An uncomfortable question?  

I have asked...
I have asked the same question to a work mate and he went off about how great China is...I like how the debate so far about material has developed because I think we are becoming clear that the western influence on the eastern 'war' is of a material status(oil/& all the rest). All said and done the real issue then is about the west now wanting to invest greatly into the east while the east have there own issues. So with this insecure moment growing in time, resources are hard to get your hands on. There isnt a oil crisis, the west is just struggling to get there hands on it!! Other materials are of less profit but scares to behold nevertheless.
Designers are starting to look at other materials...Bamboo for example. So signs of change are already happening. In terms of design output? this will still be dictated by availablitity of material(as conversation has been spoken of on this question) but the real(as in innovative)desirable design will come from war stricken states in the east. Why & even how you may ask?! Well while we still worry about material access & investing into the east to succure our social standards to develop from, life in the east is far from perfect, they themself will look to there beliefs of what the future should hold, dare I say a new fantasy relm of design.
We must understand that the world speaks of gobal design. The world is a smaller place now(internet/EU/multi curtural race...). While China & India produce & make profit from the west(predominately), the west continue to invest into the east. Access for raw material, profit, politics will all give design objectives but the only objectives the states under war have is dreans of a better tomorrow. Watch this space, design from the east.

"Design from the East" an interesting postulate
If I understand you, you're saying that war torn societies are going to precipitate a new design vocabulary based on their hopes, dreams, values and faith that they will employ in their search for deliverance from the presense. I wonder if there are any historical analogies that might be seen as precedents for your postulate?
Regardless, I think you stated the case I was trying to make better than I did by distilling it more or less to this: there is not an oil shortage crisis, there is an oil control crisis. Indeed, what all the invasions are about is who will control (and so profit from) the staggeringly vast quantities of oil and natural gas that will be pumped, piped, refined and retailed.