Which one you think is the most influential country in the world ? ( Archived) (32)

US scores as the most influential , but many policies of the US is governed by Pakistan and Afghanistan . So who is the most influential ?

The US is a dead horse.

America’s supremacy will continue but with its ability to influence is likely to weaken. On the plus side it is a melting pot of races and ethnicities. Cross breeding gives rise to new breeds and incubation and germination of black swans of novel ideas which will in turn herald innovations. More so in a free, democratic and pluralistic society like America.
On the flip side , many Americans seemingly have a tendency to think simple and live high. They incorrectly root America’s supremacy to its perceived role as world police. But what is the reality? After WWII , wherever America got involved without a general mandate of the world , it got its fingers burnt. Classic example was Vietnam war .For liberating Kuwait from Saddam Hussein , there was a kind of consensus among world nations, but US outstepped that mandate when it attacked Iraq for ousting Saddam Hussein. For stopping bloodshed consequent to the breaking up of Yugoslavia, US played a decisive role , which had the backing of world community.
Now economically other countries are catching up fast .If US fail to ignore this and continues to plunder its resources in playing police role again instead of utilizing the same creatively and productively, it will be relegated to a footnote to the narrative of the emerging world order.

China is making rapid economic strides but without any moral compass. Moreover Its policy of one child per family is going to tell upon the demography , with a rising old population.

India’s heft in the comity of nations is growing steadily. It may not a melting pot like America, but its ability to absorb from others ,like milk does to sugar is amazing. For all its shortcomings, democracy has taken firm roots in India. It is also , by and large a pluralistic ,free and above all ,accommodative society. Also the way India has adopted and adapted the English language is noteworthy . The role of communication is always important. Anamika Veeramani, an Indian - Amercan won the 2010 Spelling Bee. This was the third year in a row that an Indian-American has won the championship. Eight Indian-Americans have won in the last 12 years (Wikipedia))]
Boban might have been joking, but Vatican , for all its troubles, is sure to maintain its say .
A wild guess: The 2016 US Presidential election will land an Indian-American woman with Indian name as First Lady in the White House in the form of Supriya Jindal!

In few years China will have a big say. Also one has to beware of countries like Iran and Noth Korea since they have the Atomic thread.

Here we go again

YOU MANIACS


This is a no brainer---politically and culturally.

Denmark. And all because of one person.

Sweden?

Thanks, Boban.


India’s population is 1.16 billion which is almost equal to world’s Catholic population of 1.12 billion .Catholics constitute the largest religious sect , so on a lighter vein , if India is going to dominate the world affairs , there seems to be nothing illogical to think that Vatican is going to have a similar sway over the global populace's psyche.

Mafias , be it energy or weapons ,may get what they want , but their influence is only short term or even momentary.

Though for the citizens of a nation, it is the economy that matters, for the outsiders the image of the nation is important , which depends on factors like economic situation , political stability , functioning of institutions like judiciary , civic freedom , and the relationship with other nations and the willingness to abide by the decisions of international institutions like UN.