The newest US National Defense Strategy, the first since at 2014, appears to set out a major shift in the focus of America’s massive military and its endless wars, with officials now saying that the global wars on terror, while continuing, will no longer be the “prime focus of US national security.”
Instead, Defense Secretary James Mattis says the new strategy will put the primary focus of the US military engaging in power competition with other “great powers,” with Russia and China apparently the targets.
The “great power” conceit is a very 19th century concept, based around the idea that certain countries have uniquely great influence and authority worldwide. Historically, the great powers tend to view everyone else as pawns to be used in broader global strategies which establish the great powers’ pecking order with respect to one another.
That these nations are all major nuclear powers makes direct conflict hopefully unthinkable, but the US apparently still envisions committing its massive military to the task of repeatedly one-upping and needling them, largely for competition’s sake.
What an extraordinarily complacent reaction that is!
Well, we have all those nukes. So, why not war with Russia and China. What could go wrong?
“Smoke ‘um if you’ve got ‘um” and “use them or lose them” mentality. This is exactly why I do not understand those still defending Trump and his minions. This regime is more aggressive than the previous ones. The apologists still believe he is attacking the deep state and is going to save us all. How so? By starting a third world war?
Usually when someone goes up on my posts, they find words I wasn’t saying. In this case, that’s exactly what I meant with my snark. President F Moron is, well, he’s a moron. He doesn’t even read books. He watched Patton once so he knows more than all the generals. Maybe he watched Combat like I did. The Americans always won and if an American died, it was a redshirt just for the occasion. “Smoke ‘um if you’ve got ‘um” reminded me of that.
I don’t get the Orange Jesus Davidian cult myself. Or much go for Derp State, globalist,
Emanuel GoldsteinGeorge Soros, RINO tinfoil hat theories, either. I was once a rightish libertarian peacenik freak who voted for Reagan. I no longer claim a label.“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein
Trump has only been president 1 yr . The NWO and the problems it has created have been going on for a long time
I agree with this article every major power is showcasing it’s military might. Whether it’s building a huge fortress in the South China Sea, to using your latest military hardware in Syria to keep a dictator in power, to the massive nuclear capable Armada floating off the coasts of South Korea. China, Russia, America, all flexing there capabilities using wargames, all it’s done is made the world more dangerous. NATO countries are buying up more weapons, China’s smaller neighbors are buying up weapons, India is testing more powerful nuclear missiles, Japan is selling and buying up more developed missile systems, even neutral countries that border these major powers feel threatened enough to consider buying weapons or join NATO for protection. These major powers are arming each other’s enemies and how is any of this helping the world? Having influence is a useful thing but, when you have the world’s attention and the smaller powers feel threatened they start increasing there capabilities hence, the missile systems China just bought from Russia, hence the missile systems Japan just aquired from America etc.
The plata o plomo technique worked well for neocons in the past so they fail to see that those days are gone. The idiocy required to blame Trump, or Obama, or any modern president for decisions that are dictated to them by “enemies within” is on the upsurge. Here’s an idea, bar all dual citizens from government immediately. Otherwise, our only hope is that a pre-emptive strike involves the decapitation of the leadership of warmongering states, rather than the wholesale slaughter of innocents.
NATO did a great job partnering up China and Russia where they both thought they had to join forces or be dismembered by NATO . Since 19 years ago when we accidently on purpose fired several missiles into the Chinese embassy in Belgrade . About at this same time period U.S.general Wesley Clark issued orders to shoot the Russian soldiers because they might try to protect Christian civilians . These two stupid crimes made China and Russia best friends and they both have been sharing military secrets in preparation for the next contest .
So when you think of a war with Russia or China forget that idea think of a war with China and Russia they will be together long after our NATO allies have petered out . China said they have not forgotten or forgiven what happened to them in Yugoslavia . Solzhenitsyn a very devout Russian Christian sacked Yeltsin and his new liberal democracy in Russia because the Russian troops failed to protect Orthodox Christians civilians in Yugoslavia .. Russia installed Putin a man they think will stand up . So the next war was started again in the Balkans 19 years ago where all European wars start
Seems to be a mixup; global war [of] terror, not [on] terror.
Our military, after years of fighting the hapless losers, now wants to go against the Big Boys. After dominating the Cleveland Browns, now they are wanting to tear the Patriots a new one. Good Luck with all that – your defensive guys might be spending 50 minutes of each game on the field. Besides, have you checked with Tel Aviv regarding this change? They probably still have plans for you to restrict yourself to killing ignorant Arabs armed with 18th Century weapons. Another thought, China is both your banker and your landlord – attacking them definitely would have unforeseen consequences.
Your analogy isn’t very good. The Cleveland Browns have some excellent players. The US had taken on the local elementary school PeeWee League and won – most of the time – and now wants to take on the New England Patriots. That’s a more fair comparison.
“Terrorism” was just the fill-in-the-blank answer to why America was building up its military. Neither Russia (after 1991) nor China was a threat so the US needed someone (something) to claim to be fighting. Besides, since “terrorism” supposedly exists everywhere, the US could claim to go everywhere to fight its enemy.
How about coordinating instead of competing? No one wants their kids or parents to die.