Strange premise for debate. Granted that the US is the world dominant superpower… but calling it the ’one remaining superpower’ willfully ignores the existance of China, the EU and super-powers-to-be like India and Russia, and paints the canvas in a peculiarly tricolor star spangled hue. Furthermore; that universalism would be the most obvious alternative to US world dominance is rather on the simplistic side of things, and the idea that universalism is to be equated with social liberalism and eco-anarchism is just plain wrong.
More importantly it is absolutely useless to compare the US in any respect to a nation state like for instance Denmark. Denmark would be a comparable answer If the question was: “Posit that Delaware would be the one world dominant superpower, what other state would you rather see in Delaware’s place?” Gotta keep your apples and oranges in separate baskets!
The US can only be fairly compared to other federal unions like Russia, Germany, Great Britain, or other large supra-state bodies like China, the EU or India.
Welcome to the boards. I suggest that if we’re to have this particular discussion, we don’t do it here. Feel free to open a new thread in Great Debates.
Ask yourself, if Denmark realy wanted peace wouldn’t they give Greenland, Iceland and Faeroene back to Norway, and any way they still keep Greenland as a colony.
NaSultainne wrote
Ask yourself, if Scotland realy wanted peave wouldn’t they give Shetland and the Orkney Islands back to Norway.
And Sweden, Ask yourself, if Sweden realy wanted peace wouldn’t they give Båhuslen, Hjemtland and Herjedalen back to Norway.
I can see it now…
Tree-hugging hippie: “I told you. We’re an anarcho-syndicous commune. We take it in turn, to act as sort of an officer for the week–”
King Arthur W. Bush: Yes I see."
Hippie: “–but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting–”
King Arthur W. Bush: “Yes, I see.”
Hippie: “–by a simple majority, in the case of purely internal affairs–”
King Arthur W. Bush: “Be quiet.”
Hippie: “–or by a two-thirds majority, in the case of–”
King Arthur W. Bush: “Be quiet, I order you, be quiet!”
Having to think before my second cup of coffee… ouch.
We (Canada) would make a decent superpower after I take over as supreme dictator…
Our attitude towards things is generally pretty laid back and were not the types to meddle in the affairs of others.
Of course, as a Superpower we might have to go out and open up a 2-4 of whupass from time to time. The sight of our brave warriors mounted atop herds of moose should be enough to strike fear into anyone and keep them in line. Barring that, we could always threaten to send Celine Dion to tour countries that oppose our might.
All trade would have to be done in metric. Of course, imperial measurements would still be available for the metrically challenged. (We’ll put it in small print beneath the metric).
Since I’d be dicatator I would adopt certain customs from other countries like afternoon siestas, feeling that if everyone got to take an afternoon nap we’d all be in a better mood and there would be less fighting. This would save our troops and herds of moose from being overused to quell disturbances.
Living in Canada really is like being mixed into a big salad; we like to believe that we respect the beliefs and cultures of the people who have chosen to live here and their presence enriches the experience that is being Canadian.
With such a large population of immigrants and many of us being first or second generation Canadians we seem to have retained a closeness and affection for the countries from whence our ancestors originated.
Shhhhhhhhhhhuuddddddupp! You don’t want to give away our super secret plan. We’ve spent decades infiltrating their entertainment industry to take them down and now you blab! Only fourty more years and with the diminishing water supply everywhere else we’ll rule them all!
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHA!
I second (or third) Freedonia. besides I can’t wait 'till their president gets through with it
Well, I’d trust Australia absolutely and without doubt. They strike me as the most pragmatic/enlightened/balanced country to weild the power. UK is out per the rules, but they would be next. Mexico would not make me uncomfortable.
Well, Canada would be nice (as long as Jean Chretien goes, and Paul Martin does NOT take his place), but cince it won’t ever be us, my vote is for…
SEALAND!!!
GW Bush runs the country and makes foreign policy according to oil profits, so what place could be a more appropriate throne of the world than a sovereign abandoned oil rig?
I KNEW there’d be lots of votes for Canada. And I don’t suppose that Australia was ever a big imperialist power except to the Aborigines, which was pretty nasty but not disqualifying for the purposes of the OP.
Still shuddering at the threat of English cuisine. I live in NYC where you can choose from like ten Somalian restaurants but I honestly don’t know if there are any English resturants. Irish, sure. And some English food in bars and stores for expats.
What’s so odd about Somalian restaurants? There are some in Toronto too.
And yes, Canada is an excellent candidtate for Supreme Superpower and Ruler of the World. We woin’t call it that, of course. We prefer to be known merely as a mation of competent communications engineers, cartoonists, comedians, and eaters of poutine. Let others strut in the spotlight. They’ll distract the assassins.
Canadians have successfully hidden our dark side from the world for so long that no-one except watchers of Canadian film knows it’s there.
We will be relentlessly polite and insistent in our conquest. Our moose cavalry will be world-respected. The billions and billions that formerly went to the now-unnecessary military establishments will be used to provide health insurance and education for all. And everyone will own at least one Rush CD.
However, if the mantle of World Superpowerdom must passto another land, I vote for Iceland.Or Brazil. Or Slovenia.
Unfortunately, because of the last mild winters, our moose cavalry are being terrorized by an over abundance of winter tick hordes and, like the rest of our military, is being decimated by blood suckers.
However, we still have our impressive beaver ground troops with which to threaten other regions with defoliation. Their ranks are also being bolstered by beaver defectors from the U.S., as a result of such incidents as http://www.yourpropertyrights.org/dam_fun.htm
Every woman in America will be sporting a beaver coat two weeks after y’all try to pull that one. Unless the beavers can shoot back, our hunters will get all the ones the killer bees and SUV’s don’t.
(I am heroically resisting any and all dirty jokes and I hope you can too.)
The moose ticks do scare me, though. We’re all tucking our pants into our socks round here for the deer ticks and I hate to think what you have to do about moose ticks.
