Or perhaps that statement may not be strictly true. There may be no military rival of America. But there can be political rivals. There are in fact a few. EU and China are already power centres in their own right and are radiating their influence. Then, there is a suggestion from Mr. Natwar Singh, the Indian Foreign Minister: a coalition of China, India, and Russia will revolutionise Asia. One does not intend to discuss the merits or realism of this idea or to what degree this grouping can be a force to reckon with. But possibilities are there and anyone who dismisses it out of hand may be making a mistake.

There is no point in talking in terms of hypothetical possibilities only. It is much better to get hold of the factors that are shaping the situation. That is a more promising way of weighing possibilities. One is focusing on the factors that are shaping Asia today and is not venturing to go beyond or out of them. The biggest factor shaping Asia is the US desire to dominate most parts of the world including much of Asia and to control the sources and nodal points in the transportation of sensitive raw material. In this venture the US is bound to tread on many corns. Now in purely economic terms, America can be challenged and others can counter the American schemes to an extent. Needless to say, China, Russia, EU, Japan, and to an extent, India can make a dent in the American scheme. The issues and wherewithal of challenges are strewn all over the continent. What that means is likely combinations and coalitions, if not alliances, that may arise to prevent the US from taking what it wants or doing as it wants. But there is a wholly different genre of opposition that should be taken note of.

It is the public opinion of common people. While great powers have contempt for public opinion at home and abroad, their desperate measures to mislead it bespeak a deeper realisation that world opinion is a powerful factor. Two recent issues have elicited a popular response that was overwhelmingly anti-American on the two issues of the day: the first was globalisation programme that, over the last decade, has evoked an astonishing measure of popular demonstrations against known protagonists of globalisation. The working classes in America and in Europe are up in arms and are in the forefront of this major new ideological struggle.

This cannot be confused with the cold war categories. Today's amorphous mass of demonstrators does not belong to any particular state or champions a particular political philosophy. They are demonstrating against the consequences of globalisation in mainly the developed countries. No doubt, aware people of the third world have also taken it up. In order to rival the economic forum of Davos they have formed the World Social Forum to underline the issue of social justice. To repeat, it is a wholly different kind of protest against major powers with influence abroad but the latter cannot twist or deflect it. The reason for this is that in these protests actual common people are involved.

The other factor that is shaping the world today, not simply Asians alone, is the anti-terror war that President George W Bush inaugurated after 9/11. Many people see it as simply white man's prejudice against Muslims mainly Asiatic. It is also meshes nicely with the old perennial racialism. In the context, it is white man's prejudice against Muslims in particular and others in general. A siege mentality is developing among the white supremacists largely because their governments and media are fanning it to keep their attention diverted to non-substantive issues and away from local economic and social justice issues. But it remains only a facet of general racial approach that has been around for centuries.

The second major issue that has concentrated the minds of common people everywhere is Iraq. The kind of popular demonstrations that rocked London, Rome, Paris, and other European cities was unique in its intensity and it was clearly directed at American unilateralism and high handedness. The depth of this feeling is remarkable. This is an emergent factor and it is not going to disappear soon or completely.

Even more important is the growth of opposition within the US against what can be called a modern version of Britain's Forward Foreign Policy in India's northwest. That this protest combines easily with anti-war and anti-American demonstrations in rest of European and in Asian cities on globalisation issue is more or less accidental, though not without its own influence. America seems to be divided right down the middle. One America comprises the Bush voters and the other regards him as visitation. The point is domestic public opinion is now assuming an international tinge what with coordination among various movements and urgency and commonalities of issues.

There is a situation of near revolt against the overlordship of the US in much of Latin America or even Central America. Revolt against American-installed dictators is becoming widespread and has already achieved several successes. Latin America used to be the backyard of the US where other major powers dared not interfere. They may still not be able to interfere. But American overlordship is being openly challenged by common folks of Latin American countries.

Finally there is the question of the world economy. Can it continue to grow steadily, with globalisation producing no serious glitches. Who knows? But the possibilities inherent in the dollar crisis are mind boggling. They can cause a worldwide depression with even higher unemployment rates in developed countries and far more poverty in poor countries. If that happens all bets would be off. New factors may then arise. All one can say on the subject is that everyone should be wary and watchful. But evil possibilities are there. All these issue from high American interest rates and its effort to keep dollar-denominated assets stay in dollars.

Can this be called a new world shaping up? It is a constant theme of many international observers. The international order actually changes with every major event. But some of the issues now facing us are altogether of different magnitude, perhaps what may emerge will be more arresting -- and interesting. But the issue of the US remaining Number One remains open. A negative possibility inherent in a situation is not always bound to happen. American ingenuity and inventiveness is also a factor in the situation.

MB Naqvi is a leading columist in Pakistan.