It's beginning to look as if the focus of world trade will increasingly center around the Euro-Asian landmass, with those mostly contiguous areas being both source and destination. The US will remain a very significant market, though of steadily dwindling import.

By some measures the summed European economies are already the equal of the US. The resources, human and natural, of Asia and the energy in Russia would seem to be a fit. And if China and India grow to where they can compete effectively for Middle East energy, the US has a problem. Nuclear power would be a boon, but may come too late.

A natural consequence of globalization. Probably unintended.

Arf