Which Great Power Could Most Successfully Challenge the United States?

[Frodo]

And explain why.

[dead0man]

Easy.  Russia has more nukes.

[Јas]

Right now or in the future?

[Wakie]

Russia benefits from massive natural gas and oil reserves which can be used to fuel an economic revitilization.  If the country's leadership is smart they would then take the revenue generated from such and reinvest in building up their nation's infrastructure and its education system.

[12th Doctor]

China, since it have been estimated that China could lose 1 billion people and still have a functioning society.

Also it is worth adding that manpower is a plus in modern war, even though the US seems to have forgotten it.  The Chinese could mobalize alot faster than the US.  American loses would be hard to replace, Chinese loses would be easily replaced.  If China cuts us off from Japan, our economy would be in serious trouble and the United States is less self-sustaining than we would like to pretend. 

[Sensei]

China, since it have been estimated that China could lose 1 billion people and still have a functioning society.

Also it is worth adding that manpower is a plus in modern war, even though the US seems to have forgotten it.  The Chinese could mobalize alot faster than the US.  American loses would be hard to replace, Chinese loses would be easily replaced.  If China cuts us off from Japan, our economy would be in serious trouble and the United States is less self-sustaining than we would like to pretend. 

[gorkay]

Why would China want to challenge us militarily? They've already taken us over economically. All a military takeover would accomplish is that they'd kill off their biggest customers.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Russia - because of their weaponary power
China -  because of their economy

I'm going to say that they have already challenged the United States in two fields. That being the Russians with their weaponary power and the Chinese with their surging economy. So the United States is screwed already.

[opebo]

Certainly China is likely to grow to eclipse the US in power, while Russia's future is not so grand.  However I doubt that China will dominate the world in the way that the US has for the last 60+ years - the US will simply remain too large a balancer. 

An interesting look at possible limitations of China's potential:



Of course if China approaches Japanese levels of GDP per capita, it will be the number one superpower..

[Nym90]

China due to sheer manpower if nothing else.

Just one of the reasons why our current trade policies which strengthen China's economy at the long term expense of our own are a very bad idea.

[Silent Hunter]

Russia. Long-range bombers, SSBNs and more long-range missiles. Mind you, the rest of their Navy isn't up to much these days.

[minionofmidas]

Mexico.