Peter Pan said:
Before we hit the world order, let's segmentise the discussion for ease of comprehension and contributiuon since we can flit from continent to continent.
The issue is solely US and its role in the Coming World Order till 2020.
While other Nation maybe vying to be Global Powers, but we would do well to keep it US Centric and if we are to discuss the influence of such challengers we could dwell as to how they can hinder it or assist it and what would be the counter to it and this could also be cranked in.
The United States can completely blow it diplomatically, and still be a major global player. Helluva location we got here. The USA isn't going to completely blow it of course. Even if somebody surpasses the USA in overall power, the USA can still tip the scales of balance almost anywhere in the world. Lack of immediate threat from its neighbors means that the USA is free to run all over the planet. The rest of the world tends towards balance. If China grows stronger, Japan, Indochina and India race to keep up and vice versa. If Russia gets stronger, Europe will build up their own strength to offset any possible threat. Many many more examples could be cited.
Let's first tackle Europe and its Equation with the US.
Europe can be discussed under the four points I mentioned and Islamisation which I think you or Whisper mentioned.
Islamisation
Let's look at Islamisation.
There is the threat of Islam swamping Europe and skewing the political and cultural fabric.
Therefore, to obviate this a Euro -Islam culture has to be enforced so as to nullify the radicalism that is prevalent in their lands of origin.
Theocratic schools should be banned and secular education enforced. Religion and religious teaching should be kept within the four walls of the home. Embarrassing as it may appear, but the French way of forcing a common dress in schools and Preachers of all religions forced to impart their God's word in French, would go a long way to build the a common French identity.
In fact, with modern education, some Islamic mindset is changing. They have serious doubts about the concept of jihad (if Time magazine is correct) TIME states:
A survey carried out by the Mori agency for Eastern Eye, Britain's biggest selling Asian newspaper, shows that 87% of the Muslims polled are loyal to Britain, even though 64% oppose the U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan.
It should be mandatory for immigrants to undertake a psychological test as also some type of a test to sift the wheat from the chaff.
That much for the Islamisation and it being secondary to the national identity.
Another worrisome aspect that can affect global strategy is that Islamic nation because of their oil wealth have heavily subscribed to the US and European economy.
So long as the Muslim faith continues to reproduce and convert faster than any other religion or culture, they will eventually overtake Europe and other lands from within by a shear majority of numbers. The United States is not immune to this trend, but is less vunerable because Americans are not all completely sold on the idea of 1-2 children families as an unwritten rule.
Economy
The Islamic countries have invested vast sums of money upfront which can be controlled; yet vast amounts that are laundered cannot be controlled. What are the ways and means that can be employed to ensure that the Islamic countries do not have the leverage to play the European economy to suit their purpose?
In so far as the US and Europe equation and also the global equation, what should be done to ensure that the WTO is fair to all countries and competitive so as to make the economy nd the equations more predictable?
What are the means by which, within the WTO arrangement, US continues to call the shots.
One of the above board ways is cornering the oilfields or at least influence its fortunes and then using the oil prices and productions to manipulate the markets. I have explained this in details elsewhere with reference to the Defence Policy Guidance and the National Energy Policy.
Various means will continue to exist to try to push the United States influence out. The United States remains the wealthies nation in the world, overall, and that makes pushing us out is very difficult to justify in economic terms.
Russia
The US has organised the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2003. This led to the Revolution of the Roses and other former USSR states freeing itself from the sphere of Russia. Therefore Russia feels threatened.
What are the means by which the fear of being encircled can be reduced. The negative offshoot is that Russia is cosying up to Iran over the nuclear question and Russia is a nuclear power. This could result in a stand off.
Therefore, what should be done in the short term and what in the long term?
Russia has the entire Cold War to look back on as a legacy of prejudice and fear of the USA. It will take more than one generation for that to die out completely. Additionally, it is much easier to blame the USA for any number of their internal problems, thus perpetuating the hatred of the USA.
Russia and China both seem to have forgotten the underlying purpose of the the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty: The fewer nations with nuclear weapons, the less likely it will be that humanity destroys itself in a fit of stupidity. China could stop North Korea's nuclear ambitions dead, but they just let them go without a thought. Russia and China are both sticking up for Iran. The world must decide whether or not the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is worth defending. Based on current reactions, most of the world just doesn't care.
How Europe could be brought back to the old form of Europe US Relations
Once upon a time, Western Europe and the United States shared one very important thing: A common enemy. Now they do not have a common enemy. At the very least, not a clearly defined one.
Thor ( I hope you don't mind the short name)
That works, he's my favorite God of Thunder.