posted 22 October 2006 01:44 PM
This website contains the second of a two part article by American Brigadier General Victor N. Corpus outlining the current military balance of forces between American and the Russian-Chinese alliance. He calls this alliance "one of the most earthshaking geo-political events of modern times. "
I learned a lot from this piece which was partially reprinted on Vivelecanada and was originally published in the Asia Times. Given a looming show-down between US/Israel and Iran, with its close ties to Russia and China, this article is especially timely in a chilling way. And it is a wonderful argument against joining the navy.
From: Prince Edward County ON | Registered: Jul 2004
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Brett Mann
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posted 22 October 2006 02:09 PM
Sorry, that should have been PhilippinnoBrigadier General.
[ 22 October 2006: Message edited by: Brett Mann ]
From: Prince Edward County ON | Registered: Jul 2004
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arborman
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posted 22 October 2006 02:57 PM
Fond of the superlative, that guy. 'The most powerful the world has ever seen... a ration unlike anything ever in history...'
I'm sure the Chinese have been putting a lot of thought and energy into exactly how they would counter the US technological and military supremacy. I'm also sure they've come up with some ideas - which may or may not be reflected in that article.
I just hope nobody ever tries it. The US would eventually go nuclear, and that would probably be the end of the world. I'd rather not.
From: I'm a solipsist - isn't everyone? | Registered: Aug 2003
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Brett Mann
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posted 22 October 2006 03:48 PM
I was unaware that medium and short range missiles can be fitted with independently targetable anti-ship warheads. I knew about Sunburn and Silkworm type hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, but bottom released mines were a new one to me. The implications of these weapon systems, already in deployment, is that the days of the aircraft carrier war fleet are over, and any conflict with Iran may well result in the immediate decimation of the American fleet.
I think Corpus' superlatives are justified in the case of the emerging China-Russia alliance. It certainly seems to be the most significant development since the fall of the Soviet Union.
From: Prince Edward County ON | Registered: Jul 2004
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arborman
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posted 22 October 2006 05:13 PM
Sure. Again, I hope it never happens. The US will never be able to recognize its own weaknesses, and unless they elect someone with significantly more intellectual heft to make the big decisions (I'm not optimistic), they will eventually go nuclear. And that will be the end of the world as we know it - not that a conventional WWIII would be any better.
He lost me with the superlatives - claiming the casualty ration of the 911 attacks was unsurpassed in history. He may know a lot, but he clearly knows little about the conquest of North America, and specifically the Incans and Aztecs.
From: I'm a solipsist - isn't everyone? | Registered: Aug 2003
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Brett Mann
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posted 22 October 2006 05:55 PM
Well the guy's coming from a military universe,Arbourman. When he talks about 9/11 setting records for number of victims, he is referring to the ratio of the size of the weapons, in this case boxcutters, to the extent of the damage resulting. But I looked at that too - is it helpful to apply standard military assessment tools to terrorism, where in this case the 3000 victims of Sept 11 were deliberately targeted civilians?
In the first article preceeding this one, he is scathing in his denunciation of American stupidity and arrogance. So much so that I thought "wait a minute, this guy can't be an American ex-General" and looked more closely and found to my embarassment that he was with the Philippine Armed Forces. Aside from the remarkable information he relays about the state of Chinese military preparedness, his article reminds us that military and ex-military people can sometimes be the peace movements best friend, precisely because of the credibility they often have with the broader public.
From: Prince Edward County ON | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted 22 October 2006 01:44 PM
