I know! It’s an amazing number! But it’s true that during WW II the U.S. built 151 carriers. Not all were full sized. Many were “escort “ carriers used to protect convoys mostly from submarines. Still it’s very impressive.
Richard, all very interesting. That said, I am still not terribly persuaded that we should have told Ukraine they couldn't join NATO - in your terms, I think that would have empowered Russia as against the US.
Hi. My short answer is that although we now must defend Ukraine, before the conflict our strategic goal should have been precisely to empower Russia. I don't know if we can achieve this now, but a stronger Russia with better ties to the West ought to have been a top strategic priority.
The number one goal of US strategy today should be to steer our relationship with China towards reasonably amicable rivalry, and then to prevail in that rivalry. The best way to do this is for us not to take the lead in "containing China" and certainly not to keep up our current hostile rhetoric, but to let China's naturally difficult circumstances preoccupy her. Diminished as Russia is, historically she has been a big part of those naturally difficult circumstances.
China's net offensive military power is far less than her "gross" because a huge percentage of her forces are devoted to border security, and of course, internal security. The US does not have that problem. We should maximize that advantage by doing what we can to intensify China's border concerns, with minimal direct action on our part.
The point of all this is not to win a war against China, but to help China view the US as a the least of her problems, and even a useful friend, which she did until quite recently. A story not sufficiently known in the US is just how much the Deng era leadership fell in love with the US and the West generally. Most had never been to the US before 1975. One Politburo member, I forget his name, after a tour of the UK, said "this country is what we have always meant by "building socialism."
Hmm. I seem to have written a post not a reply. So double thanks.
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What does this mean: We build 151 aircraft carriers during the war!
I know! It’s an amazing number! But it’s true that during WW II the U.S. built 151 carriers. Not all were full sized. Many were “escort “ carriers used to protect convoys mostly from submarines. Still it’s very impressive.
Richard, all very interesting. That said, I am still not terribly persuaded that we should have told Ukraine they couldn't join NATO - in your terms, I think that would have empowered Russia as against the US.
Hi. My short answer is that although we now must defend Ukraine, before the conflict our strategic goal should have been precisely to empower Russia. I don't know if we can achieve this now, but a stronger Russia with better ties to the West ought to have been a top strategic priority.
The number one goal of US strategy today should be to steer our relationship with China towards reasonably amicable rivalry, and then to prevail in that rivalry. The best way to do this is for us not to take the lead in "containing China" and certainly not to keep up our current hostile rhetoric, but to let China's naturally difficult circumstances preoccupy her. Diminished as Russia is, historically she has been a big part of those naturally difficult circumstances.
China's net offensive military power is far less than her "gross" because a huge percentage of her forces are devoted to border security, and of course, internal security. The US does not have that problem. We should maximize that advantage by doing what we can to intensify China's border concerns, with minimal direct action on our part.
The point of all this is not to win a war against China, but to help China view the US as a the least of her problems, and even a useful friend, which she did until quite recently. A story not sufficiently known in the US is just how much the Deng era leadership fell in love with the US and the West generally. Most had never been to the US before 1975. One Politburo member, I forget his name, after a tour of the UK, said "this country is what we have always meant by "building socialism."
Hmm. I seem to have written a post not a reply. So double thanks.