If USA/Russia/China are the 3 most powerful countries, who are 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ?

[ingemann]

China is far more powerful than Russia.

My ranking would look something like this:

1. USA




2. China

The problem with putting the PRC so high is that they don't really deserve it.  HUGE internal issues.  Issues much harder to overcome than anything the other 9 might have to deal with.  They have a large military that is rapidly improving, but it's still a long LONG way behind the West in tech and even Russia.  (stealing tech sounds good on paper and even occasionally works out for the thief, but more often then not, in actual use they are almost never as good as the thing copied and often quite inferior)  They can't project the sh**tty power they do have.  And they don't have any friends that aren't bigger basket cases than they are.

I agree to degree, there are a lot of thing indicating that PRC are a giant with feet of clay, but as long as they have not proven their weakness, they get a strong position because people think they're strong.

[ingemann]

China is far more powerful than Russia.

My ranking would look something like this:

3. Russia
4 (tie). France, Germany, India
7 (tie). Japan, UK

India doesn't belong in that category, they're weaker, I'm not sure I would place them above Italy. As for the position of Japan, Germany UK and France, I think it's really unclear who are strongest.
If we talk about economic power Japan are biggest, but through the German position in EU, they're more economic powerful. France and UK are somewhat equal here.
Political well I think Germany wins, no one wish to offend them, so most states listen to Germany when they talk, most of EU to large extent looks to Germany before they act. The political power of France and UK are weaker but still signifacant. Japan are likely the weakest on this
Military UK and France are around equal and both are miles ahead of Germany and Japan. Of course Germany doesn't need to have the projective power of UK and France, simply because they have fewer of the kind of interest, where they need to intervene across the world.

So I would place them with Germany first, France and UK sharing their position as the 5th strongest powers in the world, and Japan below them.

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Neither of these states belong above Italy.

[ingemann]

I think there is a certain argument that Turkey could be allowed into the "most powerful" countries cabal, mainly due to its geographic location more than anything else.

Indonesia hae a higher population, a higher GDP and a better strategic position, if we made that argument.

Of course the fact that Turkey have failed through 40 years to put down the revolt which are de facto a convetional war of bunch of mountain peasants, also doesn't give me a great faith in putting them in the top 10.

[ingemann]

Brazil dominates its region, and South Korea is an economic powerhouse and is a major innovator for a country of its size. Italy is locked in demographic and political decline and suffers from chronic corruption, poor leadership, and dysfunctional government.

South Korea have a lower birth rate than Italy, lower population, a lower GDP both as a sum and per capita, and yes Italy is also a economic power house, even with the trouble they have. South Korea do well, for a non European or North American country, but not compared to West Europe, USA or Canada.
Also if we look Transparency Internation, South Korea score 55 points (they're number 46 out of 177 countries), while Italy score 43 points (they're number 69), yes South Korea are less corrupt than Italy, but still they should really not brag about where they lies on that list.

Brazil on the other hand suffer from the fact that they primary sell natural resources, they have little ability to project power, neither hard or soft.

[ingemann]

So there seems to be a rough consensus that
Germany, France, the UK, Japan, India, and Brazil are in the top 10.

(Funny that it's still the major powers of World War II, plus only China/India/Brazil)

If the European Union ever became a true, unified state, I wonder what the top 10 would look like then...

Does this still seem to be the general consensus?

I would argue that Italy should be above Brazil.

[ingemann]

1. USA
2. China
3. Russia
4. Germany
5. France
6. UK
7. Japan
8. Brazil
9. India
10. Canada

no

Maybe not in the top 10, but Canada is in the G7, whatever that's worth. Of course if we are looking at just military power, than Canada is probably not even in the top 50.

There's no doubt that Canada is a important international actor, but they're only in G7 because it was founded while Europe lay in ruins. But they suffer from the fact that they have a low population and very big neighbour.