China Could Decide Now Is The Time For War With America

[Peter1469]

China could not wish or expect for any weaker leadership in the US than what we have today. The president is both dementia addled and owned by China. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is still distracted as he quests for his white rage.

China Could Decide Now Is The Time For War With America

Will a ‘Peak’ China decide now is the time for war with America:

Hal Brands and Michael Beckley have breaking news from 1832! Namely that it sometimes makes sense for the weak to pick a fight with the strong. No less an authority than Carl von Clausewitz affirms it. Suppose, postulates Clausewitz, a weaker contender “is in conflict with a much more powerful one and expects its position to grow weaker every year. If war is unavoidable, should it not make the most of its opportunities before its position gets still worse? In short, it should attack . . . .”


Verily, Clausewitz is a man for all seasons. If you know important trendlines are turning against you—if you expect your strategic standing vis-à-vis your antagonist to be worse next year than this—then he advises you to strike now. Otherwise, you’ll get less than you might. Your window of opportunity might even slam shut by next year.


Such a now-or-never calculus makes for a combustible atmosphere. The challenge before America is to deter China from striking a match.



Brands and Beckley are professors at Johns Hopkins and Tufts, respectively. Though they don’t mention the sage of nineteenth-century Prussia in their lucidly written new book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, they apply Clausewitzian logic to Communist China, arguing that the world is witnessing “peak China.” If China stands at the zenith of its power, and if Chinese Communist Party magnates know it, then they might reason that now is their best opportunity to use military might to settle longstanding grudges.

[MisterVeritis]

China could not wish or expect for any weaker leadership in the US than what we have today. The president is both dementia addled and owned by China. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is still distracted as he quests for his white rage.

China Could Decide Now Is The Time For War With America

Will a ‘Peak’ China decide now is the time for war with America:

Hal Brands and Michael Beckley have breaking news from 1832! Namely that it sometimes makes sense for the weak to pick a fight with the strong. No less an authority than Carl von Clausewitz affirms it. Suppose, postulates Clausewitz, a weaker contender “is in conflict with a much more powerful one and expects its position to grow weaker every year. If war is unavoidable, should it not make the most of its opportunities before its position gets still worse? In short, it should attack . . . .”


Verily, Clausewitz is a man for all seasons. If you know important trendlines are turning against you—if you expect your strategic standing vis-à-vis your antagonist to be worse next year than this—then he advises you to strike now. Otherwise, you’ll get less than you might. Your window of opportunity might even slam shut by next year.


Such a now-or-never calculus makes for a combustible atmosphere. The challenge before America is to deter China from striking a match.



Brands and Beckley are professors at Johns Hopkins and Tufts, respectively. Though they don’t mention the sage of nineteenth-century Prussia in their lucidly written new book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, they apply Clausewitzian logic to Communist China, arguing that the world is witnessing “peak China.” If China stands at the zenith of its power, and if Chinese Communist Party magnates know it, then they might reason that now is their best opportunity to use military might to settle longstanding grudges.

The US and China are moving in tandem toward debt crises.

[Peter1469]

The US and China are moving in tandem toward debt crises.

Yes, but with China's making the US problem a minor issue (which it isn't).

[MisterVeritis]

Yes, but with China's making the US problem a minor issue (which it isn't).

I do not understand.

[Tahuyaman]

Yes, but with China's making the US problem a minor issue (which it isn't).

How is China making the problems here a minor issue?

[Peter1469]

Don't accept being confused. Ask yourself about5 the dangers of Chinese aggression.

[The Xl]

With the problems we face internally, it's beyond time for us to step off of the world stage. Let Ukraine, Taiwan, and the rest of Europe fight their own battles.

[Ransom]

Where it may be an opportunity given American distraction, I don't believe the Chinese are ready. Not yet.

[Peter1469]

With the problems we face internally, it's beyond time for us to step off of the world stage. Let Ukraine, Taiwan, and the rest of Europe fight their own battles.

Really?

We have the power to take what we want.

[The Xl]

Really?

We have the power to take what we want.

Do we really? I don't see it. No one could ever wage an offensive war against us, but a powerful nation could easily wage a defensive war or a proxy war against us. Americans don't have the desire to fight anything other than a minor proxy war with a weak nation. The American people barely tolerated Vietnam and Iraq.

We have a failing culture, a failing economic system, mass distrust in our politicians and military, etc. We are a failing country living off of the residuals of our past glory. If we don't focus on righting the ship, we will eventually go the way of Rome.