Wow, they have some in service already. Didn't know.
Naming a ship after a living person is really lame.
Wow, they have some in service already. Didn't know.
Naming a ship after a living person is really lame.
I agree completely.
Here's the discussion we had about it:
http://thepoliticalforums.com/thread...amed-After-Her
"Historian Eric Wertheim, author of "Guide to Combat Fleets of the World", said, "Giffords is a true inspiration and I have nothing but respect for her. But I am concerned about naming ships after living people. I'm concerned about making legends of people before they go through the vetting process of history.
"The potential problem here is that any living person, theoretically, could later do something that changes our opinion of them."
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...ords/?sciquest
She's an otherwise obscure congresswoman who suffered a tragedy. Please...
Is partially dead enough to get a ship named after you?
Taiwan has mandatory draft, so all healthy male need to serve in the military to some extend for a year or 2 between age 18-30 (most folks serve while they're 18-25 or so but plenty of exception exist). I drew the navy during my time so I served on that ship. So most guys in Taiwan have some minor military experience at least.
the ROC (aka Taiwan) theoriticaly have about 2 million men or so in reserve force (though factoring in logistics and the need to keep at least basic service going the more realistic potential of mobilization is 1 million at best), which is most of the guys between age 18-40 that have served their time in the military already, standing force IIRC is something like 200k right now. But it's helpful that have that reserve when war might come to your doorstep pretty quickly . It's also one of the bigger obstical of a potential PRC attack on Taiwan, since you know.. the PLA as a whole only have 2 million men and they don't have that sort of reserve pool, so they'll have to try to take Taiwan with the odds really against them.
Interesting. Not only would the PLA have a hard time, but in years past Taiwan probably only needed to hold out until the U.S. could move heavy forces in to to assist. I'm not sure if the U.S. resolve to intervene would be as strong now as it was in the past, since I think the country in general has "war fatigue" and such a move would mean WW3. If China ever thought they could get away with it though, they probably would have already made the move right? So it's good that they haven't.
I would certainly hope that the US would not insert ground forces to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack. If naval and air power is not enough, it isn't worth it to the US.
Inserting ground forces would be difficult anyway. I think the first few phases of such a conflict would be decided at sea and in the air.