Global Politics in the 23rd Century

Global Politics in the 23rd Century

The Earth of the turn of the 23rd century has a tri-polar global power arrangement. The traditional balance of power has been upset by the decline of oil; this was an eventuality everyone knew was coming but no one did anything about. The tremendous growth of China and India, among other places, created a supply shortage worse than anyone predicted. The subsequent and fairly sudden loss of petroleum as an affordable and, later, existent energy source led to international economic collapse and opened the door for a new international paradigm.

The first immediate result after this collapse was a shift in the Middle East. Having lost oil both as a revenue source and as a cause for intervention by outside states, the region had newfound drive towards two goals: the first was a more appropriate political reorganization and the second was scientific resurgence. The Peoples’ Islamic Republics (the plural in the title was retained to emphasis the union of many, though the term ‘Republic’ was used purely as a rhetorical device) was eventually created to fill the void the collapse of oil created. This is a communist state based on the principles of Islamic communism as formed during the middle 21st century. This form of communism is not at all Marxist, Maoist, or Leninist, but is based on the religion of Islam particularly emphasizing Islam’s pillars of community and community assistance.

There is not an oppressive state. Various levels of religious leaders largely carry out the roles of a government. These leaders are answerable in turn to a religious Caliph-like leader who is elected among the local leaders. Redistribution of wealth is accomplished through this system but in actuality much o...

... middle of paper ...

... influential in attempting the area’s resurgence.

Policy is driven by the Confederated Congress in Beijing and the member states have less and less autonomy to determine their own futures.

The basic world situation is thus that there are three superpowers, each drastically different and each searching for its place in a new world order. Other nations do, of course exist, and can be influential figures regarding trade and alliances, but the three superpowers, only two of whom are really interested in expansion and conflict, drive the international scene.

This scene has expanded into a space race for resources to drive the power that made the Anglicans so powerful. The main source of conflict at the turn of the 23rd century is that struggle in near outer space for control of prime radiation collection points and the supply routes back to Earth.