What’s Really Driving China’s Strategic Objectives? (w/ M. Taylor Fravel & Mike Green)
[These guys are also onto China’s view of the “First Island Chain” containment strategy.]
M. Taylor Fravel, Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and director of the MIT Security Studies Program, sits down with his long-time friend Mike Green of Logica Capital Advisors to discuss a multitude of factors affecting China’s strategic objectives.
Although they examine certain aspects like demographics and the trajectory of growth for China’s military, the focus of the interview is on geography and how China’s large number of land borders and their perception of being blocked off from the Pacific Ocean by U.S. military presence in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines makes the “first island chain” a potential flashpoint for conflict.
Green and Fravel also discuss Green’s hypothesis that Vladimir Putin and the Russians are the deftest participants in the triangular relationship between the U.S., China, and Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNaIKatux1E&ab_channel=RealVisionFinance
Scroll to 20 minutes in to see the special map “How China sees the world.”
No, Vlad is not dumb, not in the least.
There are those who point at Ukraine/Crimea and certain human rights abuses - the guy who was poisoned with polonium and now the dissident who is on a hunger strike, Nareyev, is it, and say that Vlad is an evil son of a bitch.
Could be...
One would also observe that Vlad seemed to get along fine with Trump. Vlad might be an evil son of a bitch, setting himself up for Emperor for life status, but he seems to GAF about his own country, something lacking all around in American political leadership.
In a way, one might not be offended to see Vlad administer a little personal payback for CornPop's humiliation, (who probably wasn't a total a*****e, being imaginary as he was) out behind the gym...
Anyway back to the subject... Joe will do whatever the CCP tells him to do regarding Taiwan. He could look the other way, or he could actively and assertively betray Taiwan. Whatever the boss wants, and it looks like we have a generation of Generals and Admirals who just might be totally down with it, no problem.
[Flame suit on.]