The U.S. could not withstand such a loss. China's population made naught the concept of mutually assured destruction ? which had helped maintain lukewarm peace with Russia for decades.
Population centers. They're no more immune to 1000+ nukes than anyone else.
True, but the late Admiral is absolutely right that we have to adapt our western-tuned minds to get in the minds of people who do think of their people as "masses" and plan their military strategy as such.
I think that MAD kept the world stable during the second half of the 20th century because the Soviets and the US were basically humane people, each believing very strongly in our respective systems.
He correctly foresaw the next challenge for the US: how to defeat the new bear, the new bear that doesn't value life the way we do.