Yes,, we do have unmatched capacity for war. I know this will sound quaint, but really there is supposed to be an American interest at stake. Interest means something material to our economy or security, not simply, “Say, well isn’t that interesting”.
Unless the Chinese intend to block free navigation, we have no fight there. Wars are expensive, and really suck from up close. We should not be asked fight them over which Asian nation gets to claim the Spratleys. As long as we can sail by on our way somewhere else, I’m cool.
Some won’t be satisfied until we have Marines storming a modern Tarawa somewhere. But on behalf of Vietnamese, Taiwanese, and PI oil dreams? Please.
Well said.
Stopping Chinese imperialism before they lay claim to Guam, Hawaii, or San Francisco is an American interest. The Chinese have already laid claim to the Arctic and they’ve claimed that they want ‘special trade zones’ in cities along the Pacific coast incuding Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Long Beach.
...and they’re already in Long Beach where H.L. Richardson long ago pointed out that the ‘security guards’ working at the COSCO terminal there are all PLA soldiers. Why they’re allowed to have a defacto military base on our soil utterly eludes me.
In any case, it is vital to our interests to stop China where they are or else we’ll have to fight them when they come for what’s ours.