No one claimed that. But west does not have to turn into a third world dump to become irrelevant. Already, China is the largest economy in the world, and soon India will join it, displacing US by 2030-35. So West will be fading away gradually and will be second fiddle to Asia by 2050, and from there it is even more downhill for the west. And dont forget that China and India alone would out produce/out influence all of the west, let alone the SEA. Thats why I am saying 21st century will be an asian one out and out
I guess it all boils down to how you define "Asia owning the 21st Century"
This is how I define it.
It's not enough that India's and China's GDP will be top 1 and 2 as that means more about sustaining 2.5 billion people instead of "winning" the 21st century.
Asia would also have to:
[We are talking about West/White as a whole. While a western country like UK is becoming less relevant, that is just one country. It's like saying Asia is fucked due to Japan's declining influence.]
• Out compete their combined Military Industrial Complex, including Russia's.
• Come up with majority of the next wave of the most important inventions/phenomenons like the Internet, Personal Computer, Penicilin, space flights, nuclear power, MRI scan and so on.
• We would have to surpass the Silicon Valley, out compete them in the space race, out compete Microsoft, Apple, Google, Wal Mart, Uniliver etc. Or atleast out compete/displace a majority of them.
• Displace Western influence on the arts in the world stage. The majority of the next wave of artists, writers, musicians/rock stars, movies, video games, animations, award-giving bodies, entertainment in general should be Asian including the consumers. (You can disregard this, I don't blame you. I'm still a believer in the power of the arts as it touches the heart, as corny as that sounds
)
• Displace English as the Lingua Franca of business and Academia. While there are more Mandarin, Spanish speakers in the world, English is clearly more influential. Heck! We are speaking English in this forum and check each others grammars and stuff
• I'm sure there are other areas I missed.
We don't have to achieve ALL of the above but the majority of it.
Achieving parity does not translate to us claiming we own the 21st century. Achieving parity means just that, we achieved competitiveness, equal respect.
Hence why I believe it's going to be a close battle with no clear cut winner. A stalemate where both sides will claim victory. (The internet and the English language alone are a huge case for White's claim)
I'd like a clear cut win for Asia but that's unrealistic for me. Guess I'm not as idealistic as you are.