Talk:Potential superpower

Strange map / Turkey not part of the EU

The current map displays the EU and its candidate countries. As it is unclear if or when these countries can join, I think it was better to have the status quo (without candidates) presented here.

Russia?

Russia will not be a superpower again, look at whats going on! Corruption, danger, economy not doing good, bribes, poverty. Russia is the 2nd most corrupt european country! Russia can not be a power! It's impossible! China,India,Brazil now were getting somewere! Brazil will one day be more powerful then the usa, China and India will beat usa's economy, India will be the dominant superpower, EU, not a country! Why don't we just put NAU, or OAS, or SAU, if it was it would have great powers, and be dominant superpower. --Ty Rezac (talk) 20:46, 18 July 2012 (UTC)

There is speculation though regarding Russia possibly being able to bounce back sometime this century (corruption exists but it exists everywhere [no excuse, just an observation], danger [what danger? danger of the state failing, danger of a bad winter, danger of what?], bribes [corruption], poverty [which also plagues India and rural China]). Their economy I think is a bit of a mixed bag; my understanding is that it has some elements of Chinese dynamism (albeit in a quite diluted form) but is just as fragile, if not more so. Regardless, it seems to me to have the durability to last as a European economic power for at least the next decade [ample time to fix issues within the state]. As is, I think our Russia section is lacking. The EU is also there because it's potential rests in the possibility of creating a more federal state, which the article explores quite thoroughly (I don't recall seeing similar federalisation speculation for the NAU, SAU or even OAS - NAU also doesn't seem to exist yet). Comics (talk) 04:50, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Excuse me!? With the same criterias Uk and France would be also potential superpowersRansewiki (talk) 22:47, 3 January 2013 (UTC)

There is danger in Russia, Gronzy Russia is the 7th most dangerous city in the world. --Ty Rezac (talk) 15:40, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Should this section also note the potential of the Eurasian union, as this has potential to be stronger than Russia by itself and will have a simular format to the EU? Jakreiser (talk) 05:11, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Indonesia and South Korea

Both countries have a very high population and economy, South Koreas military is one of the best in the world, both are emerging powers, although Indonesia does have some corruption and poverty, Russia has a higher rate of corruption, and is on the list. Indonesia I think could be a superpower, South Korea, not so much, what do you guys think? --Ty Rezac (talk) 22:00, 10 September 2012 (UTC)

We do not just add any country to the list. We need strong, academic sources before considering whether a country should be added. Find those sources and we can open up debate. Comics (talk) 10:16, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

Japan a potential superpower?

It appears that recently we have another country ascending to the ranks of such suggested potential superpowers as Brazil and Canada (of which the former has gone through significant scrutiny); Japan. I am not against the addition of new countries to the list. I cite my older involvement in the Brazil case as evidence of this (even though I'm older now so yeah. I was cringing going through the archives). Now, it appears as if the section created mostly by User:Viller_the_Great is media reports that have been strung together into an argument for Japan being a potential superpower. Technically these support Wikipedia's policy for requiring reliable sources (however half of the section in Japan's favour is unsourced). I've tagged the relevant pieces that ARE in need of such sources. I don't want to start an edit war, so I've simply tagged it as requiring reliable sources (also tagged Russia as in need of expansion while I was at it). I personally don't see Japan rising as a superpower for the remainder of this century and nothing I've read has suggested Japan will rise either - instead falling behind the rising economic power of the BRIC nations and countries like Indonesia and Mexico. The most recent work I've found discussing Japan as a superpower in any way is from 2012, is a google book riddled with blanked pages, but by Kenneth G Henshall of the University of Canterbury. Everything else I found was from the 1989 to 1996, suggesting that Japan has not been seen as a contender for superpower status at least since the millennium. Henshall's book is even a third edition of a 1999 work and seems rather to examine Japan as a culture with a Darwinist view of global politics. It's riddled with gaps so it's hard to make out clearly. It can be seen here. As it is, I've decided to open this up for discussion so that we can either create a community consensus in agreement to keep a considerably improved Japan section or alternatively to remove it as not supported by contemporary academia. I'm hoping that by stating outright that I don't believe Japan is a potential superpower I can at least serve as a kind of devil's advocate if we do decide to keep the section on and edit it considerably. Comics (talk) 10:57, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

I agree. I don't believe Japan to be a superpower, nor do I think that the sources' case for such to be strong enough for an inclusion. Some are simply too old (ca. 20-30 years) to be indicative of modern consensus. Also, two links are broken, one doesn't mention the word "superpower" at all. The other is a book which I can't inspect, although neither the content it advocates or its title seem to indicate that it argues for potential Japanese superpower-status. Swedish pirate (talk) 15:15, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

Superpowers includes Japan as a potential superpower on the map. 069952497a — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.51.108.131 (talk) 19:17, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

That map was user-made, 06. I could make a map that claimed Iran, Nigeria and Sweden could be superpowers and upload it to the Superpower page but that doesn't give them any form of academic legitimacy. The IP that made that edit also added the Japanese Empire to the Hyperpower list - I think that IP has a pro-Japan bias. That map change was also made long after this discussion broke out over here, which suggests to me they were attempting to be consistent - despite this discussion still being open and not really having reached much of a consensus. Comics (talk) 01:59, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

I AM A PROUD OTAKU AND OF COURSE JAPAN COULD BE A SUPERPOWER  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.156.150.3 (talk) 21:25, 13 December 2012 (UTC) 

United Kingdom

The British Empire was the most powerful superpower, but when it dissolved the most powerful nation to succeed was UK. UK has been ever since rising up, but slowly. It has been rising too slowly to be recognised as potential superpower, but it's now clearly rising. Also because it's slowly rising, it has been in the shadows of China & India, what are fast growing potential superpowers. I believe that China and India will go down as fast as they came and they will not stay as a superpower for a long time. Also could the US be a superpower without UK or France? Of course it would have enough military power alone, but what about economy and political influence? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ransewiki (talk • contribs) 18:57, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Just.... No.... UK isn't powerful enough, and USA was the most powerful country after. --108.92.162.111 (talk) 01:20, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

I, mean that succeed from British Empire/Commonwealth. The US left much earlier. Ransewiki (talk) 22:50, 3 January 2013 (UTC)

EU

military power is no longer essential to great power; he argues that control of the means of production is more important than control of the means of destruction

If a great power does not have strong military, then what prevents another great power to invade the former one and take control of its means of production? Military is crucial for being considered a super power. It gives weight to your words and influence in the world.

As a side note, the contrary views is the British view.