Striking the US where it hurts

[Fish]

Part I:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HJ19Ad01.html

Part 2:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HJ20Ad01.html

[Konovalov]

Interesting. So what's the good news? Is there a striking China where it hurts version?

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Konovalov

Interesting. So what's the good news? Is there a striking China where it hurts version?

I am pretty sure!

[CB..]

typical of America to assume that Russia would just roll over and play dead.(oops didn't any one bother to check? )..Russia just waits for winter then "re asserts" it self..China just plays tortoise and hare with the rest of world...Iran just does it's thorn in the side impersonation...

[Coda]

If they really want to hit us where it hurts, they should gain control of our beer and cigarettes at convenience stores.

Wait a minute........... ah never mind.





They forgot point 11. Football. Not the game, the one the President carries.

[ASWnut101]

That was problably one of the most dangerous times for the U.S. when the presidents left it. I don't remember which ones, but my god! You've got the key to the country's nuke arsenal and you leave it at a party! One waiter who cleaned up the mess after the party said he opened it, saw what was inside, and immediatly called the FBI........ Some people just can't be trusted with the country's well being, it seems.

[Skybird]

I can't judge all the specific military technology details, but beside these, I can't agree more on the Brigadier's views. I never understood why so many Americans seem to see their nation and themselves as almost invulnerable. when when having pointed at this or that of their most obvious weaknesses, only laughter. Very likely that the others maybe will laugh last, but longer and louder. America seem to have a fetish for big clubs, firearms, violence and military. And exactly this probably will turn out to be it's Achilles heel.

Too bad that many Europeans share these self-deceptions when relying on the US umbrella - even today when the differences between both spheres become bigger, wider, and more and more turn into rivalries. That Europe plays it's own cards so badly, and the ridiculously low spendings in future-related preparation, including defence budgets, is something that costs me some sleep at nights.

If the US will collapse under it's own weight, it follow many examples of former global empires that went down for exactly this reason. With regard to Europe, we need to rethink about closer alliances with Russia. they have the resources, we have the technology, both make us ideal partners. Concerning Putin, I can only quote German correspondent legend Peter Scholl-Latour: "I have seen many dictators that were far, far worse."

They may be rivals in the global game, but one has to admire the style and calmness and unexcitement with which the Chinese play their cards and one by one pick up their advantages, even when being challenged. So much different than the Americans, or us Europeans. I think they will be winners of this game.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I can't judge all the specific military technology details, but beside these, I can't agree more on the Brigadier's views. I never understood why so many Americans seem to see their nation and themselves as almost invulnerable. when when having pointed at this or that of their most obvious weaknesses, only laughter. Very likely that the others maybe will laugh last, but longer and louder. America seem to have a fetish for big clubs, firearms, violence and military. And exactly this probably will turn out to be it's Achilles heel.

Too bad that many Europeans share these self-deceptions when relying on the US umbrella - even today when the differences between both spheres become bigger, wider, and more and more turn into rivalries. That Europe plays it's own cards so badly, and the ridiculously low spendings in future-related preparation, including defence budgets, is something that costs me some sleep at nights.

If the US will collapse under it's own weight, it follow many examples of former global empires that went down for exactly this reason. With regard to Europe, we need to rethink about closer alliances with Russia. they have the resources, we have the technology, both make us ideal partners. Concerning Putin, I can only quote German correspondent legend Peter Scholl-Latour: "I have seen many dictators that were far, far worse."

They may be rivals in the global game, but one has to admire the style and calmness and unexcitement with which the Chinese play their cards and one by one pick up their advantages, even when being challenged. So much different than the Americans, or us Europeans. I think they will be winners of this game.

You take to propoganda real easy I notice.

[Ducimus]

The LInked sites are funny to me because you'd swear to god they think they thought all that stuff up. Like the US woudlnt employ similar tactics or something. Id say the author is blindly overpatriotic to his home nation.

[ASWnut101]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

The LInked sites are funny to me because you'd swear to god they think they thought all that stuff up. Like the US woudlnt employ similar tactics or something. Id say the author is blindly overpatriotic to his home nation.

Theres nothing wrong with being overpatriotic, just blindly overpatriotic.

Like me. I wear a shirt that says "Patriotism: An American Tradition" that has a big american flag on it. I flaunt it infront of the Anti-Everything girl in my class. She hates me. Bad. She dosent even stand for the pledge! That pissed off a few in class, including me, but nothing we can do about it. They refer to the types as "emo-goths." She says she hates saying the pledge because she thinks others are trying to press their ideals and values into her. *I'm starting to get mad just writing this* I feel like putting an American flag on her desk, glued on.

[August]

Originally Posted by Skybird

If the US will collapse under it's own weight, it follow many examples of former global empires that went down for exactly this reason.

Well that's a safe bet Skybird. All empires since the beginning of recorded history, global or regional, have "gone down" at some point. The nation who grew the empire always survives, and that has always been enough for me and the overwhelming majority of my countrymen.

Unlike the most empires throughout history our intention has never been to annex new lands and territories. We're not going to loose our overseas colonies because we don't have any.

So what exactly does "gone down" mean in a modern sense? The last empire to fall, the Soviet empire, "went down" only a few years ago (historically speaking), yet Russia not only survives and is beginning to prosper, but according to that article is already plotting it's return to empire.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by August

Well that's a safe bet Skybird. All empires since the beginning of recorded history, global or regional, have "gone down" at some point. The nation who grew the empire always survives, and that has always been enough for me and the overwhelming majority of my countrymen.

Unlike the most empires throughout history our intention has never been to annex new lands and territories. We're not going to loose our overseas colonies because we don't have any.

So what exactly does "gone down" mean in a modern sense? The last empire to fall, the Soviet empire, "went down" only a few years ago (historically speaking), yet Russia not only survives and is beginning to prosper, but according to that article is already plotting it's return to empire.

Someone with a brain finially! :hmm: That is what I have been saying for ages - what empire? There is none. Never quite understood this empire thing. Yes, the US has near world dominance unlike any country before, but we choose not to exercise that dominance and instead deal in a peaceful economic manner - something a country in a position such as this has never done in history. History will see us as an oddball, that is for sure.

-S

PS. Maybe Skybird can clue us in on what territory we will lose? Oops - I forgot - Porto Rico. Strange this is though, they were the ones that wanted to be a US territory. We never asked them to be to my knowledge. Matter of fact, seems to be a good thing to be a territory since you get all the benefits of being part of the US without paying any of the taxes. So maybe it would be a good thing to loose Porto Rico?

[snowsub]

Well you could loose the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas Islands. (and Porto Rico as noted)
And are Guam & American Samoa considered part of US territory?

See, america is taking over the world :rotfl:

Down with the evil empire


said with tongue heavily in cheek

[Fish]

Originally Posted by August

[. We're not going to loose our overseas colonies because we don't have any.

.

Well, if I am well informed the US just colonized outer space. :hmm:

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/doco...ac/visbook.pdf

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by August

Unlike the most empires throughout history our intention has never been to annex new lands and territories. We're not going to loose our overseas colonies because we don't have any.

That was true for the British, Portuguese and dutch trading empires as well. With the exception of India, they only established trading strongholds at strategic key locations, they focused on seizing coastlines, but did not care much about occupying all the Continental inland. The system of American bases around the globe as well the the dominant influence of the US in the ICF, WTO and NATO (and last but not least: the UN: SC) as well as it's massive influence on politics of other nations and cultural influence by dominating global medias by US medias or medias that follow the opinion policies of these is a parallel to that.

The ability to enforce policies in WTO, ICF and NATO that are in the interests of the US are decreasing, though.

The Brigadier pointed at one thing that you should feel extremely nervous about: China holds the biggest dollar reserves of all your lenders. They already have enough that they could trigger a chain reaction that leads to the international financial markets being flooded with sold dollar reserves from everybody, which would leave the US with a currency that is almost worthless and no longer capable to keep the US economy running. It is running and living on tick. See the ICF warning about the ridiculous volume of US deficit.

Napoleon's dream did not live because the British outsmarted him on financial politics (by potential, France should have been more than strong and rich enough to outlast the British, but Napoleon's handling of finances is said to have been inadequate, at least, while the British tailored a financial system around their war with the French that enabled them to endure much longer than one had to expect if checking their initial resources). Habsburg, Spain, Austria stumbled over financial struggles and increasing deficits. Venice fall began when it was no longer able to claim a position of being a vital centre for the flow of goods and finances. The Netherlands withdraw from competition to financially and economically influence (by trading) Europe for lacking monetarian power. Only the British maybe can be said to have been loosing their empire due to military defeat (the loss of colonies in SE Asia during the chaos of WWII). For the xth time I recommend Paul Kennedy's brilliant book which focuses very much exactly on these aspects in power politics in Europe: the interaction of finance-economy-military. One of the best non-fictional books I have ever red, thick in pages, but fluid reading. Having only one of these three pillars, but not the others, guarantees failure. China invests in all three of these, Russia in military (again) and economy (energy), Iran on finance and oil, while the US focuses on (more and more expensive) military, and Europe on (fading) economy and finances. I see Europe not half as well positioned in the global game as European politicians often claim. additionally, too man players in our team. A power made up of more than two dozen players who all want to be the team captain hardly ever will act as a team: more like a parade of hysteric primadonnas. This will work against us, forever.