US Global Dominance fading, China, India and Russia to Rise

According to a report by the National Intelligence Council, the USA's global dominance is waning over the next two decades. Other rising economic powers include China, India, Russia and Brazil.

Here is the full report: Global Trends 2025: A transformed world (PDF format). The previous report, in 2004, painted a picture that is a bit rosier.
The BBC has an analysis of the report as well.

The report says that the conclusions are not inevitable, and depends how world leaders act in the mean time.

This is of course expected, since no Empire lasts forever: just look at the Romans, the Ottomans, and the British for some examples.

The British Empire offers a recent example: from all the majesty of the Victorian Age and the Empire that the sun never sets on, to just the British Isles in a matter of a few decades, accelerated by two world wars. Britain did not cease to exist, nor was it wiped off the face of the earth. It retains its status as a world power, but is not longer as big or mighty as it used to be, nor is she the sole power.

The question is always how it will happen (rapid catastrophic decline vs. slow erosion), when it will happen (years, decades or centuries), and what the world scene will be after the incumbent is no longer the world leader.

Via the CBC, and BBC.