Could America win a world war?

Simply put - could America really win another world war? I suppose the question is foolish in one way - the US is more than capable to make adaptatioins.

However, the fact probably is that the US could not win a world war with its CURRENT military. The current military is built to handle regional issues with little loss of US lives. It is very successful at this.

But the primary mission of the US military is defense of the United States, in this aspect I think it fails.

Russia (especially) but also Germany have well developed military industrial complexes similar to the British and US MIC's with this difference.

Russia's equipment is high-tech but low end of the spectrum and is mass-produceable.

Germany's is high tech and high end but most of their equipment is transferrable...where US equipment is pretty much packaged and made - German tanks can be disassembled and mix-matched, power-packs can be quickly changed and interchanged, etc.

WW2 was won by one thing alone, production. I don't think the US could produce enough of their high end machines, it takes 1,000 workers 1 month to build an F-22.

So yes, the F-22 maybe invulnerable against pathetic Arabs piloting archaic Soviet Technology rusting out from under them, but in a real war where people die and machines are lost, it would take hundreds of millions of workers to produce as many F-22s a month as the US was producing P-52s during WW2.

The M1/A2 tanks share the same problem.

So in the field of production, Russia can out-produce.

In terms of survivability Germany's equipment is more re-useable but that's debateable.

Do you mean could America win a wold war on its own>?
Because no superpower can. That was the greatest mistake of Hitler he went up agents the 2 super powers of the world and lost.
If America desires world domination then all the people of America will have to agree over wise there will be civil revolt and the soldiers off over nations will be on American beaches within a few hours of war being declared.

No the US could not win any war at the moment using conventional weapons, its a well known fact that all you have to do to beat the USA is hold out and let the citizens of that country pressure the elected party to pullout and precipitate a loss.

Oh sure they will call it an amazing tactically successful withdrawl or repositoning of troops to were they are needed most. But the fact remains you can call a dead soldier a " combatant loss" but the corpse will still stink like a dead person.

Originally posted by mazzroth
No the US could not win any war at the moment using conventional weapons, its a well known fact that all you have to do to beat the USA is hold out and let the citizens of that country pressure the elected party to pullout and precipitate a loss.

Oh sure they will call it an amazing tactically successful withdrawl or repositoning of troops to were they are needed most. But the fact remains you can call a dead soldier a " combatant loss" but the corpse will still stink like a dead person.

I dunno, depends.....

IF its a fight for survival, and for security ' a LEGITIMATE case ' then I think Americans are willing to pretyt much go the distance.
I mean, Hitler unchecked taking britian would of left America wide open to attack... America held its nerve against large amounts of casualties in this war... mainly because it was JUST, and the people believed in the reason.. because the reason was legit.

How ever, Vietnam, and Iraq are not wars where the USA is in danger.
So they dont believe sacrificing so many , for something that exists '' way over there '' and has no bearing on things '' over here ''

But the next world war, will be a war of nuclear weapons.
So can anyone really win?

The USA I believe WOULD win a world war,if losing meant the end of them.
The people coming together for survival is pretty amazing in the US, and the industry and ability means they can pump out mass military hardware, quality hardware at that.

China probably wouldnt win, as the people I see are not free to fight, they are more than likely pushed to fight.. where as the USA people fight for themselves...

I cant see a milllion chinese volunteereing in the 40's...

In a fight for survival, I'm sure the U.S would win (i.e. survive).

Manufacturing may be in decline, but they could ramp up at least as quickly as anyone else. Geographically, with at least an ocean between the U.S and any other superpower, the odds are good too. Any army will fight the hardest when defending it's homeland, I'm I'm sure th U.S. is no exception.

As others have stated, it depends the scenario. The United States of America and it's citizens would be able to win a World War if it meant their survival and their very existence was at stake. It was unbelievable that before WWII the United States was in a depression and then during WWII was turning out tens of thousands of warbirds and tanks and other things. The industrial capabilities of the US are amazing and if needed, we can switch into overdrive and start turning out stealth fighters and bombers left and right.

Shattered OUT...

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