Posted on 01/31/2023 10:10:58 AM PST by MarMema
For a country constantly chest-thumping about the size of its economy, the United States is remarkably over-reliant on one form of "export" – war. For decades, the American-led political West used proxy wars to hurt its geopolitical adversaries. While most of these weren't a direct existential threat to US rivals and were relatively limited in scope, recent years brought a major shift to this strategic approach.
Washington DC has become more bellicose than at any point in its history, aggressively attacking the very heartlands of its opponents. In the case of Russia and China, the only reason America isn't directly attacking either of the superpowers is their ability to immediately "return the favor". And yet, the US keeps fanning up conflicts that are pushing the world ever closer toward another global conflict.
Ukraine and Taiwan are the two most prominent examples of America's strategy of "accelerated escalation", obviously designed to cause "irrational decision-making" in both Moscow and Beijing, according to the Pentagon-funded RAND Corporation. With Ukraine reaching a boiling point and Russia forced to intervene, Washington DC is determined to do the same with China in Taiwan. In recent years, top American officials, including several military commanders, have been warning about the "inevitability of war with China".
However, the latest statement is quite concerning, issued in the form of a memo by an active four-star general and circulated with an official order. This is particularly dangerous, especially when taking into account the fact that the general took the step of conveying it through the official chain of command. According to NBC News, General Mike Minihan sent it to his subordinate officers:
"A four-star Air Force general sent a memo on Friday to the officers he commands that predicts the U.S. will be at war with China in two years and tells them to get ready to prep by firing 'a clip' at a target, and 'aim for the head'. In the memo sent Friday and obtained by NBC News, Gen. Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command, said, 'I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me will fight in 2025.'"
According to various sources, the US Air Force general commands approximately 50,000 US servicemen and nearly 500 planes, making his comments all the more concerning. This is particularly true when taking into account that USAF is in direct control of two arms of America's thermonuclear triad – its land-based ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) and nuclear-armed strategic bombers.
Perhaps the most alarming part of the grisly prediction is that it instructed commanders under him to "consider their personal affairs and whether a visit should be scheduled with their servicing base legal office to ensure they are legally ready and prepared." Minihan claims this is because China is allegedly "determined to make a move" against its breakaway island province of Taiwan within the next two years and that this would trigger a direct US military response.
He further called for "a fortified, ready, integrated, and agile Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight and win inside the first island chain." Minihan also issued an order that all steps in preparation for war with China were to be reported to him directly by February 28. As to why he thinks this is "inevitable" by 2025, NBC claims he stated the following:
"Minihan said in the memo that because both Taiwan and the U.S. will have presidential elections in 2024, the U.S. will be 'distracted,' and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have an opportunity to move on Taiwan."
The wording is quite concerning, especially when coming from a high-level military commander. General Minihan directed all Air Mobility Command personnel to "fire a clip into a 7-meter target with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head." Using such phrases when talking about the "coming war" with a nuclear-armed China is unwise, to say the least, not to mention the complete disregard for the most basic diplomatic etiquette. Additionally, China's conventional capabilities are very different in comparison to just a decade ago. Beijing has invested heavily in technological advances that rival or even surpass America's, particularly hypersonic weapons, in which Washington DC significantly lags behind.
Still, China has spent decades trying to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully, especially through close economic ties with the island, but the US has been undermining these efforts, particularly in recent years. Beijing's attempts to achieve nonviolent political reunification with Taiwan have been severely compromised by American arms deliveries, with Taipei spending dozens of billions on weapons, most of which haven't even been delivered due to the current US focus on Ukraine. China has been warning Washington DC against fomenting the independence ambitions of its breakaway island province. However, the US hasn't only ignored this, but it seems it's already planning yet another war with another superpower.
The Pfentagon
The only way to stop the slaughter that could take place is to elect Trump in 24.
Never thought I’d see pro Communist filthy anti-American propaganda like that touted on Free Republic but this is what has happened so we just have to deal with it and explain to those who read our comments what absolute creeps and cooks you are.
Coming from this Pentagon , nope don’t believe it
Thank God the general stated a warning that war with China is coming. If that’s the threat he sees on the horizon then d*** well he should be warning our troops.
And then we get vile propaganda posted here that America is trying to start a war or prevent wonderful Chinese reunification with Taiwan.
F China and its plan to enslave the free people of Taiwan.
We are still a great country and will be much better without people like you. What disgusting anti-American filth you are spreading.
Yeah no you are cheerleading for Communist China you dope.
Oh don’t be ridiculous.
You have no idea what I support but I’ll tell you this I support America you anti American creep the stuff that is being posted on free Republic as reprehensible and honestly it becomes something that no American Patriot can read and have any part of.
I hope that some good honest conservative Americans are actually reading the c*** that you people are posting here because it is filled with absolute aid for America. It isn’t just against globalism or against Biden these comments are tearing America down and denouncing it just as much as the Communist Chinese do.
F Communist China and I cannot believe that free Republic is going to become a place where people mouth the Chinese propaganda so that it can attack Taiwan and the rest of the Pacific region.
We should all be able to agree that Communist Red China is not consistent with conservative viewpoints.
I’m agreeing with this post. War is what feeds the uniparty.
Absolute hate for America.
“We should all be able to agree that Communist Red China is not consistent with conservative viewpoints”
Absolutely it is not. However neither is the American neo-fascist political oligarchy…which owns the American government…and rules what has now become the American peasantry.
It is a pox on both houses situation. Both systems at antithetical to what used to be the American idea of personal freedom and government by consent of the governed.
Yes so this is the latest tactic of people who are spouting anti-American rhetoric straight from red China.
“Oh no, we don’t support red china but then again we don’t support Fascist Nazi Marxist America.”
Please snap out of it when you start calling America nazi because we would defend democratic Taiwan from invasion by Communist China, you have become an anti-American tool of the red chine is and you are indeed supporting red China.
The loss of Taiwan to China would be an absolute military, economic, and geopolitical disaster for the United States and every one of our allies in the Pacific.
“What aren’t you willing to surrender to Russia or China?”
What’s the difference from our own governments...they all want to take our guns away.
Philippines and Australia next.
China and its allies like gun control.
I didn’t say anything about defending Taiwan. I was talking about the evil that the American government (culture and society) has become. I’m agnostic about Taiwan, although I suspect they have a government that actually likes their own people and isn’t actively trying to destroy their own people like the American government is..so as for that they are worthy of support far more than most countries that are the subject of American adventures.
I wish Taiwan the best…and the best for them would definitely be not to become beholden to the rancid American military-industrial complex. For them, that would simply end up as being caught between two devils.
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