What a War Between China and the United States Would Look Like

Popular Mechanics ^ | December 29, 2010 | Erik Sofge

[grey_whiskers]

You have it backwards: if you owe the bank $10,000 and can't pay, you're over a barrel: if you owe the bank $10,000,000 and can't pay, the BANK is over a barrel.

The US could just cancel the bonds owed to China on the grounds of the war.

Cheers!

[84rules]

Half of them are airborne when Kadena comes under attack.

That attack alone would escalate this scenario into an all-out war. The author is being way overly-simplistic in this analysis.

[crusty old prospector]

I have visions of The Bridge over the River Kwai.

[PGR88]

they'll throw a million men at a hill, and if one is left standing on top they call it a victory.

Read any biography of Mao. My favorite is "Mao" by Jung Chang. Mao and his still extant Communist Party are about power by any means. People are ants to serve society. Mao wanted a billion Chinese, so the nation could survive an all-out nuclear war with Russia or the USA.

These guys are still in power in Beijing.

[Azeem]

This is not how wars are fought and won.

Our subs and B2s would eliminate their ground based C3 capability and the Air Force would be eliminating their space based capability.

It will be a little difficult to guide those magical anti-carrier missiles when GPS is offline, Chinese satellites in pieces, and the Russian system jammed.

And then the nasty Iranian nuke facility virus is spreading on the Chinese net.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

The Left has no monopoly on that belief. Facts are what they are. Amerika has chosen to take a path of Pacifist, secular Socialist/Hedonism. the result is, nobody cares to fight, just roll with the flow and follow whom ever is in charge.

So long as it does not directly effect me and I have football and reality T.V. to keep me occupied.

[R0CK3T]

I believe he might have meant that there are 10 Million more in the PLA (Army) OLONE than we have in our Army?

A war that would extend beyond the sea with China would be like nothing this country has ever faced.

We could win, but not without using Nuclear weapons.

The determination on the use of these weapons, comes directly from the political will of the leadership in the White House.

So when the Presidents snotty kids run around PUBLICLY wearing NO NUC’s t-shirts other countries get a pretty solid idea about how that decision will come out.

The Chinese do now have some advanced weapons, but its their Communist ideology that I fear most. This will ruthlessly drive them to remain constantly aggressive with no remorse for the killing that they do all in the name of their Communist beliefs.

So win or lose this war with Taiwan that will force more confrontations that must be to be dealt with over and over against more and more advanced weaponry.

As time goes on and those weapons become even more advanced the prospects of facing an ever growing military capability would be very dismal.

IMO if any war really did take place we would have to cripple their economy and their military - SEVERELY, while fighting to maintain the Carrier battle group in the fight. This would be a way to diminish the rising military capability AND, maybe more importantly, the economic engine they are using to pay for these advanced weapons. Consider going on the offense a big investment in the future.

It might, but most likely will not, also get the attention of these little dictators in Beijing to think about changing their ideology a bit.

[Iron Munro]

Or the ChiComs could just pay off the crooked Mexican government.

Then ship millions upon millions of Chinese to Mexico where they can waltz across the border into the USA.

[Hardastarboard]

If we had a war with China, 0bama’s first step would be to nuke OUR 20 largest cities, just so China would know that we weren’t angry or anything.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

You forget, (Or are ignorant) to the fact that it is China who is loading most of the World's satellites into orbit. It will be they who control, or who will still have their attack system still in tact. They are the ones most capable of rendering all other systems inoperable.

But go ahead, foster that arrogant, “We are superior in every way.” illusion. You have no clue just what is happening over there as well as the vast development and ability of this very resourceful society. In all reality, they now live better than we do and their national loyalty is well beyond ours.

Be afraid, be VERY afraid if they do decide to take action against us!

[ßuddaßudd]

There is zero chance that the US will fight to save Taiwan, and this has been true for many years.
You said it. End of discussion. . .

[Vinnie]

It’s hard to picture Obama taking decisive action like Truman in 1950 or George H. W. Bush when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

He will vote 'present' from the safety of a bunker.

[TheBattman]

That less ugly revised version at the end will never be a possibility with Barack Obama, the US-hating traitor in the White House. He wants the us to give up our strategic defense systems (which is a large component of the second scenario above). The START treaty ties our defensive system development to Russian development and deployment of specific new types of weapons. It does no even consider the growing threat from China, NK, or anyone else.

China has been able to grow into the superpower it has thanks to so many stupid policies and idiot American consumers who would rather pay less for Chinese junk at the expense of US jobs and manufacturing know-how. Add to that, a federal government that is spending $trillions more than it collects in taxes and other revenues (and cannot collect without completely destroying the entire economy)... Instead borrowing from.... Drum roll please... China.

Were our Federal Government to actually operate within the bounds of the Constitution, we could have the most healthy economy, lowest unemployment, and a national defense that would be practically invincible- all with a lower tax burden than we currently have.

But since “we” now apparently believe that paying people NOT no work, and enslaving generations to social programs is a better use of $ than “providing for the common defense”- the future of this nation looks mighty bleak. Proof positive was the election of a radical Marxist to the office of President- despite overwhelming evidence that he is as unpatriotic and unqualified as any candidate has ever been.

[mad_as_he$$]

http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Terrain-Dale-Brown/dp/039914241X?tag=dogpile-20

[Strategerist]

He said that the Chinese were the only people who scared him because they don't value human life like we do.

Well, considering how many people are constantly killed in their coal mines, that's likely still true to a degree.

But keep in mind that most people now have "one child." If that child's a boy, they're going to be pretty upset if he ends up dead on the bottom of the Taiwan Strait.

[MurrietaMadman]

Ohmage to Poobah... what’s the ETA of additional sneering disdain? We’re running low out here, over.

[I Buried My Guns]

"... If we basically took out their capital, the three gorges dam, and their entire coastline (all major cities), I think they'd be operating at a 15th century level..."

I like the way you think.

"...it's about the loss of capability to run a country of 1.4 billion people..."

Right there you almost referenced a line from Red Dawn!

[4Runner]

When was the last time the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war? Don’t hold your breath. It’s not in the cards for the U.S. to respond militarily to any aggressor, save for the occasional “police action”. Ironically, billions of taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on the latest offense/defense technology—the stealth F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. For what purpose? Do we have the will any longer to fight? Will we rely on this technology to take out the highly organized, well-funded, militarily-armed drug cartels which continue to overrun and occupy without challenge U.S. territory in Arizona and Texas? A war between the U.S. and China? Popular (Imported) Mechanics has got to be kidding! We won’t even bother to defend our own states from invasion!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/4721582727/in/set-72157601438420763/

[central_va]

What would a war with China look like?

[Borax Queen]

The Chinese do now have some advanced weapons, but its their Communist ideology that I fear most. This will ruthlessly drive them to remain constantly aggressive with no remorse for the killing that they do all in the name of their Communist beliefs.

Completely. And they are master deceivers to make people think they're harmless.