I am overall optimistic about humanity’s future. The trend of rising economic interdependence will have a positive influence on the world, despite some faulty trade deals, since it will deter wars. Additionally, although the world will experience negative effects in the short term due to a rise in far right nationalist movements, the overall trend is towards declining and less militant nationalism, which will allow for increasing acceptance and peace. Finally, though some fear the threat of nuclear war, I remain optimistic since there is a possibility to recover from a nuclear attack in the world, and the probability of a nuclear attack at all is extremely low.
The rise in economic interdependence makes me optimistic about the far future of the world and trade, while the consequences of trade deals made to increase the hegemony of certain powers makes me pessimistic about the immediate future of the world. A lack of economic interdependence in the past has proven to be highly damaging, and even to cause war. Prior to WWI, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was drastically increasing the size of the German Navy, which threatened England’s Hegemony. England responded with trade embargos (History Channel). The embargos ensured that the economies of the two countries were independent, not intertwined with each other. This arrangement led to increased tensions that ultimately helped spark WWI. On the other hand, economic interdependence can help to assuage tensions caused by competition for hegemony. For example, with the rise of interdependence, despite the past decades of tension and competition between the U.S. and China, American trade with China has increased around 2666% since 1985 (United States Census). Economic interdependence has even been shown to prevent war. Following World War II, France and Germany, historical enemies, set up the European Steel and Coal Community (ECSC). This community made Germany and France dependent on one another for steel and coal,...