Has the world order changed?

Have the events of September 2013 changed the way the world is run?

At the start of the month it seemed pretty certain that America would bomb the Assad regime in Syria as a punishment for using chemical weapons.

Then a number of wholly unexpected things happened. Britain's parliament voted not to join in a bombing campaign; President Obama decided he would have to put the issue to Congress before going ahead; and some clever diplomatic footwork by Russia resulted in an offer by Syria to destroy its chemical warfare arsenal.

The world looked like a distinctly different place by the end of the month. It was not simply that war had been averted, the United States seemed diminished, and its previously reliable ally, Britain, was shown to be irrelevant in an area of the world which it once dominated.

Now America is heading for bankruptcy!

So who is next?

Russia, I think not, their little spat is merely political malarkey.

China, well frankly China seem to be a little quiet as the new regime is trying to woo the west, not ruffle it's feathers.

Brazil, once the talk of the world as the new black but south America has dwindled, so who will be next?