Originally posted by SplitInfinity
I have noticed that there are a number of people on this Board who make the assumption that the United States is in some way Militarily Inferior to other countries such as China or Russia. I have also noticed by a great number of posts that some seem to think that if in the unlikely event a WAR broke out between the U.S. and IRAN that the U.S. Military would be hard pressed to defeat Iran.

Because we have not been able to decisively win a major armed conflict in the last 67 consecutive years. Our overwhelming technological advantage is actually our greatest WEAKNESS because it allows us to back our enemies into corners from which there is NO ESCAPE. It's a surefire way to lose EVERY SINGLE TIME. Why? Because when you are guaranteed defeat before you start...you really don't have anything to lose.

-The Spartans at Thermopylae knew they weren't coming home.
-The Japanese Kamikaze pilots were bolted into the cockpit before they launched.
-Sun-Tzu would deliberately send armies on "suicide missions" when outnumbered in order to win because he knew they would fight harder if they had no other option.
-Boudica lost to the Romans when she trapped them in a box canyon.
-The penalty for desertion in the Roman army was to kill 1 out 10 men in the unit whether they ran off or not. The practice was called "decimation".

See a pattern here? The REASON we have terrorist attacks is because we have made it IMPOSSIBLE to attack us with an army. The more we dictate terms and give the Iranians a "choice" between two alternatives they don't want...the more we can be sure to see lots and lots of suicide bombers. Both domestically and abroad.

Furthermore, the lesson of history is that the LEAST important thing in determining victory in a war is the size of your military or it's technological advantage...even though these are the things that normally determine victory in a BATTLE.

Just like the US won every battle in Vietnam...but we lost the war. Hannibal could win battles...but couldn't win the war. Russia won all the battles in Afghanistan just like we did...but we both lost the wars.

See how that works?

Thats because the haters on these boards want to see something more than the conventional
US hardware in action. But that isn't going to happen because there are currently no threats in the world big enough to justify rolling out something from the top secret toy box. Its that simple. Even if someone like China wanted to invade the US, we would see and hear their military buildup long before they got rolling. They can't blind all of our satellites. Plus our current navy and air force are more than capable of stopping their advance long before they make landfall. Now, the chinese or anyone else would have to do something extraordinary to steamroll any US effort to stop them, to get that toy box to open up.

See, the game here is that the world is playing catch-up to ordinary conventional military tech.
Most of it was thought up during WWII, and just refined over the years. Seriously. Makes you wonder, how hard is it to catch up with that stuff? China is the king of IP thieves, but they can't catch up with some of this stuff. What's up with that? And while we're on it, when was the last time China fought any modern army of US caliber? Never. I can name 3 other asian countries that can make that claim, but China is not one of them. And any fight China starts they pretty much have to do it alone, while we can do it alone or bring friends. Either way, that still won't open that toy box.

My sources indicate that as advanced as the US is - they are still far outstripped by the former USSR.

That is why the US/UK - 5 all seeing eyes - sold their souls to entities such as the UN Round Table.

ETA: Not that that won't fall on the deaf ears of patriotic, egotistical US citizens.

Further ETA: All is not as it seems - but so many of you fail to see that.

I won't quote all of you so if it applies it should be clear.The NEW US Cavalry of which I was a member is quite a capable force thank you.As to the Australians,have you ever fought in a jungle?You can't see squat.If command can't communicate locations of forces these "blue on blue" can happen.Coordination is necessary or you die Aussies didn't do that (or they did and our admin pukes failed),your pointman sees contact in a foreign uniform in a conflict that is in your face in seconds and they engage.What do you expect?
In Desert Storm a vehicle from 1/7 Cav was captured by the Syrians ,we had to get an SF team to translate"There is an American combined arms brigade that wants their Bradley back". They obviously complied as we were in visual range.
And speaking of my war we did win it in a spectacular fashion crippling the 4th largest army on earth in record time with almost zero casualties,in fact we injured ourselves more than the enemy did.That was because we HAD A CLEAR OBJECTIVE with a carefully devised force.Something lacking these days in war,as well as leading from the rear which always wastes troops and looses conflicts .They still want tech to do that so they can kill remotely from the rear.
We monkeys have fought since the dawn of time.You would have to study philosophy maybe you can tell us. But since the Eastern side is all "might makes right" in their BASIC philosophy,and human life is a secondary consideration to them.I do want to be capable of stopping them from taking your tofu and my gun collection.

Some of the rhetoric coming from the US right wing is bordering on paranoid sillyness. No one can invade the US because of the nuclear arsenal. To say China and Russia might invade is utterly ridiculous.

The level of right wing paranoid warmongering is cartoonish.

The nature of warfare has changed in the 21st century and massive conventional armies, navies and air forces are becoming increasingly not very useful. Unless you're interested in power projection and corporate defense spending.

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
I have noticed that there are a number of people on this Board who make the assumption that the United States is in some way Militarily Inferior to other countries such as China or Russia. I have also noticed by a great number of posts that some seem to think that if in the unlikely event a WAR broke out between the U.S. and IRAN that the U.S. Military would be hard pressed to defeat Iran.

I am a "CIVILIAN" in the manner that the quotes denote and work with members of the U.S. Military which allows me a special vantage point to look at this issue. I KNOW...not Guess or Think or Postulate...but KNOW...that the U.S. Military is not something any country or even a GROUP of country's would want to wage WAR against.

China and Russia may talk a lot and Iran's Civilian Mouth Piece that spouts nonsense such as statements like...We are perfectly capable of HANDLING any U.S. Military Attack upon Iran and can sink U.S. Naval ships at will.

It is statements like these which has Iran's own Military Leadership on the verge of Mutiny. Iran's REAL Military Leadership is well aware of U.S. Military capabilities as aware that what the U.S. Military shows the World as far as capabilities is not the true extent of U.S. Military Covert Capabilities. China and especially Russia are much more aware of what possible Ultra-Advanced Weaponry the U.S. Military could have and they not only Fear it but they Respect it. This is at odds with how Iran's Civilian Military Mouth Piece has and still is stating.

For those of you here on this board...I tell you this. Whatever you can think of as a possible U.S. Military High Tech Weapon...Multiply your thoughts times a THOUSAND! We have capabilities and Weaponry that scare even those who have designed it and if any Nation were to actually attempt a Sneak Attack...the U.S. Military would use some of this weaponry. These systems are WORLD CHANGING and even knowledge of their EXISTENCE would put Political Strains on our relations with other countries and even our own allies.

Pandora's Box was opened a Long Time Ago! We are able to keep the Box Lid shut but we can also open that Box anytime we wish...but to do so would have cause and effects that would create a completely different view by others upon the United States and I am sure many would use the word EMPIRE to describe the LAST, BEST HOPE FOR MANKIND. Split Infinity

I think that this kind of thinking id dangerous, for two main reasons. First off, history has shown time and again that armies using so called "superior military technologies" can and have been beaten by lesser armies employing non-standard tactics or unconventional means. There is not a more a dangerous weapon on this planet than a man fighting because he has been backed into a corner and feels he has no other options. Second, as a former US army Tanker I can tell you that all of this high tech weaponry that you see on the history channel and the military channel and whatever else is 90 percent BS. Or way too expensive to effectively employ against another army. Remember back in 2005 when that private asked rumsfeld at one of those "Go America!" politician tours why they could'nt get decent body armor issued to them? Or why he and his fellow soldiers were digging through the trash trying to find anything to put on their gear and vehicles that might help stop bullets and shrapnel? I know when I was in the desert alot of us carried tampons in our first aid pouches because there were never enough pressure dressings and tampons stop up a bullet hole pretty good if the need arises. 8 years and two deployments as an Abrams crewman and never did I once see a STAFF (computer guided) or MP (chopper killer) round. Not even when you go to draw ammo from the depots. Yet every time I watch a show on TV about tanks, you would think that that's all the US Tank Corps uses. I can say with a fair amount of certainty as a former soldier that the US Army is by no means invincible. And "superior military technology" does alot more to promote a false sense of security than it does help on a battlefield. My two cents anyways.

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
I have noticed that there are a number of people on this Board who make the assumption that the United States is in some way Militarily Inferior to other countries such as China or Russia. I have also noticed by a great number of posts that some seem to think that if in the unlikely event a WAR broke out between the U.S. and IRAN that the U.S. Military would be hard pressed to defeat Iran.

I am a "CIVILIAN" in the manner that the quotes denote and work with members of the U.S. Military which allows me a special vantage point to look at this issue. I KNOW...not Guess or Think or Postulate...but KNOW...that the U.S. Military is not something any country or even a GROUP of country's would want to wage WAR against.

China and Russia may talk a lot and Iran's Civilian Mouth Piece that spouts nonsense such as statements like...We are perfectly capable of HANDLING any U.S. Military Attack upon Iran and can sink U.S. Naval ships at will.

It is statements like these which has Iran's own Military Leadership on the verge of Mutiny. Iran's REAL Military Leadership is well aware of U.S. Military capabilities as aware that what the U.S. Military shows the World as far as capabilities is not the true extent of U.S. Military Covert Capabilities. China and especially Russia are much more aware of what possible Ultra-Advanced Weaponry the U.S. Military could have and they not only Fear it but they Respect it. This is at odds with how Iran's Civilian Military Mouth Piece has and still is stating.

For those of you here on this board...I tell you this. Whatever you can think of as a possible U.S. Military High Tech Weapon...Multiply your thoughts times a THOUSAND! We have capabilities and Weaponry that scare even those who have designed it and if any Nation were to actually attempt a Sneak Attack...the U.S. Military would use some of this weaponry. These systems are WORLD CHANGING and even knowledge of their EXISTENCE would put Political Strains on our relations with other countries and even our own allies.

Pandora's Box was opened a Long Time Ago! We are able to keep the Box Lid shut but we can also open that Box anytime we wish...but to do so would have cause and effects that would create a completely different view by others upon the United States and I am sure many would use the word EMPIRE to describe the LAST, BEST HOPE FOR MANKIND. Split Infinity

There is no question the US has the most powerful and capable military in the world, that is obvious to anyone who has studied military hardware.
The Russian military are still quite powerful and to a lesser extent China. It is highly improbable that hostilities between these three nuclear powers would ever break out because of MAD or mutually assured destruction. As for Iran they are not very strong at all.

I don't believe anything about these so-called superweapons you keep mentioning.
We already have the ultimate weapons of armageddon, nuclear weapons. The destructive power of one US Ohio class nuclear ballistic missile submarine with the Trident weapons system is almost beyond imagining. Your so-called secret super weapons still cannot compare with this ultimate destructive force so they make no difference even if they do exist.
We still have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world a few times over, I think people forget that sometimes.

Originally posted by MonkeyFishFrog
This is not a troll answer but what I think:

9/11

If the USA had as powerful and advanced a military as people believed then 19 minimally funded hijackers wouldn't have pulled off what they did.

Oddly enough though, if proven that it was an inside job, then I would say absolutely.

Why would this make you think this? It makes no sense really. This was not a military issue this was an intelligence issue. It is also one of the problems of a free society. If you want to be free to speak and free to move as you will, then you risk well organized and minimally funded actions being successful. No matter how advanced your equipment is, a well prepared, thought out attack can and will be plotted and executed by zealots dedicated to their cause. This is how resistance cells work. They spend a great deal of time in minimal contact and do not discuss plans in detail with people not directly involved in planning. Often times they will not have any contact or knowledge of cells operating in the same area. The less you know the less you can tell should you be caught.