[Teacher317]

The poster said that we need to all pile into submarines to survive an EMP pulse. That's not exactly well-reasoned thinking.

However, I was incorrect to refer to the article as hysterical. It's effect seems to be, but not the actual article itself.

And I certainly agree that an large-scale EMP attack is a potential risk that should be looked into, but the urgency urged here seems excessive.

(Of course, I may be a bit soft on China since I just returned from a 6-week Law School program in Beijing. Except for possibly the .01% of the population in the upper echelons of the Central Communist Party, there is little animus towards America that I could detect.)

[Jeff Head]

Actually, the poster made the statement that not too many of us could fit into the subs of the world...not that we should pile into them. I believe the post was sarcastic in reply to the post that subs were immune to EMPs. Furthermore, I believe that post may have missed the point of the fact that subs are immune to EMP. What that poster, IMHO, was saying, was that the third leg of our nuclear triad, those on the Trident Subs, would be available after such an attack to devestate the attacking enemy.

Of course, the poster speaking of not fitting into the subs has a point that such a devestating response will not fill the holes the intital attack created...just avenge them.

As to the Chinese Communists...they have successfully mutated their economic model into a more fascist capitalistic model that is successfully fueling and funding their economic and military growth. But they are still repressive tyrants and number somewhere between fifty and one hundred million in terms of the members of the party itself. Do not underestimate their ability to:

1) Ruthlessly repress their own people.
2) Use the state owned and run media to propogandize and raise nationalistic furor if they feel it necessary (and clearly, in a battle for Taiwan they will play that card to the max).

The fact is...they are gaining the tools necessary to project their economic and military power and influence and ultimatley that will run headlong into American interests and military. Events of this last week just puntuate that point...and the facts of this article should give us all pause.

...and I speak as one who also spent quite a bit of time over there in the late 1990's.

[GOP_1900AD]

The Chinese are the best in the world when it comes to putting on the happy face for certain foreign visitors. Been there done that ... a number of times.

[steve86]

Except for possibly the .01% of the population in the upper echelons of the Central Communist Party, there is little animus towards America that I could detect.)

And which .01% is it that would make the decision to attack?

[Quix]

It depends on lots of things.

Certainly key parts of the military in control of their arms would be sufficient.

And, Nationalism is a fairly saleable item in China as you should have noticed.

Lots of people have various kinds and levels of affection for the USA. But for our government or in the face of perceived threat or a list of perceived insults, slights, hazards etc. . . many would also quickly jump on the bandwagon of attacking the USA. Especially in terms of Taiwan.