[GOP_1900AD]

Our real problem, which would need increased military spending (above and beyond current plans) to fix is two fold. Firstly, we have not kept up with the Russians in terms of airlift. This means the Russians and all whom they supply can lift more and heavier equipment than we now can. Secondly, by allowing ourselves to lose our excellent forward basing we once had in Thailand and the Philippines, we now are faced with one or more elements of worst case MRC in the worst case location (e.g. SE Asia). Read "Beijing's Surge for the Strait of Malacca" (Google search reveals multiple instances) by Bodansky for the low down. Since Bodansky wrote that, Myanmar have quietly armed, built roads from the PRC and 2 mile long runways (not to mention the codeveloped PLAN bases along the Bay of Bengal). One can easily picture us being tied down in the ME and Korea, when all of the sudden, the PLA attack (and perhaps not even invade) Taiwan (e.g. via missiles) while combined PLA - Myanmar and Pakistani forces (these three are coordinating ops in Myanmar) make a blitz via highway to the SE. What would we do.... what WOULD we do?

[LS]

With all due respect, the concerns over the Straits of Malacca were an issue back in the late 1970s. China ain't gonna get them, period.

Second, all the lift in the word doesn't mean squat if you have nothing to lift. I am not convinced that the post-USSR Russia has even a FRACTION of the combat ability that the Soviets had.

Third, forward bases are a blessing and a curse. We saw in Turkey that a "forward base" didn't mean squat. The advantages of forward bases are frequently offset by the political "strings" required to maintain them. Do I favor losing the ones we have? Of course not. But I do think that the 21st century wars are going to be faster than ever, and likely will allow us LESS time, not more, to work things out with our fine "allies."

[Quix]

A worthy caution.

Unless, of course,

the we have some of the HUGH

UFO's as well as the smaller ones we supposedly have fleets of.


But then, if it's the puppet masters who controll all those--we're still back with your well stated caution.

[Filibuster_60]

One can easily picture us being tied down in the ME and Korea, when all of the sudden, the PLA attack (and perhaps not even invade) Taiwan (e.g. via missiles) while combined PLA - Myanmar and Pakistani forces (these three are coordinating ops in Myanmar) make a blitz via highway to the SE. What would we do.... what WOULD we do?

Not only can I "easily picture" this but I'm thinking it's a near-certainty that the PLA will strike only when we're fairly tied down elsewhere.

I don't think we'll have the capability to respond to multiple crises simultaneously for the forseeable future. It'll require a level of military spending and commitment that our leaders aren't prepared to sell to the public.

And there will always be other big powers that we can't preempt under any circumstances, since we don't have the resources to coerce them in their own neighborhood. Containment is the only option for Russia and China. The problem is, Russia's getting weaker and becoming easier to contain, but the "containment perimeter" of China is sure to expand in the coming years, whether gradually or in sharp spurts.