For over forty years, global geopolitics was dominated by Soviet-Western antagonism. With the former Soviet Union's recent demise, the world order must inevitably change. Although new patterns have yet to emerge, the 21st century may be greatly influenced by economic considerations. Past ideologies such as Marxism-Leninism could be replaced by nationalism. However, even nationalistic tendencies could eventually succumb to economic realities. The post-Cold War world will not involve hegemony or imperialism. With widespread democratic reform, nations will become increasingly pluralistic. Agreements on trade, environmental concerns, and human rights may subdivide the globe into economic blocks. These may include the following: the Americas, the Pacific Rim, Russia/Europe, Mideast, and Africa. By promoting both political and economic reforms, the United States might influence the development of such trends.
During the first half of the 20th century, the laws of Friedrich Ratzel (1896) provided inspiration for German imperialism. Following World War I, Karl Haushofer and his followers defined global "panregions." They envisioned each panregion as "a large functional area linking core states to resource peripheries and cutting across latitudinally distributed environmental zones (O'Loughlin & Wusten 1-18)." To Germany, such global subdivisions provided a means by which imperialistic powers could exploit the raw materials of colonies. The German panregion was, therefore, based conquest.
The new world order may also subdivide the globe into large regional blocks. However, these coalitions will emphasize cooperation. With the end of the Cold War, the nuclear arms threat will cease to exist. As nascent democracies emerge, the next century may experience a general peace. In such a world, the military might of individual nations could become less important. Instead, economics might become the main priority. Future co...