The USA thinks it can continue to dictate and threaten countries as they like. Those days are over. Now even Saudi Arabia and UAE are not unduly threatened, and wants to sell oil in other currencies. The USA can withdraw its military support for the Saudis, but it is afraid of Russia moving in to take its place. After all, Iran the perpetual enemy of the Saudis, is an ally of Russia, and if the Saudis are under Russian protection, Iran is not going to upset its alliance with Russia by attacking the Saudis.
Other than that, who else is threatening the Saudis? Yemen is incapable of inflicting serious damage to the Saudis even if it tries to as before, initiating sneak attacks at best. That was when Saudi Arabia was still under USA patriot missile cover and yet suffered damage to their oil installations. The patriots failed to protect and the Saudis were reported to have decided to buy the S400 anti missile system from Russia instead.
North Korea showed the USA its middle finger and would not care less what the USA wants to say, using the UN to say it to make it more convincing for the doggies. Kim just fired his crackers as he likes and makes Japan and South Korea go on a haywire dance and do not know how to deal with it.
Iran is another that cares two hoots about what the USA is threatening them, with more sanctions being considered. It is just a matter of time for Iran to go nuclear.
Russia meanwhile says, just bring it on and do not stop sanctioning and wait for our retaliation. The EU is still discreetly buying Russian oil on the sly. All that talk about being able to do without Russian energy is just horseshit or more commonly called bullshit.
And that brings us to China, which the USA is now working on sanctioning as well, using the excuse that China is helping Russia by buying Russian energy and on ther verge of supplying lethal weapons to them. India is buying even more Russian oil, but does not face USA and Western sanctions. Isn't it stupid trying to stop China buying Russian energy, but left a big yawning loophole to be exploited by the Indians.
Well, Russia being less significant to the USA, but more instrumental to the EU in terms of trade, is already enough of a hot potato for the USA and Nato to handle. Chinese products fill the shelves of Walmart and others and without them, the USA people will revolt with inflation about to escalate with more interest rate hikes. Interesting days ahead for USA consumers.
Anonymous
China, like Russia, is indeed preparing for an unavoidable war with the USA. That is a clear indication from what the Chinese are now doing, upping their defence budget. Many believe the Chinese defence budget, in reality, is much more than reported officially. China's response to USA antagonism and threats are no more cordial or friendly, its warning crisp and clear, since Anchorage, Alaska. And China had been building up its defence capabilities and retaliatory potential over the last couple of years, knowing the USA could launch a pre-emptive strike at any time. Since tensions escalated under Trump, China knows that this confrontation with USA cannot now be avoided.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese knew that the USA had, many a time, from leaked documents, wanted to nuke China on the sly, and I believe China has made this threat one of its priorities in making preparations. The Chinese knew that the USA is aware that the window of opportunity for the USA to be able to take down China is closing fast, and the USA had to make a move, the target date already established as 2025.
China's defence budget may be dwarfed by the USA, but do not be mistaken. While the USA had to spend an enormouse slice of its budget on upkeeping its forces spread over the almost thousand military bases worldwide, and thus a much more expensive upkeep compared to China's spending on its forces at home.
The real bang for the buck is that China is spending much of its defence budget on building and upgrading missiles, planes, warships and submarines, and doing it much more cheaply than what the USA is spending on building such military equipment. The Chinese do not have to pay US$640 for a toilet seat like the Pentagon, and that tells you the corruption that has infested the Pentagon, and the astronomical waste that the USA is dealing with under their defence budget. That so much money is going into irrelevant black holes, and into defence contractor's pocket, he real comparison is difficult to gauge just looking at comparative costs on both sides.
The Pentagon therefore has to generate threats and instigate conflicts in order to continue with asking for more and more funding for its expenditure, and the USA Government has to pass a bigger and bigger budget for defence every year. This is the same modus operandi as funding the US budget deficit, with fiat money printing unable to keep up with unrestrained spending.
Actually the window already closed several years back. China is now able to hit back and destroy everything in the US as the US can do that to China. Both China and Russia are able to do as much damage as the Americans could.
ReplyDeleteThere is no window to talk about. Only insanity would the Americans think they can hit China now and walk away unhurt, or can walk away alive.
In terms of nuclear missiles, China officially is still far behind the USA, but the real position is not so clearcut. Keeping the enemy guessing is a good strategy.
ReplyDeleteRemember the USA has something like a thousand military bases around the world, with attack dogs all around China. But with Russia keeping China's northern border well covered and North Korea an ally, the attack dogs can only confront China across the South China Sea. Central Asia, apart from India, is largely neutral, while ASEAN, with the exception of Philippines and you know who, is largely still neutral as well. In fact, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are more inclined to support China.
But, all in all, the capability of China to mount a counter nuclear strike is important and does make the numerical disadvantage less material.