[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon

Or perhaps China's building a military to subvert a people (Taiwan) against their will under the mainland (China).

1) The US already has a military it uses to subvert and attack any other nation, anywhere in the world, it doesn't like.

China still hasn't explained why they need 700 SRBM's pointed across the Taiwan Strait at civilians. Not exactly a defensive posture.

2) Boo-hoo. In the greater system of things, unless those 700 SRBMs are armed with NBC warheads, 700 SRBMs is nothing. America's military can put together a comparable battery of warheads versus almost any target in the world in a very short time. As one of the countless tactics they could use, since a B-52 can carry about 20 cruise missiles, a mere 35 of them (3 squadrons worth) could carry the same 700 500kg warhead attack capability. Counting planning time, I still don't see them needing more than a day or so to do so. Wow ... offensive!
3) The Chinese hardly makes it a secret they want Taiwan back. Hell, if those 700 missiles force the Taiwanese to capitulate without a shot being fired, that would be the highest victory, no?

I don't know about you, but lighting East Asia on fire to conquer a defacto free and independant people ain't a happy thought. I hope the USA (Rumsfeld) keeps on em'.

America constantly flexing its military muscles ain't a greatly reassuring thought for me either.

Regarding that tangential debate that's dominating the thread now, I'd just point out briefly that it is impossible to prove motive, short of using brain scans which we don't have the tech for and which will be a major invasion of privacy. Even if you directly bribed me in plain sight of the world, there is no way anyone can really prove your bribe is what motivated me to do something that just benefits to benefit you. All you can do is show that there is a motive, and that's generally considered adequate and in fact has to be due to limitations in our ability to acquire such knowledge.