Best Posts in Thread: F-35Bs…West Philippine Sea

Excuse my common sense approach in these matters, but all out war with conventional and/or nuclear weapons between major world powers seems to me to be something none of us should wish for, and also something none of these countries will actually engage in.
Sanctions, sure. Covert actions like cyber warfare, sure. Bombs and rockets, no way.
Don't make the mistake of comparing today's nuclear bombs with Hiroshima/Nagasaki. Devastating as they were, they're like baby toys compared to the destructive power of today's nukes. I assume none of you proponents of obliterating China remembers how large swaths of Europe couldn't harvest vegetables in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 because of fall out / radiated dust clouds, or more recently, how many people were displaced in Japan after the Fukushima meltdown, or longer ago, how the USA narrowly escaped disaster at Three Mile Island in 1979.
Please, let's keep everyone's toys in the pram, much safer.
Yes, China is on a long term path of exerting more influence on the world stage; their nine dash line claims in the South China Sea are only one venture on that path; the Belt and Road Initiative represents countless other attempts.
While the former is indeed breaching international law and as such should draw strong reactions from the international community, the latter is in many ways comparable with the Marshall plan after WW2, in the sense that the USA gained strong allied ties in return for their help to a devastated Europe after the war, and China is merely trying to achieve something similar now.
So no, their efforts are in no way selfless, and the West may be watching with trepidation, but to expect the most populous nation on the planet to keep looking inward as their economy is on the verge of overtaking the USA seems naive.

 

I am also puzzled why the free world allows Iran to attack shipping with minor consequences. They have 4 middle-size ports and 1 very major one. So tell them in advance that if they attack another ship the free world destroys one middle size port, then the next time (or if any retaliation) the other three middle size ports and then the one major port. If they want to keep going then their airfields and other infrastructure. But instead the free world allows them to do as they please.

Surely everyone here has met a bully at some time in their life - and it is so obvious they don't stop until faced with consequences. Twice in my life I have given threats to bullies, not actions (apart from a swift kick in one bully's shin) and on both occasions the bullying stopped immediately (one was a very serious case and against some very vulnerable people
- one text (he lived far from me) told that bully of the consequences and he stopped immediately and that text was a risk to me in its contents). You will never stop bullies (individuals or States) by accepting their behaviour just because it might have consequences - that is exactly what they depend on.

 

I read he intends to run again in 2024 - and who would bet against him winning! :(

This would be the ideal - it is impossible not to feel sorry for the brainwashed NK people and just imagine what a country a united Korea would be. The worry is whether Kim-the-haircut (or his crazy sis) take down the temple with them or the Chinese decide to move into NK rather than have a united Korea on their borders.

I think those living between just after WW2 and to this point (plus a little beyond ) have maybe had the best of it.

 

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind ( Mahatma Gandhi )
What man can't do, nature will do for us and that will be to unite this world in a final fight for survival.

 

Google is your friend.
SIPRNet - Wikipedia
Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System ...

 

Now a German warship is sailing in. At last the free world is taking action against the bully. In any provocative action by the Chinese their two aircraft carriers should be sunk. Should a war pursue then it would be the inevitable coming sooner than later. They might stop in their tracks when facing massive destruction if they further retaliate. The free world can afford to use at least 1000 nukes I guess if necessary (and still retain a sufficient deterrent to Russia, NK, Iran and others) . At last the chains will have been put on.

 

India announced yesterday its sending a Naval Task Force to the South China Sea. The Indians will train with the Philippine navy. The F-35Bs in the photo might be British.