The future of civilizations in 30 years?

[Sir Og]

As far as culture is concerned we are going to have only one culture in the future. "Earth culture" It would be a mixture of present cultures. And everybody will probably speak WorldEnglish or UniverEnglish or however they call the language that the World would adopt.
It will be impossible to have unique regional cultures in the future because you need to have isolation to develop something unique. And even with present day communications the world is like a big village.

[Ecthy]

All of us will have beer bellies.

(/knee jerk)

[Lord Merciless]

My prediction: cultural boundaries become more and more amorphous. It will be harder to tell whether a new trend/fashion is American, Asian, or European. Pokemon (a Japanese invention) could come just as well from America.

China is going to be the factory of the world. It will not be a cultural center. A country that spends only 2.6% of its GDP on education will only go that far.

For Muslims, it's either change or doom. Islamic fundamentalism will cause lots of damages to others, but will ultimately doom Islam. On the other hand, if Muslims can swallow some pride and embrace reforms, they still have a good shot.

Europe's influence will decline as its population. Can't expect much creativity and initiative from societies made up of grannies.

[WRangler Rhymer]

This is all very interesting, but one can't calculate the future so easily. For one China may become great that is if they do not decide to do something to change that for themself. You most remember China has had alot of strength though history.

[FrustratedPoet]

even though they are as overly crazy about toys, computer games and animation series, as americans are about god, the death penalty and large breasts.

That's an exhange I'm more than willing to make.

[Harovan]

Seconded. Far-east culture, here I come!

[WRangler Rhymer]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Seconded. Far-east culture, here I come!

That does not mean that the China will be a dominate force, they were many times in the past they could have been a super giant but the traded that in for isolation from the world.

[Datajack Franit]

I thought that the whole western world was going to disappear because of birth rate collapse, obesity and mass immigration

[Maniac]

Europe's influence will decline as its population. Can't expect much creativity and initiative from societies made up of grannies.

Some figures:
In 2002, the percentage of the population older than 60 was: +-25% in Japan, 23% in Western Europe and 17% in the USA. It is predicted that in 2050 that would grow to 43% in Japan, 37% in Europe and 28% in the USA. So though Europe will suffer from grampas like me in 2050, Japan and USA will have the same problem in a higher or lesser degree.

[Combat Ingrid]

I think the shift in culture will rather be an "age shift" than a geographical one. The populations in the industrialized world (west and east alike) are aging so the demand for and as a consequence also the production of "grannie culture" will probably become quite significant in the coming decades

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Saras


Perhaps way less important. Lithuania is more important thant your small brain can imagine

Ah yes, the Lithuanian superpower...I remember now

[Saras]

Good. The healing has begun

[Al B. Sure!]

i dont see the japanese taking over culturally... japanese popular culture seems to be mocked if anything (animated porno? robot dogs? pokemon?)... then again, everybody mocked japanese products in the 40's and now they produce just about everything thats hi-tech.

[Starchild]

Speer, that's not mocking Japanese popular culture....that is Japanese popular culture.

[Al B. Sure!]

i always wondered how the people in once world-dominating empires/nations felt a few years or generations after losing their status? I mean the turks in the 1930's after a rapid decline and loss of territory... or the poles and lithuanians in the 18th century... i guess the english know how it feels the most recently... how does it feel, brits?