One is the loneliest number

The time has come to think the unthinkable: the era of American dominance in international affairs may soon be coming to an end.

Asia's rise over the past few decades is more than a story of rapid economic growth. It is the story of a region undergoing a renaissance in which people's minds are refreshed. Asia's movement toward resuming its former central role in the global economy it seems virtually unstoppable. There is no doubt that an Asian century is on the horizon, and that the world as we know it will change dramatically.

Even entertaining the possibility of the US moving to "number two" spot is thinking the unthinkable and speaking the unspeakable. When the world's center of gravity shifts to Asia, Americans will be completely unprepared. Many of them remain unaware of how the rest of the world has progressed and need to be told a simple truth. With 3% of the world's population, the US can no longer dominate the rest of the world, because Asians, with 60% of the world's population, are no longer under performing. But the belief that America is the only country that knows good from bad continues to shape many Americans' world view.

This drastic transformation under way in Asia will vault it from economic power to global leadership. The world is about to undergo one of the most dramatic power shifts in human history. In order to be prepared for the transformation, Americans must abandon old ideas and assumptions, and liberate their thinking. That is the challenge facing American public today.