Many, Many Nations

The year is 1991, and the cold war has ended after years of resistance to the Soviet Union's communist influence. Now, the west begins to show off its huge consumerist power, with industries and commercialist companies popping up all over former Communist Europe. With the end of the greatest nearly-war in history comes peace and calm, but also the beginning of an era that would be dominated by western powers, namely the US and western Europe, as well as other rising powers - Brazil, Canada, Australia, among others Russia remains somewhat powerful, and China and India also flourish (especially in population) in Asia, but unmistakeably the power has now centred in the consumerist West.

And with that, as China and India continue to kick their heels in the sand, Western influence, language, and ideals takes over. Even as the world becomes less of a European-centred club, the balance is held confidently by American politicians, leaders of the last superpower in the world, and their loose allies over the Atlantic, rubbing their hands with glee while money, generated worldwide, pours in. In particular, the people have a unique mindset. Many have come to disregard the whims and woes of their leaders, comparing them to other, more rapidly growing neighbours. Many want a new type of leadership, or at least the freedom to control their own futures, rather than let them be guided by desperate diplomats.

Yet, western politics holds strong. None of the great powers buckles, even after an international recession. The whimsical, unpopular leaders hold their countries together, and slowly they heave and tug their discerning cattle into, what they hope, an era of great profit and worldwide trade.

But, here we come to the PoD, our zone of change. Let's imagine these politicians, seen by their citizens to be corrupt and feeble, were actually as corrupt and feeble as everybody already knew. Perhaps the leaders each cannot take the strain of such leadersip, and resignation follows resignation. Politicans will take any sum of money to wreak havoc on their parliaments and constitutions. While worldwide powers flourish and multiply in number, Europe and the Americas take a long, painful tumble down the hill of collapse, and in a striking imitation of the Soviet crumbling just a decade before, the strong pillars of the West are chipped away.

The power now has changed hands rapidly. Everyday decisions are decided by the people, leaders too scared to make a single change for fear of angering their population. The States are the first to go, followed by their loyal apostle, the UK. Europe takes a tumble now, and within months Spain, France, Italy slump off the steep edges of sanity, scratching and dragging the rest of the eurozone with it (with the exception of Germany, the sole European power, when its people remain vigilant in the crisis). For just a few months, these states are an emblem of pure democracy - but a failed one. Decisions, made by an ignorant people, drive the nations to destruction.

[there will be more, soon!]