China and India are emerging as powers with wealth that will change the face of the global economy. From America's perspective, the focus of the world economy is shifting from the community of nations across the Atlantic to the community of nations bordering the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Perhaps more alarming than the numbers, however, is the composition. Over 71 percent of this population in the 2010 time frame will be between the ages of 15 and 64. By 2010 over 40 cities in this region will have populations in excess of seven million people.
People living in urban squalor can clearly see the greener grass.
This is not a recipe for contentment. As future antagonists increasingly imbed themselves in cities, we will need forces with capabilities commensurate to the tasks of urban warfare. The answer lies in the actions of the regional players and in an examination of the impact of those actions on the interests of the United States of America. Given their newfound wealth, the need to secure their access to resources, and fears based on numerous regional and ethnic hatreds and mistrusts, many of these nations are increasingly opting for escalating investments in military power. And weaponry is readily available.