The Nuclear Threat From China

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201402.html ^ | March 4, 2007 | Mark Helprin

[Tailgunner Joe]

Before rejoicing over detente with Kim Jong Il, it might be useful to remember that although agreements were reached in the past, his countrymen later built a number of nuclear weapons and carried out a test. Also, North Korea, with a rich chemical and biological arsenal having long ago neutralized American tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, has embarked solely on a program of survival by extortion and will gladly forfeit a power it does not need in exchange for recognition and some essential commodities. The Asian nuclear power of which we must take account is not North Korea but China. ...

In the next five years, as we reduce our arsenal from 10,000 strategic warheads to 1,700, China's MIRV'd silo-based missiles and imminent generations of MIRV'd mobile and sea-based ICBMs will easily allow a breakout from warhead numbers now variously estimated to range from 80 to 1,800.

Once, the vast imbalance (in 1987, 500:1) might have discouraged China from such augmentation, but no longer. Our reductions and their growth provide fewer targets for more missiles and will create the possibility and therefore the temptation, however remote, of a first strike. As we have cut the stable sea-based leg of our nuclear deterrent from 37 ballistic missile submarines to 14, China works to build its own and a fleet that can provide protected bastions at sea as well as hunt down the small number of American boats on station.

Nuclear competition between mature and newly emerging powers is neither unprecedented nor unexpected, but the rule has always been that if nuclear potential exists it must be countered. Although we may no longer subscribe to this, China does.

[JHBowden]

Fortunately, the Chinese are sane.

The real danger is from the unhinged maniac Hitler over in Iran, who literally thinks it is his goal to go on the final jihad against the infidels at the end of times. After he fires the nukes, the Mahdi, Jesus and so forth will come back to kill the remaining Jews and Americans.

To say the guy is a loon is an understatement. And given how Iran is routinely killing our people in Iraq, we should have bombed Iran's nuke program *yesterday*.

[GOPJ]

President Giuliani in 2008! Law and Order. Solid Judges. Free Markets. Killing Terrorists.

Nice tag!

[b4its2late]

Clinton's legacy continues.....

[snowrip]

the Chinese have received generous assistance from the past two American presidents, who have accomplished first a carefree diminution of our orders of battle and then the incompetent deployment of what was left, in a campaign analogous to losing a protracted struggle with Portugal. China advances and we decline because, among other things, its vision is disciplined and clear, while ours is burdened by fear, decadence and officials who understand neither Chinese grand strategy nor its nuclear component.

That just about sums it up. I have long said that Clinton's real legacy would be a Second Cold War... with China. In the case of the current administration, we thought that we had elected a warrior... but what we got was a missionary.

The author failed to mention on e important comparison; that of population. Equal numbers of casualties would be catastrophic to the US, but not to the Chinese, whose leadership would gladly sacrifice 300 million Chinese lives if it meant victory.

[RetiredArmy]

President Giuliani in 2008! Law and Order. Solid Judges. Free Markets. Killing Terrorists.

Nice tag!

Right, sure, I need that good laugh just as I am about to log off for the night. Thanks. I can giggle about that one till I fall asleep. Add: approval of all partial birth abortion and all other types of abortion; anti gun laws; gay marriage; his 3d, 4th, and 5th wives. Yup, with winners like ole Rudi, we have nothing to worry about.

[American in Israel]

The real danger of little Hitler is because of the Chinese designed missiles that he now has to deliver his Russian manufacturing system generated nukes.

I doubt that Israel is Russia and Chinas target. But I suspect America's forward army over the border in Iraq is.

The red menace is not dead, it just plans to use a throw away sock puppet to adsorb the retaliatory strike for the opening exchange of the world first nuclear war.

Americans make great checker players, Russians excel at chess.

[word_warrior_bob]

Sorry, we need to kill about 20 million Muslims first, then we'll get to you.

As a matter of fact, killing 20 million Muslims WILL probably take care of you, and Russia, and North Korea, etc.

[Sam Franklin]

Even the Holocaust of the Jewish people was only 6 million.

[word_warrior_bob]

How many died total in World War II? This is World War III, not an indiscriminate Holocaust.

[Sam Franklin]

I am not saying that the US killing 20 million Muslims is the same thing, qualitatively, as Nazi germany killing 6 million Jewish people. I was just comparing the size of the numbers.

I disagree that the Holocaust was indiscriminate. I think the Nazis pretty discriminating as far as who they executed in the Holocaust.

[word_warrior_bob]

I'm saying that we wouldn't be killing muslims indiscriminately.

[Sam Franklin]

How will the USA choose which ones to kill and which ones to allow to survive?

[word_warrior_bob]

There's collateral damage in every war.

[Sam Franklin]

Collateral damage is indiscriminate.

[word_warrior_bob]

That's why they call it war.