Speaking today at the Heritage Foundation, freshman Congressman Allen West (R – FL) called on the US to dramatically increase the size of its Navy, saying it was necessary to prepare to fight China on the high seas.
“We have to admit that China is a conventional threat to the United States,” West insisted, adding that it was vital to prevent any spending cuts in the already record military budget because of this threat.
West cited the power of ancient Athens and the Roman Empire in claiming how vital the increase in the size of the Navy was, adding that if the Pentagon budget was cut the military might not be able to afford toilet paper.
West’s comments are likely to sit well with the Pentagon, which is always itching for an increased budget, but may run afoul of his Tea Party supporters, many of whom have been calling for the US to be more careful about its spending and to at least consider cutting military funding as part of an effort to pare away the deficit. Presumably this will not be done by emulating Rome.
Yea, China. They are always picking on us, buying our debt and stuff. We should be looking to start a fight with China. What could possibly go wrong?
I want what he's smoking.
The US Navy currently has something like 13 aircraft carriers and some 600 ships in total.
According to FAS
the Chinese navy consists of about 60 destroyers and frigates, and another 60 or so submarines.
The Chinese Navy lacks any sort of carrier force to project power away from its coasts. The Chinese Navy lacks any of the bigger cruiser size vessels that the US Navy has in abundance. And the Chinese Navy is outnumbered about 5 to 1 in total ships.
But hey, when its a Congressperson wanting to waste our tax dollars on useless military junk, who cares about facts.
Has this nutcase explained how he intends for the USG to pay for his "dramatically" expanded Navy? Didn't think so. Hey Florida Tea Party!! How you feeling about your rep now? Not so fiscally conservative, eh? I've never been so glad to have moved out of the Death's antechamber. The people who voted for this nutcase deserve him.
Allen West sure is stupid. If the USG fights a war with China who will provide the financing for the USG's gazillion dollar militarism budget?
From the FAS overview … http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/plan/…
"The People's Liberation Army Navy [PLAN] remains more or less precisely what is implied by its rather paradoxical [at least to Western ears] sounding name — the maritime force of a continental power. The Chinese sea-faring tradition largely ended with the demise of the 15th century Treasure Fleets, and half a century of Communist state power has done little to reverse the landward focus of Chinse security planning. Large numbers of aircraft and patrol boats armed with anti-ship cruise missiles provide a formidable coastal defense perimeter. But the PLAN remains little more than a "brown water" coastal defense with limited "green water" capabilities, and no pretense of "blue water" aspirations. Despite a few recent noteworthy additions, the Chinese fleet is overwhelmingly populated with elderly and evidently obsolete units. Even the most recently constructed ships are evdidently defficient in anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
While manifestly lacking in the robust blue-water power-projection capabilities of the United States Navy, the People's Liberation Army Navy is reasonably well postured to perform the brown-water and green-water sea denial missions with which it is tasked as a matter of national policy. The PLAN has not failed in an attempt to match the US Navy. Rather, it has made substantial progress towards mounting an assymetric sea-denial response to American power-projection capabilities, while at the same time deploying forces that are not inferior in overall combat potential to other regional maritime powers."
In others words, the Chinese Navy is a defensive force designed with the goal of trying to keep the US Navy off of its shores. They are no threat at all to the US away from China's coast.
So, what's the US policy that requires us to have a massive naval building plan in response to this? The only way that makes sense is if we are planning on being very aggressive towards China along their coast.
How about we just save the money and leave them alone?
You overlook the massive irony of the fact that the money for all of the US warmongering is being borrowed from China. All China has to do is close the bank and demand payment in full of what he US owes is and they've won the war before it stars and without firing one shot.
This loon loves to babble on about Sparta and Rome. One robbed children from their parents early on when they hadn't killed them soon out of the cradle and then indoctrinated into pederastic service to the state, the other never saw a foreigner who wasn't an uneducated barbarian worthy of killin' and conquering. Sounds much like the present mindset of our government and a sad segment of our society. The "enablers" of such lunacy cross both wings of our one-party state. Because if it hadn't been for their mutually corrupt hands on this steam engine of doom we wouldn't be ranting on this web site. Would we?
Now you people are really talking.., bring it on.., after all US and NATO having all these little wars here and there so why not start the third world war all together. While US and NATO militarism regimes are at it they can build a newer tanks and bigger bombers.., if is not on the planning board.., where they can start bombing Russia as well…, very good idea.., I love it.., when there is nothing left of this world then the monkeys can rebuild a new world where no wars and no humans be missed by any gods.
We're going to war with China ? Why ? We're they behind the 911 attack on the twin towers – is that it ? Did they nationalize their oil industry ? Oh, maybe they've got a 'secret' nuclear program. Or they're helping the Taliban, is that it ?
What better way not to have to pay back what they owe China?
We have been warned about China for years. They are wreaking havoc on us economically due to our own fault. This country Will pay for Nixon & Kissinger's cozying up to the Communist's.
Communist's, remember them?
Ahem…and you and I will pay for the money the USG has borrowed from China. But, oh, yeah, of course, take out a mortgage or a credit card, max it out and then blame the banker for your stupidity. Seriously, are there people that stupid left out there?
Have fun fighting China and most likl;y Russia just to name a few.The US can't win in Iraq or Afganistan have fun fighting 1 and a half billion Chinese with friends.The US can't afford it and even if they could they would lose or the hole world would lose due to MAD mutually assured destruction from all the nukes.Great idea stupid.
Maybe Rep. West should consider asking China for a really, really big loan to expand the US Navy so that it can…hmmmmm…fight China.
Seriously, every time one of these yo-yos issues a threat against China, the Chinese should demand payment in full of all the money the US owes it. That ought to teach these assholes a lesson.
China is the biggest single foreign holder of US debt. But they only hold roughly 10% of the total debt. US citizens hold over 70% of current US debt.
Sad thing is he will probably get billions more for the Navy. America is a bankrupt shell run by Unamerican twits who are exploiting it for every $$$$
With wackos like this guy around, war with China might happen. God help us all.
The debt ultimately increases the chances of war with China. What is called "default" in times of peace is called "null and void" in times of war.
U.S. Representative Allen West (R-Florida) is ignorant and mis-informed, on 5 counts.
1. West thinks bisexual, lesbian, and gay sexual orientations are arbitrary, whimsical behaviors that any individual can change easily, just like grabbing a new pair of socks.
He’s wrong. All 5 sexual orientations — bisexual, lesbian, gay, heterosexual, asexual — are innate, fundamental components of the entire person. Decades ago, credible professionals accepted modern scientific research which proved that sexual orientations are generally fundamental and immutable.
2. West also assumes — again, incorrectly — that fairness and equality are just a “social experiment.”
He’s wrong. Most large American employers treat personnel of all sexual orientations equally and fairly. And 41 other nations already allow open service in their armed forces. And 21 states already have some form of marriage equality (same-sex marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership): CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, RI, VT, WA, WI. What West mistakenly calls a “social experiment” is already commonplace. The only thing out of place is West himself.
3. West claims to be worried about “what our young men and women have to contend with.” But he ignores the fact that millions of bisexuals, lesbians, and gays served well across the 20th/21st centuries, and 78,000 are serving right now. The morale and performance of those 78,000 would benefit greatly if they weren’t forced by federal law to lie about who they are, how they live, and who they love.
4. West also assumes — again, incorrectly — that the Americans who want all armed forces members to be treated fairly and equally are only a “very small special interest group.”
He’s wrong. CNN, NBC, ABC, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Gallup, Pew, McClatchy, and Quinnipiac University reported that 80% of all Americans favor treating all military personnel fairly and equally, without regard to sexual orientation.
5. Finally, West also says — again, incorrectly — that “now is not the time” to treat people fairly. So he admits that it’s possible, just not now. How is any time a wrong time for equality? And on what date does Mr. West think equality will finally become timely enough?
Mr. West, abandon your 19th century, skip the 20th, and join the 21st. While you still can.
The US government and its foreign policies are so full of fail I don't even know where to begin.
It's just plain embarrassing.