This will soon be a non-issue.

Federal US court has ruled it’s unconstitutional to exclude women from mandatory draft registration.

Now that princess will soon be eligible for the draft, the US will not be politically unable to fight any wars larger than Iraq 2003.

The Booby explains it nicely here:

https://theredfootedbooby.com/2019/02/26/in-the-news-u-s-federal-court-rules-women-are-not-exempt-from-registering-for-the-draft/

The “Three Stooges” of the Trump Admin, or maybe I should say Pence Admin, is hellbent on starting WWIII. Pence-Pompeo-Bolton is the new Axis of Evil. I don’t recall ever seeing a Vice President who is more involved in foreign policy than Mike Pence. He’s running the show and calling all the shots on foreign policy like he’s the president, emboldened by the financial backing of his Ziocon masters, stirring up shite all over the world from Syria to Iran, Yemen, China, NKorea, Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela. Trump has completely lost control of his foreign policy. What a loser.

A good summary of a ridiculous situation, bt then so much of what America does today is ridiculous.

The American power establishment seems to believe there are unlimited resources for doing whatever it wants to do anywhere.

Hell, what $21 trillion in debt?

And why would you even choose to do this? China has some good historical basis for its claims on the South China Sea.

And China is not telling everyone to avoid the Sea. It is saying that it is the administrator and regulator for many activities involving the sea’s resources, a reasonable thing to do.

And how much more fitting in every way that China oversees and regulates than a country from 10,000 miles away running gunboats around.

Of course, the real basis for this kind of activity is America’s new aggressive surge in the world towards full-spectrum dominance. My, what a creative goal for a great nation.

Pat, is this threat also covered by any law or treaty?:

“Israeli Navy ready to block Iranian oil exports in transit” – Netanyahu – RT dot com – March 7th 2018.”

Wow, the unilateral threat of Israeli naval attack on ships of other nations in international waters in support of unilateral United States sanctions. There’s clearly got to be some sort law justifying this rogue behaviour somewhere – right?

Aside from Israeli courts that is…….

“China’s island building and military activities in the South China Sea threaten your sovereignty, security and, therefore, economic livelihood, as well as that of the United States,” said Pompeo. “As the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual defense obligations under article 4 of our mutual defense treaty.”

Yerrss! Well, Harrumph! Cough. Ask the Iranians, the Russians, the Native Americans how much faith they would put in a US pledge of support on account of treaty committments, before you seriously upset the Chinese..

Where was the US government when global corporations were moving all their production facilities to China, and thus handing advanced technology over to the Chinese military?
Where were the watchdogs when Clinton was selling rocket technology to China to line his personal pockets?
Where were the pundits when Obama completely ignored China as it started to build on these islands?

The US government are, I would guess, almost all shareholders and they were rubbing their hands at the thought of all the lovely profits they were going to make by exploiting Chinese workers with a bonus of destroying the US industrial Trade Unions at the same time. Capitalists, at least the current crop, are short-termists with a perspective that stretches no more than about 18-36 months (if that) into the future. At the time you are talking about, all the present problems were “problems for someone else”, if they were even considered. As to handing over secrets to the Chinese military, the Chinese were going to fight the Russians, remember?

For years, Beijing has claimed as national territory virtually the entire South China Sea.

Correction! China has claimed that for centuries.

well…looks like the Philippines is worried about the treaty and being pulled by America into war… Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has called for his side to conduct a review of the matter.

Yes, let’s “shore up our own neighbourhood” – let’s do regime change in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.

That’s how we can “beat” China (and Russia and Iran and Syria and and and and and and and and……………..)

No wonder folks like bonkers bolton and his fellow likudniks lost Iraq II hands down and stuck Americans with the bill (although they keep telling us that they were victorious, t’was every one else that failed and was dead wrong).

Negotiate. I would happily use the presence of China in Central and South America and, for that matter, Africa, as bargaining chips to cede our interest in the South China Sea. Use the whole negotiation process to deal with Taiwan and the Korean peninsula. I would maintain close ties with Japan and Australia, on their perimeter. We have our neighborhood, they have theirs. Makes no sense at all the fight over the Spratleys when we gave away the Panama Canal. I am under no illusion that the Chinese will stand down if we did this. They are patient termites. We have been at war with them since 1949, but we cannot afford or win the SCS conflict. Better to shore up our own neighborhood, lick our financial wounds and prepare for the next round with our really diverse military (sarcasm).

Such insanity. The USA foreign and military establishment is insane.

All we have to do is to embargo Chinese goods from the American market and renounce all our debts to them.

Embargo?
Do that, and virtually every American factory still running closes within 60-90 days. Spare parts for vehicles and countless other machines run out a few weeks later. Mid-West agri-businesses crash at the next harvest. Walmart shelves empty in 30 days. Great Depression II ain’t the half of it.

Debt repudiation?
Do that and all American companies operating in China get nationalized. They exceed the value of China’s UST holdings, so more than make up the difference.
As a bonus, politicizing the UST causes CBs everywhere to start divesting in earnest. The flood of $$$ coming home in search of hard assets hyper-inflates the currency, or currency controls are instituted making the $$$ useless internationally. The US’ ability to replace Chinese supply internationally is crippled. The USM’s 100s of foreign bases, Embassies, Consulates, Trade Missions, etc etc can’t pay their rent, or their personnel.

With what you’re suggesting, China loses an manageable portion of its GDP, but the US goes to the brink of implosion. Feeling lucky, punk?

Any time we really want to get China to stand down, whether over North Korea or these islands, we have the power to do so. All we have to do is to embargo Chinese goods from the American market and renounce all our debts to them. Without us, their wirtschaftswunder will be kaput, and the Mandate of Heaven will soon be passing to new hands.

This is all an attempt to close the barn door after the horse left long ago.

Where was the US government when global corporations were moving all their production facilities to China, and thus handing advanced technology over to the Chinese military?
Where were the watchdogs when Clinton was selling rocket technology to China to line his personal pockets?
Where were the pundits when Obama completely ignored China as it started to build on these islands?

It’s a long perfidious list. And it’s laughably tragic when those such as the WSJ who are responsible for this mess now try to whip up support for a last stand.

Meanwhile, 90% of this country’s resources are wasted on diversity, multiculturalism, civic nationalism, and affirmative action. Those efforts have compromised every segment of society including the defense industry and the military. Do you really think defense companies are still going to produce the advanced weapons, the force multipliers this country needs? Do you still think military effectiveness and readiness will not suffer with trannies, homos and women in the front lines?

I give this country no more than 20 years before it all implodes. It was a grand experiment, but there were too many mistakes made along the way, and there are too many internal enemies taking advantage of them.

Is Trump aware of what Pompeo’s promise could entail?

Sometimes it hard to tell who’s in charge in the Trump administration. He hires people that don’t support his agenda and sometimes openly defy him. That’s not 4D chess it’s sheer stupidity.

Obama only hired people who thought exactly like he did. I don’t know why this is so difficult for Trump to grasp as its just common sense.

You don’t have to fight anybody. If you fight China you will lose. You forget they have Russia as an ally thanks to US missteps. Fight nobody and learn Mandarin if you intend to do business in a large part of the world. Or don’t. This idea of forcing your way on everyone else is not a universal constant. It is just the American way.

What ability do these presently united States have to project power into the South China Sea?
Carrier groups? With what logistic support? Protected by what fleet? MEUs? Same questions….

Philippine based aircraft? Where? With what logistics support? Protected by what anti-submarine force?

Submarine launched conventional cruise missiles?

This is not 1968, and Communist China in 2019 is NOT North Vietnam in 1968. Very far from it. And the US *is* also very far from the South China Sea.

Regardless of the desire of the present Administration to project power into the South China Sea, and regardless of the wisdom or lack thereof in so desiring, the cold facts are that these presently united States CAN NOT sustain a prolonged conventional military effort in support of Philippine control of the Spratly Islands. We’d get whupped.

Fight em now or learn mandarin…..choose

Wow ,it’s a good thing Duterte is such a reasonable and level headed fellow ………OH! wait a minute I was thinking of someone else ……..never mind.

This would be a perfect opportunity for the Democrats to separate themselves in a positive way. They could start impeachment hearings on Pompeo for usurping Congress’s power to declare war. Fortunately for Trump, they aren’t that smart. On the other hand, maybe it is 4D chess. Trump hasn’t actually started anything on his own, yet. NK, Syria, and Venezuela and of course the “pivot to Asia” were all started before he took office. So, impeach Pompeo to stop the warmongering or have it laid out that the Dumbocrats are responsible for all of the conflicts in which the US is mow engaged? Go on, I dare ya.

Talking about “the worst deal in history”, has the president ever taken a gander at the US/Israel trade “deal” from the 1980’s?

“Mutually beneficial” – I’m sure…

“Why would we make such a commitment? Why take such a risk?”

Why, when Belgium invoked the 1839 Treaty of London, did Great Britain declare and wage war on Germany in 1914 ? Because they were cocksure that they plus France would have it under control.

Maybe the Brits will be there with the HMS Queen Elizabeth to help us whip the Chinese back into their place. Who’s smoking the opium, I don’t know.

Wow, so that’s what trump, bonkers bolton and pompeo are doing in Venezuela – protecting Israel from Iranian “precision ballistic missiles Who knew?

Glad they still have time to protect the interests of U.S. citizens.

Still, “no need for further acknowledgement” of that ” in writing required IMO”. As the U.S. oath of allegiance implies, Israel First – every one else take a number……

Well , there is the (still active)

Memorandum of Agreement on Security Cooperation
(October 31, 1998)

“The United States Government would view with particular gravity direct threats to Israel’s security arising from the regional deployment of ballistic missiles of intermediate range or greater.
In the event of such a threat, the United States Government would consult promptly with the Government of Israel,

with respect to what support, diplomatic or otherwise, or assistance, , it can lend to Israel.”

Realize as an indirect result of the USA withdrawing from the INF and accusing Russia of having IRBM’s(600 mile range , and the Crimiea being only 800 miles from Israel , this immediately gave Israel carte’ blanche for any and all defense “requests” the foreseeable future. This goes beyond even the previous status of Iran for all concerns presenting an IRBM threat as well.

There is also the default alliance created by the USA recently building an Airbase inside the bounds of Israel’s Mashabim Air Base, near Dimona, that any air or actual missile attack on Israel will be considered an attack that threatened or was toward a US military installation.

They got the US permanently allied/tied covering their butts . No need for further acknowledgment in writing required IMO.

Buchanan wrote : “For years, Beijing has claimed as national territory virtually the entire South

China Sea. ” This is patently false. China only claim the Paracels and Spratley islands which Japan

surrendered to China under the 1953 Treaty of Taipei. In the 1960/70’s, Pham Van Dong , the then

premier of North Vietnam, in a letter to China recognised China’s sovereignty over the Paracels and

the Spratleys.

Neocons Pompeo and Bolton are the two most warlike consiglieres I have witnessed in my lifetime.

These two dickheads were hand picked by Trump….but his base is too stupid to see Trump is a part of the Deep State.

If Trump cannot cut back these war guarantees, who will?

Ans #1 He cannot
Ans#2 nobody

What will happen if the US guarantee is “called”?

The US will, if necessary, use greasy lawyer language and domination of the legacy media to justify and manufacture consent for doing whatever the hell it wants, be that honoring the commitment or something less – just like always.

Given the above, why should anyone take seriously any guarantee made by Pompeo?

They should not.

More 4-D chess, no doubt, allowing Pompeo and Bolton to swan about spewing whatever the Hell they want and in the meantime holding meetings in the White House with CEOs to discuss plans for increasing legal immigration.

Finally, Pompeo cites an actual legal treaty!

Tell us Pat Buchanan, did he mention by any chance whether there exists a similar treaty with the foreign (and separate?) state of Israel?

After all, he and bonkers bolton and the president act like there is one – making it seem more important than the Constitution.

Pat should talk to his old pal Chas on China’s SCS claim.

https://chasfreeman.net/diplomacy-on-the-rocks-china-and-other-claimants-in-the-south-china-sea/

There are more than a dozen uses of “we/us/our” in this column. None is in reference to the American people.

Don’t fall for Mr. Buchanan’s pronoun propaganda. His dissent is condoned by the Establishment because he helps to keep Americans brainwashed into identifying with Uncle Sam, proud to see their kids’ names going up on green signs next to potholed bridges.

4000 Years civilization for China,
Versus 242 for ‘Murica:
Who wins contest of minds and wills for renminbi
With gaseous protection genius pompous Pompei?

I take that back. I forgot about Queen Hillary and her delight over Colonel Gadhafi’s gruesome death by bayonet up the anus.

Neocons Pompeo and Bolton are the two most warlike consiglieres I have witnessed in my lifetime. It certainly appears that, one way or the other, they will get their war against someone, anyone. They may be concerned that time is running out, since their boss has less than a 50% chance of re-election. Let’s see, will it be Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia – or all of them at once?

Its a bitter pill. To be the top dog, bullying every body about, then realize a smarter kid is outsmarting you. Taiwan, Philippines, the South China Sea are not worth a war. What are the Chinese going to do with it, anywise? Embargo basketball shoes to the US? Pat, an American patriot, has always been smart enough to know that our best interests are served by avoiding all the meddling, which has in any case caused far more harm than good. Let the Chinese be boss of their neighborhood. Sounds like a problem for India, Japan, and Vietnam to me. We should be worried about Mexico, not the Philippines.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies says a Philippine attempt to build on a disputed islet in the Spratly chain brought a flotilla of nearly 100 Chinese ships to halt Philippine construction.

The dispute islet you speak of is claimed by Taiwan, an ally of the United States. Taiwan used to have troop stationed on the islet and filed a protest over the Philippines’ takeover but is too weak to doing anything about it. If China wants to take over, it could have easily done it. The 100 Chinese ships surrounding the islet are fish boats.

Linh Binh says:
When Jews had no homeland, many of them spoke of universal brotherhood and such, but as soon as they had Israel, they started to act as tribally and racist as everybody else.

Jews acting tribally and racist were around long before the current state of Israel arose. But in this, the Jews are no different from any number of European peoples.

.
Odds are high fighting will break out again in the South China Sea. Pushing weapons of mass destruction, Uncle Sam rakes in many coins from all crises, so he has billions of reasons to stoke the flame, but it’s anybody’s guess if he’ll risk his turkey neck when the missiles fly.

Rather vague. How exactly is Uncle Same poised to make massive money from assorted crises that break out in the South China Sea? If anything, Uncle Sam will be SPENDING massive money to tamp down assorted crises in the area, courtesy of US taxpayers, more so if missiles start to fly.

.
Most opponents of the American Empire are cheering for China in the South China Sea face-off, but Vietnam, the only country to have fought and defeated outright this empire, is forging closer military ties with the United States, all because of China. To a Vietnamese, the white man will come and go, but China is an eternal shadow menacing his identity and existence.

Indeed- a point that contradicts simplistic notions that “all Asians think alike” or are necessarily allied together. The Vietnamese have been doing this balancing act for quite a while. During the Second Indochina war they played the Russians off against the Chinese, and secured massive quantities of “fraternal” military assistance from both.

.
The Vietnamese have a saying, Nine men, ten opinions. And also, When buffaloes collide, flies die. While leaning militarily on an unreliable United States, East Asian countries continue to be integrated into China’s (and Russia’s) economic sphere. Perhaps they will take their losses and accept being lesser partners in this new world order. As a castrated ex champion, the United States might have to do the same. It’s a good bet, though, she won’t go down so quietly.

Good point. China traditionally been the big dog in East Asia, and has always played the long game, and will continue to do so.

.
Eustace Tilleysays:
As an historian, please do not forget to note that a Chinese Jin class ballistic missile submarine fired a JL-2 ICBM in November 2010 from its underwater position roughly 20 miles or so west of Los Angeles.

The “within 20 miles” claim sounds dubious. The link you give does not say the Chinese submarine was 20 miles west of Los Angeles. It says nothing of the sort. That aside, even if the Chinese sub was off the west coast it would have no need to close to within 20 miles, and risk complications arising from navigation and detection. JL-2 ICBM, has a range of 7,000 miles per the article, plenty of range to get any job done without drawing so close.

Likewise the phrase “off the coast of Los Angeles” is suspiciously vague. “Off the coast” could mean 500 miles, or 1000 miles- its all “off the coast.” LOL. Even more interesting is this statement:

There are no records of a plane in the area having taken off from Los Angeles International Airport or from other airports in the region.

LAX is one of the busiest airports on the West Coast, not to mention smaller places like John Wayne in Orange Count. Planes are literally taking off every few minutes in peak times. So around 5 pm for several minutes this “missile”is up there, no planes are taking off? Really? LOL

Ooooops! I was wrong: Peter Lee’s article dates back to 2015, although it seems to me to be about the current situation in Asia. I think it’s still about the current situation, and all the Korea stuff is just a huge distraction. Who knows?

Probably, I will just have to pay my way through Peter’s Pay Wall to stay up to date with Peter Lee.

But how did I get here today in the first place? I don’t know.

Time for a nap.

I am so very pleased to see some change in the right-hand column, the menu, here at UR, at the Peter Lee entry! We were stuck, it seemed forever, at the thing about Beijing’s infiltration of the Australian government! BTW, that’s nothing against Australia: after all, USA’s government has been infiltrated through the Kissinger Neocons basically since 1971 (Kissinger’s trip to Beijing to more-or-less surrender by arranging for USA to remain stuck in Vietnam for a few more years).

Such a wonderful thoughtful and amazingly well-informed work by Peter Lee.

Truly a great commentator in this the Third Millennium … probably the greatest commentator!

“US strategy is to create an unchallengeable first-nuclear-strike capability against China and Russia and thus World domination and rent seeking.” — Kiza

Yeah, “rent seeking” – that’s what it’s all about? At least Kiza has a coherent analysis that provides a cloak of rationality to cover the madness. It’s a theory (1) China-Russia (2) unchallengeable first-nuclear-strike capability (3) World domination (4) rent seeking. The weak link would have to be the “unchallengeable” thing. Or maybe, more to the point, the “World domination” thing:

Do you want to rule the world and control it?
I don’t think it can ever be done.

The world is sacred vessel
and it cannot be controlled.
You will only make it worse if you try.
It may slip through your fingers and disappear.

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 29 (J H McDonald trans.)

We get it, denk, we’ve even heard it before: “USA bad, very bad!” And then there’s the other half of that: “China stlong, velly stlong!”

What the world needs now is universal nuclear disarmament … but how do we ordinary human beings here in the belly of the Snake or elsewhere … how or what to do about that?

TheJester talks many grand narratives, ending with this one:

“the “permanent state of war” that the United States is waging in the Middle East can be understood as nothing more than frantic attempts on the part of the United States to support the Petrodollar while maintaining control over sea-based petroleum resources while they still matter. ” — TheJester

Maybe I am overly influenced by UR writers and analysts, but I thought USA’s permanent state of war in the ME could be best understood as USA being used and abused (controlled through USA government’s – US Congress’ – neocon faction/ideology) by Israeli and Saudi extremists in frantic attempts to assure domination of the ME by Israel and the Kingdom. In any event, that’s a competing or possibly interlocking grand narrative to consider along with the more popular Petrodollar story.

> Submarines contain MIRV ICBMs,

It’s called SLBM (and we often have SLCMs)

> It takes almost no imagination to conceive that an innocuous “merchant” vessel off the coast could suddenly launch hyper-sonic arrays of MIRVs directly at coastal cities. There is no defense against this. Washington, AC/DC, is a big fat cow sitting as a target at a shooting gallery.

Woah! Well, welcome to the war goodies of post 1960, buddy. You notice it’s 2016, maybe, hmm….?

> Amurka is to be absorbed into the International Superstate aka the United Nations.

I hope you are smoking good stuff.

> If anybody disputes this last sentence, come forth with a refutation, counter evidence, substantive testimony, or hold silent

Proving a negative. FAIL.

He didn’t called her she called him. The last time I remember as a free country any private citizen can speak on the phone with anyone of their choosing. All she did was to congratulate him on his election..And in case you are clueless we sold them some old Navy ships not long ago..So we the people are actually doing business with them..

Lets find out by prosecuting Sidney Blumenfeld and George Soros.

the same pentagoon which couldnt account for $7,000,000,000,000 bucks !

When the man who pledges to ‘stop regime change, bring back the troops [cough cough]’ and then in the same breath promises to ‘remake the world’s most powerful military into the world’s no 1 military‘, even a five year old ought to know this is a conman talking !

I guess the 300 additional warships promised by this alleged ‘isolationist’ are needed to defend AEI poster girl Tsai Ying Wen’s [2] ‘freedom of speech’ to smooch up to the prez elect. [2]
hehehehe

‘Trump is our man, he’s gonna to teach those Chicoms a lesson, they’ve been ripping us off for too long!’
Chant the fucktards here who’r going to pay for this gigantic Pentagoon/MICC scam, the same pentagoon which couldnt account for $7000000000 bucks !

As they say, there’s no cure for stupidity.

China today is a fragile superpower tottering on the brink of chaos.

this opinion is about as retarded as it gets.

what is wrong with copying when you are playing catch up? there is no need to reinvent the wheel. do you know how much tech we got from nazi germany after ww2?

most african countries prefer chinese investment over ours, that tells you something right?

you actually believes trump can and will change things. even after his appointments? and axing over time pay for 42 mil americans? jeeez.

I am very surprised that no one seems to realize that U.S. corporations were moving rapidly towards more and more automation and the use of robots. When China opened up and the corporations calculated (correctly) that it was cheaper to use Chinese labor when compared to buying automation equipment. This has been clearly visible in how automobiles were made with more and more automation. Even China is moving more towards automation and robotics. What is very surprising is that they have created robots to serve restaurant customers!

We can’t choke the Chinese trade routes. Hence why we are so worked up about the South China Seas. And this is also why China is so keen to build rail across to Europe.

Western tactics rely not on direct confrontation but on divide and conquer.

That’s why Trump is reaching out to Putin and Taiwan.

The goal is to take Russia away from China as an ally and to use the Taiwan issue as a reason to have America and the UN join forces to fight China.

It will be like Iraq where Iraq was threatening democracy and human rights etc etc.

Do you even know how America has a reserve currency?

It is directly tied to the petrodollar. There are lots of scenarios where the American dollar gets dislodged (I’m not saying the Yuan would replace the dollar).

The Arabs could get fed up with Trump and decide to drop the dollar. The shiites could take over the Saudi and other important oil fields. The Chinese could join their gold with Russian gold and come out with a gold backed currency.

Pretty much the only way to maintain the dollar as the reserve currency is to maintain our military empire and to prevent any alternate banking system that threatens the fed.

This will be hard to pull off especially with Trump in office and especially if he stokes nationalism across the world.

well, it is sort of like a knocked on effect. (made up numbers galore)profit margins went up by 50%, consumer prices went down by 10% consumers still benefit, just not as much as the business owners. the lower consumer prices are being used to justified the outsourcing. the thing is, there is no way to return the manufacturing jobs. it isn’t like we are still 50% of the world economy after ww2, it is 2016. hell, car companies are moving their plants to mexico not because of labor cost but regulations. the factories are routinely shut down when they violate the laws or rules. do you want to destroy our environment for jobs?

this is a monstrous topic for the experts, we don’t know much to be talking about it in depth in the comments section.

“One Belt, One Road” is the initiative to bypass this circulation. The circulation could economically strangle China.

This –>> Seek greater political and economic influence. Is not allowed.

I disagree that America has any CONVENTIONAL advantage at all pre-positioning itself in Asia and making threatening noises.

This article contains useful facts and opinions, and is certainly stimulating for the average reader who takes the time from making a living or puts some effort into trying to see through the curtains of deceit of todays public conduits of “information” (disinformation, misinformation). There are some parts that I feel are necessary of further comment. Some background:

MAD, Mutually Assured Destruction, was a doctrine and practice during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. This “balance of terror” was designed to prevent pre-emptive, “first strikes”. During this period, the US President had a DIRECT AND INSTANT communication line to the Soviet President.

Nuclear weapons and their efficacy are not subject to geographic locations. They haven’t been for some time. They are called ICBMs for a reason, i.e. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Their longest horizontal distance covered is in the upper atmosphere, where air resistance and gravity effect are the least. In addition, these weapons were further enhanced by the addition of MIRV(Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles) technology and innovation. Essentially the one ballistic missile “bus” transports the “payload” to a sub-orbital trajectory path, where over the target 3 to 12 smaller ballistic missiles are released from the nose cone. They become in effect “smart bombs”, able to self direct to individual targets. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_independently_targetable_reentry_vehicle
Submarines contain MIRV ICBMs, from 12 to 16 missiles per vessel. Their range is over 7,000 kilometers. Each country has a maximum of 12 miles of territorial water. Beyond that, open water is considered international. It takes almost no imagination to conceive that an innocuous “merchant” vessel off the coast could suddenly launch hyper-sonic arrays of MIRVs directly at coastal cities. There is no defense against this. Washington, AC/DC, is a big fat cow sitting as a target at a shooting gallery.

So, with the foregoing considered, certain conclusions and assertions can be made.
First, the so-called “encirclement” of China by “hundreds of US bases” as a strategic consideration of any importance IN A NUCLEAR CONTEXT, STATEGY OR TACTIC IS NULL, VOID, NILL at least for the reasons I have outlined above. This is a ZERO CORRELATION with nuclear advantage for anybody.
Second, as I already mentioned in a previous post, these so called “military bases” are misnamed. Many are nothing more than fuel depots, materiel depots, camps, support facilities. In other words, non-combatant in every sense. You might be excused for thinking, “Gee, Poup, how would you know that?” Because I have been to many of them, that’s why and how. A good chunk of my career was spent on Navy privately contracted ships under charter. Cargo varied from military vehicles, missile parts, fuel, food, ammunition, and other items. Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Spain, Azores, Diego Garcia, and all of the Middle East. ONLY AN EXTREME MINORITY OF THESE BASES ARE RELATED TO DIRECT COMBAT.
Third, the Navy not only wastes money (over budget 200-300 percent, and over 200 percent overtime is common and the norm). Plus, just to add injury to these insults, they build junk in combat ships today that blow up and fail within a year or two. Google Littoral Combat Ships and follow the links. A aircraft carrier being built in Newport News has had major equipment casualties while in the construction phase, e.g., Main Propulsion Steam Turbines BLEW UP during testing. The project is months behind schedule and tens-if not hundreds-of million dollars over “budget”, aka “budge it”.

Fourth, this “encirclement” is not a strategic advantage or leverage in a conventional warfare sense at all. To think so is to ignore certain ineluctable, irreducible variables. The US Armed Forces are in a dilapidated state, as per the wishes and plans of Obama and his Globalist Masters. Amurka is to be absorbed into the International Superstate aka the United Nations. This is the long term/short term plan, depending on your time frame. I gave several examples and a survey explanation. The problems are worse when you drill into specifics. I mean across the board. These “bases”, halfway around the world of a country that is totally bankrupt and on the verge of financial and economic collapse are nothing more than bowling pins for the Chinese military. Unlike the stupid Americans, the Chinese people are rabidly patriotic and ready to fight for and defend the Motherland, their ancestral home. If conventional hostilities break out, the Chinese will be completely supported by Russia, which will be bitter payback for lapdog and cockroach Obama, the Emissary of Satan and his Executive Team, the (((NeoCons))). And finally, the total humiliation will come when all the ASIAN countries see and side with the winner, hands down: “Sorry Amurka, you f**ked up and we are not going down with you; we are going with our neighbor and culture cousins”.
Final word on this “encirclement”. From my perspective, because it makes no strategic, tactical, conventional, or nuclear sense, it must have been implemented by subversive, anti-American, treasonous elements with this Administration. We already know they are many and are mere appendages and dumb terminals directed by Internationalist Hostile Elites. (If anybody disputes this last sentence, come forth with a refutation, counter evidence, substantive testimony, or hold silent). The goal, therefore of this strategy is nothing short of total humiliation and widespread destruction of Amurka military assets.

This article leaves too many unanswered questions.
The U.S. Armed Forces are down to lowest readiness and capability of a century. The military budget has been continually shrinking and the money lost due to corruption, sloth, and criminality is staggering.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2014/03/27/the-growing-problem-of-a-shrinking-us-military-budget

Military waste is reaching historic levels. The budget you see is not the budget that is actually spent. I spent several years working for the Federal Government as a private contractor. The sheer volume of waste, fraud, and misuse of resources is stupefying. It has to be seen to be believed.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/articles/2016-02-03/the-pentagon-could-reach-a-historic-level-of-wasteful-spending

Obama, the Marxist revolutionary posing as an American President, has caused enormous damage to the military, which he and his fellow travelers loath. Today’s “Pansy Military” has met all the politically correct, diverse, inclusive, gender neutral, affirmative action targets. Results, the high ranking non-commissioned officers, who actually run things and direct the personnel, are leaving. The real issue in today’s 1984 world in the military is sexual harassment of STRAIGHT MEN AND WOMEN. Obama has cleared out warriors and installed ideologues and PC wigs in the highest positions.

http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/obama-weakening-military-in-unprecedented-ways/

The military is forced to cannibalize working equipment to maintain a bare minimum
‘Wiped Out’: Air Force losing pilots and planes to cuts, scrounging for spare parts”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/14/wiped-out-air-force-losing-pilots-and-planes-to-cuts-scrounging-for-spare-parts.html

From this article: Fox News visited two U.S. Air Force bases – including South Dakota’s Ellsworth Air Force Base located 35 miles from Mount Rushmore, where Pfrommer is stationed – to see the resource problems first-hand, following an investigation into the state of U.S. Marine Corps aviation last month.

Many of the Airmen reported feeing “burnt out” and “exhausted” due to the current pace of operations, and limited resources to support them. During the visit to Ellsworth earlier this week, Fox News was told only about half of the 28th Bomb Wing’s fleet of bombers can fly.

“We have only 20 aircraft assigned on station currently. Out of those 20 only nine are flyable,” Pfrommer said.

“The [B-1] I worked on 20 years ago had 1,000 flight hours on it. Now we’re looking at some of the airplanes out here that are pushing over 10,000 flight hours,” he said.

“In 10 years, we cut our flying program in half,” said Capt. Elizabeth Jarding, a B-1 pilot at Ellsworth who returned home in January following a six-month deployment to the Middle East for the anti-ISIS campaign.

On an overcast day in the middle of May with temperatures hovering in the low 50’s, two B-1 bombers were supposed launch at 9:00 a.m. local time to fly nearly 1,000 miles south to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for a live-fire exercise.

On this day, though, only one of the two B-1s that taxied to the runway was able to take off and make the training mission on time. The other sat near the runway for two hours. It eventually took off but was unable to participate in the live-fire exercise and diverted to a different mission, its crew missing out on valuable training at White Sands.

A spare aircraft also was unable to get airborne.”

Rather a sobering assessment, isn’t it? The USSA “encircling” China is laughable. Maintaining a large mechanized force halfway around the World is the same problem that Napoleon and Hitler experienced deep into the Soviet Union. Outstrip your supply lines and you will be fighting with your bare hands.

And finally, did you know that Obama mandated the Navy use fuel from “renewable” plant sources? What a fantastic idea. It only costs 5 times more than fossil fuel, e.g. Navy Special, diesel, jet fuel.

One should be very careful in taking opinions from those whose expertise and depth of knowledge of military affairs is unproven, undemonstrated, and who make glib, sweeping statements. So this guy, Pilger-he looks like an aging surfer- made documentaries of what? starving chillens in Afreaka, Panda Bears???? This article was suspect for me right from the gate. There is a lot more, such as dwindling numbers of submarines, and the general LOW QUALITY of military personnel overall. Who wants to be in such a clown act?

Finally, “Since “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed, male-on-male rape has become epidemic in the U.S. Military.
POSTED: September 19, 2014

In late 2010, Congress used a lame-duck session — after the November elections — to overturn “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, the de facto ban on open homosexual behavior in the US military. Even prominent Republicans caved in. US Senator Scott Brown not only voted for it but bragged about voting for it in his television commercials when he ran for re-election. In 2012, while running for president, Mitt Romney told reporters that the repeal was working fine and he would not attempt to reverse it. MassResistance and others, however, had predicted that it would lead to terrible consequences.”

“According to the Daily Mail, a prominent newspaper in the UK, male on male rape in the United States military is reaching epidemic proportions.

Absorb this tragic excerpt:

When a man enters the military he is ten times likelier to be sexually abused, and in 2012 alone there were an estimated 14,200 reports of male rape.

Read that again. A man who enlists in the United States military is ten times more likely to be on the receiving end of sexual abuse than if he remains in the civilian population. The risk of being raped jumps a staggering 1,000 percent.

Our military has become a playground for sexual predators, a veritable smorgasbord of victims for homosexuals on the prowl.

This week Bryan Fischer has written a devastating article revealing what the politicians in both parties are now afraid to talk about.

http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen2/14c/rape-in-us-military.html

Heard about the Electro-magnetic Pulse?

“Abstract: An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over the United States could end modern life in America overnight. Whether caused by an enemy attack (a nuclear device detonated above the atmosphere) or by a natural phenomenon (a geomagnetic storm), an EMP can cause entire regions of the country to lose electricity—permanently. Despite the EMP Commission’s recommendations in 2004 and 2008, hardly any progress has been made in protecting the country from an EMP attack and its catastrophic results. The U.S. must prepare to deal with an EMP—now.

While the ability of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to inflict catastrophic damage on U.S. infrastructure has been a known fact for decades, insufficient efforts have been taken to mitigate the threat. A survey of congressional, federal, state, local, and international measures to deal with the threat reveals more complacency than action.”

ONE, just one, thermonuclear device detonated over the center of the United States could take out the entire power grid of North America, immobilized your car, destroy all computer system, and all solid state devices. This would mean permanent darkness, and mass starvation in the TENS of MILLIONS. I’m sure you’ve read of Iran-helped by Obama-continually ramping up its missiles; same for North Korea.

Do you really think that China does not have a retaliatory Doomsday weapon to be used? This missile can be fired FROM A SHIP OFF THE COAST OF THE UNITED STAKES. We have no missile defense system.

http://www.heritage.org/issues/missile-defense/electromagnetic-pulse-attack

An Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack on the United States, whether manmade or naturally occurring, could result in the deaths of nine out of ten Americans through starvation, disease and the collapse of modern society, warned Dr. Vincent Peter Pry, a member of the congressional EMP Commission and executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security.

“A natural EMP catastrophe or nuclear EMP attack could blackout the national electric grid for months or years and collapse all the other critical infrastructures — communications, transportation, banking and finance, food and water — necessary to sustain modern society and the lives of 310 million Americans,” Pry this week told the House Committee on Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies.””

http://www.hstoday.us/briefings/daily-news-analysis/single-article/emp-attack-on-us-would-be-catastrophic-congress-told/1b5e33a26545ac5ebf9398f00064dc0a.html

Well, sure, of course it possibly could. But a phone call with Taiwan is putting us on a path to a war? Perhaps the media and dumbass hillary clinton would love that, but do you think that is likely? (esp since hilLIARy is not going to be president thank God). I myself think we’re a long way from a hot war with China; they would not want this any more than we would. Our relationship with China in recent years has consisted of us hiding under our desk while China stole our lunch money. That could still lead to war. Is our foreign policy w China going to continue to be to tiptoe around them and give them everything they want b/c we are scared of them? I say we stand up for ourselves and let China know that they aren’t going to be ripping us off and giving us wedgies and laughing at us.

Not sure what is meant by ‘America’s claims.’ Not sure a phone call w Taiwan means we need to send US troops to Taiwan (?).

Surely you cannot believe there was ever an economic strategy in place based on the national interest? More likely is that a small minority sought to enrich themselves by shifting the manufacturing of consumer goods to a low-labour-cost China and US national interests be damned. Small minorities as such maintain their position of dominance by the method of divide and rule, as always.

We ought to work with Iran on common purposes such as combatting terrorism and piracy, and treat them with respect and courtesy.

Treating another country with respect and courtesy would certainly be a radical change in US foreign policy.

Doesn’t mean we are going to war, though

The problem is that “getting tough” and “taking a firm line” in foreign policy can indeed lead to war. The Austro-Hungarian Empire decided to “get tough” with Serbia in 1914.

Have you read The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb by any chance? Now that IS interesting.

That is more or less what anyone looking at their options will think. The Chicoms are like the big bully in the bar, picking on the staff and glaring around. Along comes Trump, out-staring everyone like Lee van Cleef.

The PRC exists today because of the Soviet Union and the perfidy of the Yale set, consisting mainly of the foolish progeny of the missionaries. They have their own legitimacy problem.

No one is proposing a hot war. But as I have maintained the Chicoms are pushing on everyone through intimidation. There are costs and benefits to every course of action. I suggest that they are not the only ones with ‘interests’. Had their pride been of the real King Lear kind, they would not have accepted Japanese or Taiwanese investments.

When I was in China about a decade ago, it was a source of amusement to me to see the usual Second World War programmes about Japanese perfidy and their atrocities, since the newsreels accompanying show only Nationalist soldiers in action, with the ‘Long March’ buggers nowhere to be seen.

I like John Pilger very much but for me, I don foresee a major U.S./Zionist versus The Peoples Republic of China within at least the next 8-years. Such is only foreseeable if the communist party prohibits Wall Street investors from having full play in China and minus a requirement for the need for Chinese business partners.

What smart journalists know is usually passed down second hand and depending upon the
integrity of the source, the news might be either intentionally true or intentionally false.

Over the past 7-weeks or so, I am reading The Wall Street Journal. On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, the W.S.J. Business & Finance page (headline) blared “Mexico Awards Oil Rights.”

(Note: “Oh how convenient I thought,” given president-elect Donald Trump had interviewed Exxon Mobil Corp CEO, Rex Tillerson for the job as Secretary of State, just a couple days ago)

The W.S.J. article, written by Robbie and Anthony Harrup reported, “8 of the 10 exploration blocks were snatched up in competitive bidding bu firms including Exxon Mobil Corp. and China’s sate-run China National Offshore Oil Corp.”

My all time favorite Jewish singer is Neil Diamond. He sang the lyric, “Money talks, but it don’t sing or dance and it don’t walk.” By following the W.S.J. money trail and U.S./Zio Empire wars, one indeed learns that money does “talk” and if such fails, negotiations are followed up by M.S.M. demonization of the “Face of Evil” and then come SALM or SLBM attacks. (I don’t think our Deep State is yet ready to “walk that way” especially since the P.R.C. can hit us with nuclear weapons)

So given the boon Mexico gets from the oil right$ deal, it’s feasible that President Enrique Pena Nieto will have extra funds so that Donald Trump’s border can be built, with Mexican government funding! Also, come to think of it — Exxon Mobil & China National Offshore oil companies just might be in need of hiring cheap labor for working the off shore oil rigs, and maybe President Nieto might want his citizens to stay home.

Just thinking, Mr. Pilger… I realize the W.S.J. is quite near being at the top of the New World Order’s Fountain of False Truth. What do you make of thi$? Thank you.

China is probably interested in becoming the dominant trading nation in the world.

Already ticked that box, by some measures:

China surpasses US as world’s largest trading nation

The US has the upper hand because it can choke the Chinese trade roots by the sheer weight of its Pacific naval presence.
Something has to give.

Most likely to give first is the overdependence of China on sea trade, as it builds up overland connections throughout Eurasia.

The only real chance the US had of maintaining its stranglehold on China long term was to bring Russia onside after the end of the Soviet Union. US policy on NATO, on regime changing wars, on colour revolutions and “democracy promotion” etc gave up any hope of that happening.

Nice review of history, but where to start? How about when we created Taiwan. https://concept.journals.villanova.edu/article/view/1861/1748

It is just debris from the Cold War. The Korean War, to be more specific.

The media assumed that Trump just stumbled into these unspeakable, ‘settled’ issues. Or rather issues that were never settled and just postponed indefinitely.

First, the Cold War was about commies. Communism. Plus totalitarianism. By the end of the cold war, markets won. Russia is no longer the USSR and China is not Red China. It’s just another Asian economy.

Oh yea … NATO. Once again, we won. Why did it expand to the extent that we are talking Cold War 2 with a God fearing, Orthodox Christian nation?

Just because. Someone thought it sounded like a good idea.

So … Trade Taiwan aka Formosa aka ROC to settle the Korean War. Or not. But North Korea is a potential problem. And both of them are more of a problem to China than to the US.

Just assume, for example, that the US Confederate government had created a government in exile. On an Island.

Taiwan isn’t much of a country. Its the residue of the Chinese Revolution. But regardless. We won. We can’t live with success — as history has proved.

Time to wrap up the Cold War. Korea. Taiwan or the details? We have no strategic interest in the details.

I share your perception. Presumably the (feigned) uniformity of the fear of the Iranian “threat” is mostly due to the overwhelming power, deep pockets, and ruthlessness of the Israel lobby and its wealthy domestic constituency.

I wouldn’t ever be inclined to trust a muslim people or government, but I don’t want to continue needlessly attacking, droning, sanctioning, humiliating, and alienating muslim peoples either.

We ought to work with Iran on common purposes such as combatting terrorism and piracy, and treat them with respect and courtesy.

And if we are going to basically threaten economic ruin and possibly war against Iran for trying to develop nuclear weapons, then we should also demand that Israel give up the nuclear weapons it already has. I know, don’t hold your breath, right?

The US position is that it is enforcing freedom of navigation around China: for as long as it suits America and so long as it can’t be challenged by an inferior power.
That leaves the door wide open for any handy excuse so that the US, at a time of its own choosing, to deny freedom of navigation for others because it has the power to do so unilaterally.

I wish I could disagree with anything that you’ve written, but I can’t.

You make a sound point.

But do we keep paying for part of their defense costs in perpetuity in the hope that they won’t cultivate stronger ties with China? Maybe, but that’s a fairly hefty commitment when we are in so much debt already and our own infrastructure is relatively decrepit or outdated.

Also, as China’s economic clout grows ever larger and larger than ours, won’t Japan, South Korea, Philippines, etc., all naturally work to cultivate closer ties with China than with us whether we subsidize their defense or not? I am uneasy at that prospect, to say the least, but it seems likely and perhaps unavoidable. What do you think?

Donald Trump has shown that he never fears acting beyond the law. Remember that the claim that he “could shoot somebody in plain sight on a street”, and nothing would happen.

China is probably interested in becoming the dominant trading nation in the world. The US has the upper hand because it can choke the Chinese trade roots by the sheer weight of its Pacific naval presence.
Something has to give.

China today is a fragile superpower tottering on the brink of chaos. Without the theft of American and Russian technology China would still be a society that looks like the something out of the early 1900s.
Look at their so called space program. It is virtually a copy of the Russians. New Chinese weapon systems are copies of American systems. The much vaulted Chinese J-20 is an amalgamation of stolen American F-22 technology powered by Russian engines
China now is attempting to expand into Africa and become the new colonists by stealing African natural resources and dumping their poorly made products on the Africans. China is over fishing the waters off of Africa as they have over fished their local waters
However people are wise to the Chinese game. China has no place to go but down. And the recent election of Donald Trump may be the push that helps that happen.

Don’t know about Russia but I see that American policy makers from all sides seem to hate the Iranians.

What all over the world would have taken place if China and US did not enter into detente and in economic cooperation? Financialization of economy possibly would not have started and succeeded . Afghanistan war would not have produced the results it had by 1988 . Pakistan possibly would not have gone along with anti Russian war without China supporting US against Soviet . N Korea would not be a pariah isolated state and Iraq possibly would have not been attacked in 1990 or in 2003 ,neither there would have been any sanction. China could still have achieved remarkable success as India has in some sectors . Rising wage level consistent with home manufacturing would have produced less accumulation of wealth at the top and more union power at labor unit. Without the massive wealth creation for the top, we possibly would not have faced the militaristic narcissistic America we see today .

The arrangement at the ist blush seems to have hurt America and benefited China It has befitted America but the money did not trickle down and was not spent on growth or infrastructure at home It was used for war abroad and for maintaining the dollar as reserve currency .
Dollars generated by China and other lesser country from outsourcing of manufacturing have created an unique situation where America borrows but doenst obey any rules unlike the dollar borrowing by 2nd and 3 rd world countries from IMF and WB It is the dollar that is borrowed but with two opposite results . This arrangements also gives America unique power of not facing catastrophic inflation despite pumping of trillions of fake fiat paper money out of thin air in economy . This happens because the current arrangement allows America basically the power of producing “Gold” that is dollar whenever it wants . Dollar has not replaced that much cherished last minute safest haven that is Gold.It has become Gold .
Without China , it would not have happened . Without dollar enjoying the power ,it is doubtful how much of American foreign policy conducted through sanctions and NGO promoted color revolutions would have succeeded .

Trump is right in his comments about subsidizing the defense of places like Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. But he’s wrong if he suggests that we should keep defending them but merely get paid the full financial cost of doing so. Let them spend their own money on their own defense, raising their taxes or borrowing accordingly — reducing the unfair competitive advantage their companies and workers currently have over ours.

If they had to spend their own money, they’d spend it cultivating some sort of relationship and accommodation with their large neighbor. They’re not going to spend it to join up with a country on the other side of the ocean in an alliance to oppose China. That requires carrots and sticks from the US.

Mr Pilger tells an interesting tale, but not one that hangs together to form a convincing narrative.

The USA is apparently preparing to attack China with major force, risking a nuclear exchange, and at the same time prepared to confront Russia in a similar way (there are definitely influential people trying to provoke a conflict with Russia over Syria, but they do not appear to be in control of the US military).

Yet at the same time the US is awash with Chinese imports (adding to its huge trade deficit), both of goods and of people (including a lucrative anchor-baby industry). Australia (also in Mr Pilger’s bad-boy list) and Canada (see Vancouver house prices) likewise. China is buying up real assets – mines, oilfields, agricultural land, ports – across the globe (Piraeus in Greece the latest), and is doing for African infrastructure what the British did for South American infrastructure a century ago. It’s also IIRC trying to build strategic control of the rare earth elements on which so much modern electronics depends.

Also at the same time, the US is reducing its internal cohesion (and its average IQ, and its average wage) via mass immigration, and reducing the cohesion of the armed forces via a number of destructive initiatives (women in combat roles and on board ships). The trade deficit is massive, they are giving away vital production know-how to rivals. The US doesn’t look like a country that’s taking the retention of their global superpower status seriously.

How do we square these competing narratives? Or is it Mr Pilger’s contention that the US is strong enough to both seriously weaken its own productive capabilities and yet still have the wherewithal to destroy Chinese military capability?

America, oblivious to the changing economic and political map of the world, is keen on having Chinese ambitions under control. Many in America think that the US has military muscle to bend China to its will. However, sober heads in Washington know that to challenge China on its own turf also bears dangers to American forces and mainland.
The problem is then how can US look like a no nonsense, intimidating and imperious hegemon willing to use nuclear might; without getting in a shooting war with China. Showing the world and the Chinese in particular that US is not shy of applying nuclear arsenal against “existential threats” is perhaps America’s last trump card in stopping the rising China.
Regime change in Iran has been on the US’ wish list for over 3 decades. American military for obvious reasons has not risked toppling the Islamic regime by conventional military force. Nuking Iran’s military and industrial infrastructure might do the trick without likelihood of the Islamic Republic being able to retaliate effectively. At the same time, this bold demonstration will serve as a dire warning to other countries, China and Russia in particular.
Have Iran, Russia, China and the world at large taken account of this scenario and its aftermath?

Sounds like a strong reason to manufacture more things here at home, and to diversify the countries from which we buy our imported goods. Sensible, America-first tariff and tax laws can gradually help us to move towards these goals.

As for “needing” the goods we buy from China, normal, well-balanced people with a family life and healthy priorities for their time, don’t “need” most of the things that Americans buy from China at Christmas or any other time. Including televisions.

What we do actually have some need for, can be made here or in smaller countries that, unlike China, don’t pose a serious threat to us militarily.

Trump is right in his comments about subsidizing the defense of places like Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. But he’s wrong if he suggests that we should keep defending them but merely get paid the full financial cost of doing so. Let them spend their own money on their own defense, raising their taxes or borrowing accordingly — reducing the unfair competitive advantage their companies and workers currently have over ours.

If there’s no willingness to some degree of military sacrifice, then there’s no credibility to Trump and America’s claims. Furthermore, not “rolling over” to China entails “rolling over” for South Korea, Japan, et al.

Taiwan exists today because of US intervention. It lost the civil war on the mainland to the PRC.

If the Americans have no intention of fighting for the Koreans, Japanese, Taiwanese, etc., then Trump and what other Americans say with respect to the US presence would just be bluff and bluster. Are you suggesting this is just an elaborate bluff and that there is no credibility to America’s statements?

Baring some black swan event it’s not even remotely at risk in our lifetimes.

the day the USD loses reserve currency status it will be really really bad for everyone……just like the last time a currency ion that position changed.

Donald Trump’s win in US presidential election sends China yuan to six-year low against dollar

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/09/donald-trumps-win-in-us-presidential-election-sends-china-yuan-to-six-year-low-against-dollar.html

This could be fake news. But i use the dollar so that’s all that matters to me.

what we got out of the trade is cheap goods at walmart. Hell, even high tech computer parts went down in price. this is my own wild guess: one of the major reasons was to get as much rare earth from china as possible before the chinese govt wise up. judging from news on rare earth exports, china’s govt is still in the dark.

“China now claims all the islands of the South China Sea”

The claims is not recent. China’s claim on the South China Sea islands dates back to the last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty. China actually fought a war against France when France attempted to annex those islands. This is the Sino-French war in the late 19th century. No other countries, Spain included (then the colonial power of the Phillipines) voice any objections on France attempted annexation. When the Phillipines changed hand and became an American colony, the American-Spain treaty includes the demarcation of the maritime boundary of the Phillipines and it does not overlapped with the islands China claimed. After WWII the United States loaned four warships to China (Republic of China at that time) to recover those islands occupied by the Japanese. China (Republic of China at that time) published its maritime boundary, the eleven dashed line. Phillippines started making claims on some of the islands only in the mid 1970s.

What do the people of Taiwan want? Do they want to join China? If not why not recogonise their independence? What is the big deal? It seems that China is stuck in the Communist vs Koumintang frame of a bygone era. Let Taiwan be independent like Singapore and get over with it. An independent Taiwan should be neutral and avoid military alliance with any world power.

Trump’s call with Tsai actually illustrates how US “free press” has d_mbed down US citizens, including President elect Trump and his advisor such as Stephen Moore. Why did previous presidents, from Carter to Obama, did not directly communicate with Taiwan’s leaders. The US could sell billion dollars of weapons and what not to Taiwan. But they would not call Taiwan’s leader nor accept their call. Are they not as smart as Trump?

Of course not. Rather, they knew something that the free press did not talk bother to clarify: 1) Taiwan is not an independent country, and more important 2) it is not any kind of an ally of the US. To the extent that the US does not want to have military conflict with China, Taiwan is nothing but a liability. To be sure, Taiwan could be an independent country and an ally. The current US led world order maintained since Nixon went to China, however, precludes such a scenario.

Is creating a new world order Trump’s intention? If so, he must have a more detailed plan on how he could achieve such a feat. Otherwise, his call is simplay an act of irresponsibility. Such behavior would predicably decrease America’s soft power.

Don’t worry, the Americans are not going to fight for the Koreans or the Japanese. The point is moot since the Russians are the joker in the pack. The Taiwanese are fully capable of defending themselves. All this Chinese talk of their one and only holy national interests is just them talking from both sides of their mouth. Trump has method in his unpredictability, he has no reason to give up rhetorical advantage over the Chicoms.

We can already see the Chicom response; studied indifference from official circles, while unleashing the running dogs in their controlled press. We saw this happen to the Japanese on two or three occasions in the past decade. As I said, the Chinese hope to get what they want by intimidation; Trump is not a wilting flower and I say good on him.

There just isn’t any interest among ordinary Americans in defending these countries, certainly not enough to spend 170,000 lives (which are the equivalent lives normed to today’s larger US population). Which is why the previous interventions had to be framed in terms of fighting communism, and contemporary ones have to be framed in terms of a Chinese invasion of the US, not a defense of Taiwan or whatever.

That isn’t usually a problem for US regimes – they just push and push until they provoke something that can be framed as an outrage about which “something must be done”. Or until they trigger an actual attack by their target, as with Japan and the preventive “Bush doctrine” attack the Japanese launched on Pearl Harbor after years of pushing, and after having had it made absolutely clear to them that the US was not going to allow them to build the kind of empire they had watched the European powers and the US build over the previous decades.

As Buchanan has noted previously, one Japanese diplomat reportedly described the situation aptly, thus:

“Just when we learn how to play poker, they change the game to bridge”.

Well stated! WRT sacrificing US lives over Taiwan, whoa, no one said that here. I would not be in favor of that. Trump is not going to bomb Beijing, but neither is he going to roll over and let China throw its weight around in the region while we sit quiet like spineless pussies b/c we are scared of offending China and their oh-so-precious ‘face.’ Screw that. We have ‘face’ too. Doesn’t mean we are going to war, though. our past leadership has been a bunch of stupid and spineless teenage girls, and China has just laughed at them and done whatever they want. Trump I believe is signaling that there is a new sheriff in town and things are going to be different now. We don’t need to fight w China but we don’t need to roll over for them, either. I like a relationship of mutual respect.

Because even though it makes Chinese cheap goods even cheaper it just accelerates the rate of the one-way exodus of American dollars to China. The British had the same problem with buying tea from China using silver as currency, the supplies of silver ran very low and caused problems at home.

*They are tribal Zombies fed arrogance from childhood*

Jeeze,
Doesnt it fits morons like you down to a tee, ?

How old are you ?
Much as I loathe censorship I think this site should ban kiddies from posting.

“the status of the USD as the ‘world’s reserve currency’ is not even remotely threatened right now ”

Poor darling. And “not even remotely” to boot!

Take one’s advice–DO NOT APPLY FOR EMPLOYMENT AT GOLDMAN SACHS.

Wrong. Western policy has consistently portrayed Russia as enemy #1 for many years under the Dems and neocon hawks (see Victoria Nuland’s coup in Ukraine recently). China has been a secondary issue for the US, mostly a necessary trading ally who has taken the US for a ride. Even Obama and his cronies never stepped up to China when they began building a military/naval complex in the South China Sea. Trump has now pivoted, saying we need to get on with Russia but get tougher on China. This is a good strategy.

” It will be decades, most likely, before Chinese navy can go toe to toe with the US navy on equal terms and in neutral waters and hope to prevail.”

The Chinese have no plans to compete with the US Navy. That’s a Unitedstatesian sucker punch you throw.

The Chinese plans are more subtle:

(1) strictly defensive

(2) asymmetrical

(3) innovative

(4) dirt cheap.

The US Navy will disappear quickly in any theater of operations where it attacks the Chinese or their materiel. No USN, no need to compete–voilà.

Much of China’s participation in tech industries is brokered through those two countries.