Asian countries are in the process of forming a powerhouse economic alliance. Presently their economic recession is borderline depression. War will push them over the edge. There will be a harsh collapse of their stock markets. Many Asian banks will fail.

Japan will have to call in their loans abroad and sell some of their prime real estate in other countries to float the yen. China will default on their loans and basically tell everyone they'll pay when they're solvent. Exports from the region will crash mainly because they're not producing necessities in foodstuffs or products. The IMF and World Bank doesn't have enough funds to assist the region any longer. Asia will adapt quickly to new realities. Strong trade agreements will be quickly made between themselves and other regions to acquire what they'll each need to recover their growth and prosperity.

The wildcard of the entire Asian region will be the aggressive military actions of the Chinese. They're quite aware of their power and influence in world markets now ( they hold a quarter of the planets population within their borders) and have expansionist plans which include military strong arm tactics on their neighbors. China is forming secret military agreements with North Korea and India and is trying to rebuild their ties with Russia. In other words, every hard ass, bad-for-their-people government around. A government that gives in to democracy with free open votes is considered weak in the old Chinese leadership's eyes. The dream of Communist expansionism is still alive.

I've travelled and spent considerably time in Asia ( I have family there) and I can assure you that every Chinese household wants every modern convenience found in a middle-class household in the West and are willing to work very hard to achieve it. The same goes for every other country in the region. Actually, materialism there has become an obsession.

The power base of Asia lies in it's vast populations in the region. Huge markets for just about any product. Japan, China and the other Asian countries tend to copy and sometimes improve Western and European products generally thumbing their noses at international copyright laws. They'll continue this practice for quite a while. The rest of the world turns a blind legal eye in the hopes of greater access to the Asian markets.

I apologize for the long introductory of what's currently happening in Asia but I thought it an important picture to have so you can see what is about to occur there.

China will be the big player in the region. They will try to exclude Japan out the economic \ military power alliance because of envy of Japan's success after the Second World War and Japan's treatment of the Chinese while they occupied China during that war. I predict their military agression in the 'China section' and the 'Wars section' simply because they'll influence the course for future events in Asia so dramatically.

North Korea will attack South Korea next year. NATO, including the USA, will not want to go to war so will opt to let the battles play out. The North will win over the South. Every nation will have it's own internal economic problems and will want to stay close to home to protect their borders and sustain their government structure. Bad enough everyone will be spooked by India nuking Pakistan by 'accident' (a communications SNAFU between the Indian government and their military).

There is a lethal mix of beliefs in Asia. Muslim and Communism with their inherent slant to violence and conflict. Old world Buddism and Hindism within a society obsessed with Western materialism. There are governments run by family members and the 'old boys' club. Some Royal families and some countries run by mass murderers who will kill their own children if they pose a threat to their power. Asia, like the old Soviet block, is a powder keg ready to blow. It all starts next year.

One reality will become glaringly apparent next year to anyone with half a brain cell. That is how inter-connected and inter-dependent the world has currently become. How events in far off places have an effect elsewhere in a sort of domino effect which then effects somewhere else far away. Next year the world will fracture and shatter into trading blocks and military power alliances. Unfortunately, many of the 'common people' will be expendable peons in a vast game for power and greed.