Conditioning. Conditioning is one of the oldest techniques we humans use against each other. Either we learned it from domesticating animals, or we used the techniques learned in domesticating animals against the top animal in the wild - our fellow humans.
What is needed, among many things, is a agreement with Taiwan to pre-position ammo stocks (if we had stocks) on the island during peace, similar to our storage agreements with Korea and Israel.
Cuz after the war stats, getting things into Taiwan will make resupply of Corregidor look easy.
The picture at the top of this article reminds me of a time when I walked all over Manhattan looking for Rommel's "The Tank in Attack." "Do you want 'Infantry Attacks?'" asked the helpful librarian. "No thanks," said I, "I'm looking for his book on tanks."
There isn't going to be enough prozac to go around as to what follows. There is little to suggest that the ROC's defenses are anything other than an annoying speed bump. So once again the burden falls on the U.S. (because the experts say it must) and where the evidence tilts towards catastrophic consequences. But at least we have chutzpah going for us... that's something. And besides, "success" post-Afghan pull out clearly demonstrates that what constitutes success is a moving target defined by our best and brightest.
To me, the interesting thing is that the PLAN was able to put their CVBG, led by the Shandong, into the Northern Philippine Sea and conducted a joint exercise on relatively short notice. (Assuming that they didn't have months of intelligence predicting the date of the Speaker's visit, and that the exercise was not preplanned and that this is all coincidence.) Yes, it is in their backyard, but could we pull the same thing off with the USS Reagan sitting pier-side in Yokosuka?
It’s more a case of Congress establishing and refusing to cede any meaningful control for changes to the defense procurement bureaucracy.
You saw it vividly when Chaillan left because he couldn’t effect any meaningful change with all the rules in place. He had big plans but after about the fifteenth rake hitting him in the face he quit with an epic LinkedIn rant that basically said “Later bitches. So long, and thanks for all the fish.” And he’s not wrong. It’s too profitable for Lockheed and Northrop to let things continue as they are. Slow and predictable. I mean, why are we still funding the Space Launch Alliance for five launches a year when Space X can do 50? Because it’s part and parcel about shareholders profits instead of efficiency or effectiveness.
I'm way out of my league here, but that won't stop me from throwing out some thoughts. How many tens of millions would die if the Three Gorges Dam went boom? We could hire the yacht guys the Ukes used. Since we clearly are in no position to stop the thrust (just like in the famous Fulda Gap) we need to signal the "flexible response" that will be chained together culminating in tactical nukes then strategic nukes. Doesn't take a poker genius to see that we are probably bluffing with a low pocket pair but let's face it we are in a poor situation strategically, tactically and economically. The One China fairytale farce is probably going to have go. Brandon already has signaled what we and everybody else thinks anyway. If the Taiwanese signal that a burnt crisp is all Xi will get then that will help. But this is more about CCP Weltanschauung than chip fabricators.
Also maybe going full submarine and anti satellite is the way to go. First Island chain is not defensible as much as our friends would like to think it is. Sucks to be a friend of us. Thanks Sullivan, Nuland and Blinken.
Great stuff, but what Sal would you like to see done with the 80's bureaucracy in order to change the same old same old? There is a huge list of stupid things done, like R&D being so large it hurts procurement, not enough combat soldiers, tooth to tail stinks, maintenance horrifying, but what of the 80's acts that you'd like to see done? Very interested to know.
What, exactly, can the United States do? The political leadership is hopelessly compromised, corrupt and incompetent. The military is poisoned by wokism. What, given current and expected resources, could the US do that would not be suicidal?
1. Strenghen Taiwan as much as possible with whatever munitions have not been sent to the Ukraine to be wasted.
2. Provide the Taiwanese airforce with F 35's, instead of F 16's so they will at least be able to do some damage.
3. Equip nuclear attack submarines to act as mobile stealth minelayers to put as many Chinese ports as possible out of action and/or mine likely invasion routes. Mines are the only weapon I am aware of which will not cause the submarine to give its location away when used.
4. Rearm as fast as possible.
5. Encourage nations under threat by China (Japan, South Korea) to develop their own nuclear weapons.
6. Decouple the US from China economically.
7. Shut down Chinas influence operations in universities, schools, etc.
8. Rush development of long range hypersonic missiles.
Well, there is a lot more, but this might be a useful start.
It is already written, this admin is wanting an end to American power around the world.
They see us as the bad guys and all we have to do is sit back, reset, build the Nation into their version of reality and allow other people to run things.
The American people are not willing to sacrifice their comfort and Tik Toks for Taiwan.
While I could name a few cities and an entire state I would trade, others won't.
China is using “peoples war” against the United States and has been for decades. Their Elite Capture has done more damage than 20 Pearl Harbors. They have planted the seeds of Marxism under the guise of “inclusiveness” and wokeism. Our policy makers were quick to spread the seeds and make a harvest.
China has indeed prepped the battlefield. It will be the United States and the pacific.
What is needed, among many things, is a agreement with Taiwan to pre-position ammo stocks (if we had stocks) on the island during peace, similar to our storage agreements with Korea and Israel.
Cuz after the war stats, getting things into Taiwan will make resupply of Corregidor look easy.
Great Article. But we are led by pretenders in Congress, White House with poor and at best misleading advice from JSOC.
The picture at the top of this article reminds me of a time when I walked all over Manhattan looking for Rommel's "The Tank in Attack." "Do you want 'Infantry Attacks?'" asked the helpful librarian. "No thanks," said I, "I'm looking for his book on tanks."
There isn't going to be enough prozac to go around as to what follows. There is little to suggest that the ROC's defenses are anything other than an annoying speed bump. So once again the burden falls on the U.S. (because the experts say it must) and where the evidence tilts towards catastrophic consequences. But at least we have chutzpah going for us... that's something. And besides, "success" post-Afghan pull out clearly demonstrates that what constitutes success is a moving target defined by our best and brightest.
You seem too sure they will use force to reunify/invade TW, when they didn't need to do that in SCS.
The PLA of course must be *able* to invade, but CPC would like to do it use minimum force.
To me, the interesting thing is that the PLAN was able to put their CVBG, led by the Shandong, into the Northern Philippine Sea and conducted a joint exercise on relatively short notice. (Assuming that they didn't have months of intelligence predicting the date of the Speaker's visit, and that the exercise was not preplanned and that this is all coincidence.) Yes, it is in their backyard, but could we pull the same thing off with the USS Reagan sitting pier-side in Yokosuka?
It’s more a case of Congress establishing and refusing to cede any meaningful control for changes to the defense procurement bureaucracy.
You saw it vividly when Chaillan left because he couldn’t effect any meaningful change with all the rules in place. He had big plans but after about the fifteenth rake hitting him in the face he quit with an epic LinkedIn rant that basically said “Later bitches. So long, and thanks for all the fish.” And he’s not wrong. It’s too profitable for Lockheed and Northrop to let things continue as they are. Slow and predictable. I mean, why are we still funding the Space Launch Alliance for five launches a year when Space X can do 50? Because it’s part and parcel about shareholders profits instead of efficiency or effectiveness.
I'm way out of my league here, but that won't stop me from throwing out some thoughts. How many tens of millions would die if the Three Gorges Dam went boom? We could hire the yacht guys the Ukes used. Since we clearly are in no position to stop the thrust (just like in the famous Fulda Gap) we need to signal the "flexible response" that will be chained together culminating in tactical nukes then strategic nukes. Doesn't take a poker genius to see that we are probably bluffing with a low pocket pair but let's face it we are in a poor situation strategically, tactically and economically. The One China fairytale farce is probably going to have go. Brandon already has signaled what we and everybody else thinks anyway. If the Taiwanese signal that a burnt crisp is all Xi will get then that will help. But this is more about CCP Weltanschauung than chip fabricators.
Also maybe going full submarine and anti satellite is the way to go. First Island chain is not defensible as much as our friends would like to think it is. Sucks to be a friend of us. Thanks Sullivan, Nuland and Blinken.
Great stuff, but what Sal would you like to see done with the 80's bureaucracy in order to change the same old same old? There is a huge list of stupid things done, like R&D being so large it hurts procurement, not enough combat soldiers, tooth to tail stinks, maintenance horrifying, but what of the 80's acts that you'd like to see done? Very interested to know.
I'm curious- why didn't the US set up a base in Taiwan just like Jpn and SK?
What, exactly, can the United States do? The political leadership is hopelessly compromised, corrupt and incompetent. The military is poisoned by wokism. What, given current and expected resources, could the US do that would not be suicidal?
1. Strenghen Taiwan as much as possible with whatever munitions have not been sent to the Ukraine to be wasted.
2. Provide the Taiwanese airforce with F 35's, instead of F 16's so they will at least be able to do some damage.
3. Equip nuclear attack submarines to act as mobile stealth minelayers to put as many Chinese ports as possible out of action and/or mine likely invasion routes. Mines are the only weapon I am aware of which will not cause the submarine to give its location away when used.
4. Rearm as fast as possible.
5. Encourage nations under threat by China (Japan, South Korea) to develop their own nuclear weapons.
6. Decouple the US from China economically.
7. Shut down Chinas influence operations in universities, schools, etc.
8. Rush development of long range hypersonic missiles.
Well, there is a lot more, but this might be a useful start.
It is already written, this admin is wanting an end to American power around the world.
They see us as the bad guys and all we have to do is sit back, reset, build the Nation into their version of reality and allow other people to run things.
The American people are not willing to sacrifice their comfort and Tik Toks for Taiwan.
While I could name a few cities and an entire state I would trade, others won't.
The Taiwanese are screwed. We have no ammo stock to share as it was all used against that other Commie nation.
The only response is for Taiwan to suddenly develop Nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
Initiate a MAD policy.
China is using “peoples war” against the United States and has been for decades. Their Elite Capture has done more damage than 20 Pearl Harbors. They have planted the seeds of Marxism under the guise of “inclusiveness” and wokeism. Our policy makers were quick to spread the seeds and make a harvest.
China has indeed prepped the battlefield. It will be the United States and the pacific.