Posted on 08/16/2021 2:16:32 PM PDT by shotgun
What is sad is that what would replace him would be even worse.
I think you may be right. Headline from earlier today: "Crisis of competence facing Joe Biden." That headline is from CNN. That's like Pravda running a negative story on a member of the Politburo--time to get out of Dodge.
Even CNN realizes that Joe Biden is a joke. Might be time to cut their losses and see how Kamala Harris will do as our President.
CNN broke it , they bought it.
Very true. But also irrelevant. Sadly, China will own Taiwan just like they own Hong Kong.
Nope. Their hatred and disdain of those they look down their noses at is too great to allow them to think reasoned thoughts.
I hope Austrailia, Vietnam, Phillipines, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan announce a joint nuclear armament agreement and start production for deliverable nukes.
South Korea and Taiwan can get a deliveralbe nuke in about 90 days. Japan? 30. Austrailia...sooner if they share UK nukes.
It’s a double edged “gift.” An unreliable United States triggers a regional nuclear arms race in east and southeast Asia.
Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, if faced with defending themselves, either alone or in some sort of mutual defense arrangement that did not rely on the United States to supply the nuclear components, are perfectly capable of developing both nuclear weapons and the variety of deliver systems needed to create a creditable deterrent to Chinese aggression. My instinct tells me those plans already exist and have existed for a long time. They are probably being reviewed and updated right now.
By the way, once they stop relying on the United States to supply the nuclear muscle, it also diminishes the role of United States conventional military power to act as a victory enabler. So, in addition to starting a nuclear arms race, a conventional arms race will probably start as well as each of these countries build out their force structures to war readiness levels. Of course, this shift will not happen overnight and will provoke a lot of political wrangling and funding struggles.
They have two choices left now that the United States has failed in Afghanistan. Either get vastly more powerful or submit to the hegemony of the nuclear armed states of mainland east Asia.
There is also a possibility, although not as nearly as high, that Canada and the European members of NATO will begin evaluating how the alliance will function with nn unreliable United States member.
I could see the Philippines and Vietnam joining too.
Democrats are the ones who have always abandoned America’s allies,
The fall of Afghanistan is a consequence of the democrat party putting their lust for power above the lives of our allies as well as our own American citizens.
The list of nations that might now proceed with developing and deploying nuclear weapons was limited to those countries that absolutely have the scientific, engineering, and financial resources to complete the process. Hence, the selection of Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
The original list I wrote down included Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Sure, add Vietnam. But the same issues remain: do these nations have the internal, national resources in the necessary areas to carry out and carry through to deployment such a complex and expensive project?
Point taken, but was just saying that other nations would join in. I know some of them might have small research reactors perhaps, the only one I can think up is there is a small one in the Philippines and they are trying to get the Bataan Nuclear plant online. Does this mean thy can build nukes, well in a pinch, maybe gun type weapon like Little Boy. I know many of those nations signed the Non Proliferation Treaty, but circumstances can change that. Anyways, to me, treaties are made to be broken, just ask any American Indian. Even so if I was one of the top nations like Japan, Australia, South Korea and especially Taiwan, I’d start up a nuclear weapons program, in secret if I had to. Maybe the Philippines and Indonesia at some point could pull it off too. Then there is a problem of delivery, you needs bombers and missiles, I think Japan can do the latter and Australia can if they brought back their FB-111’s. Too bad we did not sell or give Taiwan and others our old B-47’s and others back in the day, at least Taiwan could try to take out Three Gorges with something like a B-47, B-57 or FB-111. Getting back to reality from hypothetical though, the United States cannot be trusted now, I’m afraid. B-(
Our allies can no longer trust us - our enemies no longer fear us or respect us.
Of the four countries mentioned, three of them (Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan) have aeronautical industries that have produced indigenous fighter aircraft in the past and some are doing so even now. Japan has also produced their own medium size twin jet cargo aircraft and recently fielded a totally domestically designed and produced four jet maritime patrol aircraft. Japan, Taiwan and South Korea also have their own own missile and rocket industries.
Of the four nations, Japan is the most capable in all respects. Japan is also the least likely to act due to its experience with the atomic bombs at the end of WWII and the anti-nuclear weapon provisions of their post-war constitution.
Australia certainly has the research and development and engineering talent and facilities to design the weapons and their delivery systems. The question is in actual production and financing. Australia might be better off concluding a mutual defense treaty with the other three nations where they would defend Australia in exchange for...say, use of Australian facilities for weapon and delivery system research and development. Heck, the Aussies might even negotiate the loan of some of the actual weapons and delivery systems as well.
As for the smaller countries under consideration, probably the most affordable and easy to implement solution would probably be some sort of mutual defense treaty with the three new Asian nuclear states.
You are right concerning the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and all the rest of the treaties, MOAs, etc. Abrogating them by notification is possible. Getting to the point where that is actually done will be hard.
In addition to acknowledging all of this is just wild speculation at this point, we also have to acknowledge that neither the Chinese nor the Russians nor even the North Koreans changed their behavior or made new threats or...well, anything. Anything except point out how unreliable the United States is as an ally.
When they make that accusation, we need to point out we were so poor an ally that we cut and run after only 20 years, over a trillion dollars of outlays (including significant amounts to train and equipment the Afghan armed forces), 4000+ KIAs, many thousands maimed and wounded, and a concerted if misguided effort to help the people of Afghanistan imagine a better future for themselves and their children. That’s not quitting at the first opportunity.
That said, the actual evacuation has been a complete goat rope. And those responsible for the ....crap, they just need to be held accountable.
One last thing, we should make it clear to the Taliban and to the world what awaits them if Afghanistan ever again comes up on the grid as a origin point or safe haven for Islamic terrorists. My personal preference would be to drop the Presidential Palace right on top of them in the middle of some major speech when all the top layers of leadership are present for the event.
However, on mature reflection, the anger that act would produce would overshadow the warning message. But you could deliver a pretty obvious warning by dumping say, millions upon millions of paint balloons on Kabul during some major planned victory celebrations. And do it at odd intervals day and night so that it is obvious the United States can reach them whenever it wants to. I am not even certain this could be done, but if it could, the city would be bespattered from one end to the other with splotches of colored paint on everything. Then follow up with a massive leaflet drop warning them that if their government crosses this line, we will be back and, this time, it will be with bombs and we will not spare anyone.
Pure fantasy, of course.
Harris claimed she was in on the decision concerning the pullout/ turn tail and run. Publicly
It's been rumored behind the scenes she reportedly claimed' They are't going to stick me with this f---g sh-t!'
She is at least as incompetent as Ol' Joe.
We can hang the Biden presidency directly around the neck of CNN, MSNBC, et al.
I would be willing to bet that plan B is spelled, “N.U.C.L.E.A.R.”
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