China Targets US Troops with Arms Buildup

reply to post by Final Solstice


Yes, I think you are right, for now, whilst the USA military tech and forces are funded as they are, and maintenance is sustained at current levels.

However, just look at the (dire) balance sheets, not just for the USA, but many key trade partners (i.e. 'the West') and projected demographic changes (aging populations).

If the money dries up, how could the West possibly maintain it's curent investment, and therefore readiness/advantage over such a clearly sophisticated and already advanced/highly capable super-power, eventually in any theatre?

[edit on 18-8-2010 by curioustype]

Combine your thread with this one....

www.abovetopsecret.com...


Scary stuff...

[edit on 18-8-2010 by monkeySEEmonkeyDO]

I'm old enough to have lived through the tail end of the cold war as an adult.

Of the two former US Cold-war adversaries China & the USSR, China was always the scarier of the two for me. They didn't have the tech back then nor the economy but They have proven several times that they were more than willing to get into a fist fight with the US either directly [Korea] or indirectly [Vietnam] Unlike the Soviets who fought theirs through PROXY.

SUN TZU said: Never under estimate nor over estimate your opponent but consider them an equal. If they are an equal then they can be defeated.




[edit on 18-8-2010 by SLAYER69]

reply to post by Final Solstice

It's all hogwash. No one is surpassing the USA or taking it over any time in the distant future.

Are you joking? The US will only last as long as its economy lasts and our economy is only as strong as it is, because our currency is used both as the international reserve and to trade commodities, which ultimately extends our credit and puts value in our currency. Other than that, we consume far more than we produce.

Other nations' currencies are valued on real and definable variables, where is ours is not. Sure, we just may have the strongest military and most technological weapons, but that's only as long as the money is there. With out the money to feed into these programs or our military and you will qouckly see this advantage fade away, especially seeing how these military-industrial companies have started to go international.

Not only that, but it is our empire that ensures we have access to the materials needed in order to build the technology. Since our empire is built on an economical model, it is only as good as our economy.

Just about any economist worth his weight in salt, knows that our economy can't and won't last for much longer. You can't ship production off-shore at the same time that your debt is rising through the roof at unprecedented rates and our deficits are only growing wider. In fact, even if Americans were to drastically cut-back our consuming, we would still have a trade deficit that is uglier Queen Latifa, just to stay afloat and viable.

Our economy, therefor our military and empire has its days numbers. The only thing we can blame is ignorance, greed and lack of responsability on the part of the American people for the current situation we find ourselves in. Sadly, our economy has already passed the event horizon and all we can do, is watch it collapse. Whether this happens in our life-times or our children's is left for debate, though many argue much sooner than later. We simply can no longer sustain our current system and even the most drastic changes wouldn't help much.

As I said in the OP and following posts, China is only biding time because their economy directly benefits from ours, hence their major investments. However, whem our economy is no longer viable and China can no longer sell us all of the plastic useless crap, they are going to elbow their way in to our lonely spot at the top.

Unfortunately, by then most Americans will have already handed in their liberties - or what's left of them, anyway - and we will be subjected to authoritarian rule, at least until our natural resources are raped from us. Because of this, we won't have any weapons to fend of a Chinese invasion, but no need to fret, an invasion wouldn't be needed anyway.

China does not need to invade our homeland in order to take our throne as world super-power. They simply do what we have been doing and that is to economically coerce nations into abiding by their system. If a country refuses and has something that the empire wants, then they first demonize and spin propaganda, then they invade but that is really few and far betwen. In short, they will simply do what America has been doing for 50+ years and that is to conquer economically.

--airspoon

reply to post by airspoon

Well said, I thought you put that rather well. The other thing I have been thinking, being British, is quite how similar the situation of the USA now may be to that of the transition for the preceeding dominant world power - Britain.

The transition from British supremacy to USA supremacy occured without a shot fired in anger between the two parties, or any kind of [hostile] martial invasion of the UK mainland [by the USA]. I would suggest people take another look at what happened there. I know it is not exactly the same, but I hope people see the gist of what I am getting at rather than pedantically picking holes in my comparison.

Remember also, the lag between Britain actually being the supreme power, and culturally accepting, and adapting to it's new position. Arguably, that process is STILL ongoing, e.g. our position in the G4/G6/G8/UN security council place/veto, etc... Perhaps there are lessons there for what to expect if things moved forward as you and I are expecting?

As you say, it is the transition, a tipping point in momentum on influence on other states, and indeed businesses, and the direction of trade (globally) that may mean more than any specific military actions. However, that's not to say that military changes, challenges and hazards will be very significant this time round, for the world has changed a lot since 1941-50, especially in the proliferation of WMD, world population, and geopolitical tensions. Russia remains, a mysterious and troublesome part of the equation, but now there are other states presenting similar headaches.

I also wonder that given the fact that not just the USA but most of NATO seem to be facing the same wretched economic fortunes, some kind of aggressive, large scale military campaign(s) may occcur sooner than later as an attempt to mask, defer, or desperately alter the outcome(s)?

[NB - Remember, there was a time when many would have laughed at the prospect of Britain losing it's empire in the way, and timescale, that it actually happened. To many it was unthinkable, given our vast empire, military, navy, technological and manufacturing heritage...Indeed, some of the people I speak to still seem to struggle to grasp where that transition has actually left us...]



[edit on 19-8-2010 by curioustype]

[edit on 19-8-2010 by curioustype]