To paraphrase a former Speaker of the House: "The Chinese are the opposition, the Army is the enemy". Milley's comments make perfect sense if you look at war with China= Navy and Air Force, with the Coast Guard probably doing more than the Army...
Between Milley and CNO Gilday, who thinks that "climate change" is the primary threat the USN faces, all I can do is to stockpile ammunition, canned food, and whiskey. Alas, the United States of America, destroyed by a single treasonous presidential administration.
With concern about Chinese Navy including comments of some that it is now a "blue water" navy it would be helpful to learn just what types of ships and their numbers make it a blue water navy.
"But Xi put the challenge out there, and we'll see where it goes.”
- Perhaps the gravity of that statement combined with the ongoing changes in the Chinese military is simply beyond the staff that he handpicked to inform him.
Milley like this Fd up administration from POTUS through Harris and Austin is a goat rope. We are no longer feared nor revered. We are a laughingstock on the world stage. Hold my beer need to get back to my DEI Training.
“I think there's a lot of rhetoric in China, and a lot of rhetoric elsewhere, to include the United States, that could create the perception that war is right around the corner or we’re on the brink of war with China”
Milley could be talking about parts of the Navy here. The last six months, the last three especially, have seem multiple senior Navy leaders emphasizing to the deckplates, that war really could be right around the corner and we have to be ready yesterday. Give people like Mustin credit - they are pushing the message all the way down to individual units both on the active and reserve side.
Agree, we aren't the defense industrial base - but the uniform side is getting the message.
DC will listen to Miley, because they already own him.
Richard also retired from his post, and he didn’t care in 2021 to not give honest answers. Like Leahy, he could be recalled, but no Admiral since then has had the close, personal relationship with the Commander in Chief.
While Milley studies his navel, he might consider that MY White rage is directed at him based on probable future geopolitical humiliation by pretty much everybody who is tired of eating the peanuts out of our shit. You can't be a hegemon without infuriating your lessers, and given half a chance they'll string you up. Just ask the Calcutta Mutiny survivors.
Pathetically, we sold off the manufacturing capacity we used to win WW2 - to the PRC. That's what will lead to our destruction.
My gut tells me that Milley is a fool. And that the Army should not have CJCS or ANY theater-level commands for a long, long time. Because Milley isn't just A fool, he's the latest in a very long line of fools.
Milley is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Biden Administration, which itself is morally (and actually) bankrupt, corrupt, and apparently unaware of threats that matter. He's unworthy of our trust. and should be fired. Worse, Austin is complicit and a political puppet along with our own SECNAV who is more worried about climate change than military threats. Time for political correctness in our military has expired.
Richard's talks capability, Miley talks intent. They are both right. Applying an "either-or framework" is overly simplistic. If the Chinese are anything, it is as far from simplistic as it gets.
The "simple" China is replicating is what Ronald Reagan did 40 years ago. Absent a position of military strength that enables China to influence their sphere of interest, China is feckless--an enormous North Korean caricature of huffing and puffing in a world dictated by others, as it has been for the last 80 years.
China doesn't need, nor in my view: seek, a military victory over Taiwan. They'll strangle Taiwan economically and politically into subservience without physically conquer, while maintaining credible force to discourage those who disagree. Move all chip-making back to the US for national security? Great, at whose expense? Taiwan. Successfully bribe locals to obtain monopolistic contracts world-wide for IT-related metals? Sorry Taiwan, none to sell. Continue isolating political by getting Taiwan's few remaining embassies kicked out of host nations: Sorry, Taiwan, we vote with PRC.
Yes, the USN and USAF have to fight and win if called upon, but like Russia even at the height of the Cold War, China will never see Taiwan worth trading for Beijing getting nuked no matter how much "strategic" capacity she has.
Since on a diatribe, We seem blinded in our hominy as the good guys--and rightfully so--that our potential adversaries are keenly aware we actually nuked our last major enemy, and for decades spent a major part of our defense budget preparing to nuke the USSR, and China if foolish enough to join in WWIII. China's government may not be likeable, but neither are they stupid.
But the checks didn't bounce.
To paraphrase a former Speaker of the House: "The Chinese are the opposition, the Army is the enemy". Milley's comments make perfect sense if you look at war with China= Navy and Air Force, with the Coast Guard probably doing more than the Army...
Between Milley and CNO Gilday, who thinks that "climate change" is the primary threat the USN faces, all I can do is to stockpile ammunition, canned food, and whiskey. Alas, the United States of America, destroyed by a single treasonous presidential administration.
With concern about Chinese Navy including comments of some that it is now a "blue water" navy it would be helpful to learn just what types of ships and their numbers make it a blue water navy.
Richard presents the clearest case. Here are articles in support of Richard.
1. http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/03/09/spending_on_defensehow_much_is_enough_110937.html
2. What is the Appropriate Manpower Requirement of the U.S. Military? | RealClearDefense
3. China: Competitor or Adversary? | RealClearDefense
4. National Military Strategy Development—Time for a Revolutionary Approach | RealClearDefense
5. http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2018/5/31/time-is-now-to-advance-us-india-defense-cooperation
6. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2018/07/12/increasing_economic_power_as_an_instrument_of_national_power_113598.html.
7. Ignorance of China Is Not Bliss | RealClearDefense
8. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/06/11/the_middle_kingdom_rises_115372.html
9. https://www.realcleardefense.com/2020/08/05/cno_mandate__a_design_for_maintaining_maritime_superiority_314799.html
10. https://www.ausn.org/post/the-price-of-u-s-navy-combat-supremacy.
11. The Looming Taiwan Challenge For The US, Japan And The West - CD Media (creativedestructionmedia.com)
12. https://creativedestructionmedia.com/analysis/2022/01/19/a-new-china-strategy/ A New China Strategy | RealClearDefense
13. Danger Close: People’s Republic Of China - Armed Forces Press
Milley and Austin are absolute buffoons. I worked with Austin for a brief period. Total political pawn.
"But Xi put the challenge out there, and we'll see where it goes.”
- Perhaps the gravity of that statement combined with the ongoing changes in the Chinese military is simply beyond the staff that he handpicked to inform him.
Ducks pick ducks.
Milley like this Fd up administration from POTUS through Harris and Austin is a goat rope. We are no longer feared nor revered. We are a laughingstock on the world stage. Hold my beer need to get back to my DEI Training.
“I think there's a lot of rhetoric in China, and a lot of rhetoric elsewhere, to include the United States, that could create the perception that war is right around the corner or we’re on the brink of war with China”
Milley could be talking about parts of the Navy here. The last six months, the last three especially, have seem multiple senior Navy leaders emphasizing to the deckplates, that war really could be right around the corner and we have to be ready yesterday. Give people like Mustin credit - they are pushing the message all the way down to individual units both on the active and reserve side.
Agree, we aren't the defense industrial base - but the uniform side is getting the message.
Thoroughly Modern Milley cannot hang up his uniform fast enough.
I have been ashamed to be a soldier for his entire tenure, along with Secretary Austin.
DC will listen to Miley, because they already own him.
Richard also retired from his post, and he didn’t care in 2021 to not give honest answers. Like Leahy, he could be recalled, but no Admiral since then has had the close, personal relationship with the Commander in Chief.
While Milley studies his navel, he might consider that MY White rage is directed at him based on probable future geopolitical humiliation by pretty much everybody who is tired of eating the peanuts out of our shit. You can't be a hegemon without infuriating your lessers, and given half a chance they'll string you up. Just ask the Calcutta Mutiny survivors.
Pathetically, we sold off the manufacturing capacity we used to win WW2 - to the PRC. That's what will lead to our destruction.
My gut tells me that Milley is a fool. And that the Army should not have CJCS or ANY theater-level commands for a long, long time. Because Milley isn't just A fool, he's the latest in a very long line of fools.
Milley is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Biden Administration, which itself is morally (and actually) bankrupt, corrupt, and apparently unaware of threats that matter. He's unworthy of our trust. and should be fired. Worse, Austin is complicit and a political puppet along with our own SECNAV who is more worried about climate change than military threats. Time for political correctness in our military has expired.
Richard's talks capability, Miley talks intent. They are both right. Applying an "either-or framework" is overly simplistic. If the Chinese are anything, it is as far from simplistic as it gets.
The "simple" China is replicating is what Ronald Reagan did 40 years ago. Absent a position of military strength that enables China to influence their sphere of interest, China is feckless--an enormous North Korean caricature of huffing and puffing in a world dictated by others, as it has been for the last 80 years.
China doesn't need, nor in my view: seek, a military victory over Taiwan. They'll strangle Taiwan economically and politically into subservience without physically conquer, while maintaining credible force to discourage those who disagree. Move all chip-making back to the US for national security? Great, at whose expense? Taiwan. Successfully bribe locals to obtain monopolistic contracts world-wide for IT-related metals? Sorry Taiwan, none to sell. Continue isolating political by getting Taiwan's few remaining embassies kicked out of host nations: Sorry, Taiwan, we vote with PRC.
Yes, the USN and USAF have to fight and win if called upon, but like Russia even at the height of the Cold War, China will never see Taiwan worth trading for Beijing getting nuked no matter how much "strategic" capacity she has.
Since on a diatribe, We seem blinded in our hominy as the good guys--and rightfully so--that our potential adversaries are keenly aware we actually nuked our last major enemy, and for decades spent a major part of our defense budget preparing to nuke the USSR, and China if foolish enough to join in WWIII. China's government may not be likeable, but neither are they stupid.
Milley is very likely elite captured by China.