Island Meltdown

By: Anna Oyabe

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

For better or for worse, China's economy is the largest in the world. They have had the largest car market in the world for almost two decades, and the largest banks in the world for just as long. Many economists will point out that the sky is falling and that the rest of the world is doomed, which is partially true. Many analysts feel this has resulted from a lack of competitiveness and believe that democracy and capitalism are showing their age. One has to concede that this thinking is correct to some extent, but in reality, the brunt of China's growth, political might, and sphere of influence will be felt mostly within East Asia. It, however, will eventually swell beyond the continent and become increasingly felt around the globe. The countries that claim to be democratic in East Asia will voluntarily side and become part of China as their leadership and populations give in to greed. The West's influence globally will become a distant memory as we are left fighting ancient wars in archaic ways, and China continues to forge ahead with its economic dominance, innovation, and organization that has become the admiration of the world. Some will die in East Asia, but it will matter little to the rest of the world as infighting and chaos overtake our own societies and communities. Militarization will be meaningless other than for basic defense as we settle into a period of mutually assured destruction once again; it won't be a second Cold War for the vast majority of people as the politicians will be selling it because all people will be fighting poverty as their nations have become provinces of China in this post-COVID19 world.