly more isolationist, in order to rebuild the economy and finances and its global position, while the nation moves further to the right, due to illegal immigration and "socialism"


 * Russia, with the huge influx of petrodollars, and China, taking over as the world's biggest economy, will take up the gap left behind by the US, and Russia will rebuild its sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while China will reach out to South East Asia and Africa.


 * Europe will struggle to rebuild the continents economy, especially Greece, Spain and Ireland, and will begin to face a right wing black lash to immigration and Islamic integration,


 * The Middle East will begin to reap the profits as Peak Oil draws nearer and nearer, but by about 2025, they are going to have to face the reality that oil is running out, and they may fall back to 1800 century influence on the world. Iran and Saudi Arabia will feel it most, possibly resulting in the fall of their current governments, while Kuwait, UAE, Dubai and other micro-petro-states may be swallowed up by its larger neighbors.


 * Canada and several other resource rich, yet industrialized countries (Brazil, South Africa, etc.) will also reap the benefits of Peak Oil, but also will be able to weather the next challenge (after oil) far easier than the nations that have to pay for the resources (US, China): they will have the money and capital available to expand their renewable resources, and wean off of oil better than America, establishing themselves more powerful than before. Bolivia, for example, could have one of the most powerful economies in the world in 25-30 years, due to massive lithium deposits, which is used to make highly efficient batteries needed for electric cars etc.

At least, that's what I think will happen. I could be wrong. Most likely a war over the last remaining oil in ten-twenty years, but after that, I have no idea what will happen.