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Actually the previous administration was also involved in the South China Sea. It was Obama, not Trump or Bush that began the "pivot to Asia". And there was a strong reason for it.
You seem to blame the United States and Trump but it is the Chinese that are claiming almost the entire South China Sea, including waters that would rightfully belong to Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and even Indonesia. It is the Chinese that are building up artificial islands and airbases in this area.
What I'm blaming Trump for is creating a hostile environment that can make minor incidents escalate. I'm blaming Trump for an utter lack of diplomacy in his trade war with China. I have zero confidence in his ability to react in a measured and strategic fashion if anything happens in the South China Sea.
I know that Pres. Obama did the Asia pivot, and I believe it was warranted. I know they are illegally constructing a man made island for the sole purpose of restricting shipping traffic near it. If you have the time to read the link I included you'll see just how unprepared we're becoming for a Naval conflict half a world away.
But he was timid. Plus the world apology tour, bowing to kings. The only thing Obama was good at was being well spoken and clean.
And instead we have Trump doing a curtsey to a king and saluting a N. Korean dictator. Oh yea, and spilling classified info to Russian visitors. Oh yea, very strong leader there.
In our lifetimes, this country has been the richest on earth. Many of our allies rely on the United States as the leader of the free world and a check to non democratic nations like China and Russia. In 2001, along comes George W. Bush, and after September 11th forced an imprint of terrorism on everyones conscience, our response was the worst possible: Use that catastrophe to attack and occupy a nation that had nothing to do with 9/11. It laid bare the grotesque expediency of using the deaths of 3000 innocent Americans to justify a war on an innocent nation.
Now fast forward to Donald Trump. After 8 years of admirable work of cleaning up Republican messes (wars and recessions, namely, but also helping to restore our standing in the world) Trump is selected President and immediately goes about insulting and humiliating our friends in the world, all while cozying up to dictators.
Yet this man, who recently raised the profile in North Korea of a despot, made him a legend to his people and tried to normalize him on the world stage, was played for the fool he is and North Korea has resumed doing what thinking people knew they would: building their nuclear arsenal.
Trump has also shown deference to Vladimir Putin, a thug who murders those who disagree with him. And Trump has started a trade war with our largest trading partner and geopolitical foe on earth, one that China is likely in far better shape to win than we are.
I read recently about the sorry state of the USS Fitzgerald, which was rammed unaware by a cargo ship, and months later another destroyer, the USS McCain, was also rammed. Both ships suffered from a lack of training, qualified personnel, and most importantly, the time and money to repair radars and other electronics that are the brains of these warships.
Now when our Navy is in China's backyard, and China has decided they have finally had enough and take out all of our satellites, and the 7th Fleet is left in the dark, what will the pathological liar in the White House say then?
Bush was awful, but he listened to his handlers. Trump is twice as ignorant and doesn't listen to anyone but Fox and Friends. We might very well see the end of empire, right here, right now, and if you like America losing its place in the world, Trump is your guy.
What I'm blaming Trump for is creating a hostile environment that can make minor incidents escalate. I'm blaming Trump for an utter lack of diplomacy in his trade war with China. I have zero confidence in his ability to react in a measured and strategic fashion if anything happens in the South China Sea.
I know that Pres. Obama did the Asia pivot, and I believe it was warranted. I know they are illegally constructing a man made island for the sole purpose of restricting shipping traffic near it. If you have the time to read the link I included you'll see just how unprepared we're becoming for a Naval conflict half a world away.
Trump is not at fault for the Fitz or the McCain so stop alluding so. High operational tempo coupled with short staffing were happening in the 7th Fleet long before his election. Why it got so bad under Obama is what you should be asking right? Inability to order/receive proper equipment due to budget was common.
Last edited by redwood66; 03-08-2019 at 06:28 PM..
What I'm blaming Trump for is creating a hostile environment that can make minor incidents escalate. I'm blaming Trump for an utter lack of diplomacy in his trade war with China. I have zero confidence in his ability to react in a measured and strategic fashion if anything happens in the South China Sea.
I know that Pres. Obama did the Asia pivot, and I believe it was warranted. I know they are illegally constructing a man made island for the sole purpose of restricting shipping traffic near it. If you have the time to read the link I included you'll see just how unprepared we're becoming for a Naval conflict half a world away.
I am not going to defend everything Trump is doing. Starting trades wars at the same time with the entire World is just stupid policy, instead he should be concentrating on the main problems, China and to a lesser extent South Korea, Japan and the EU.
But standing up to China to defend the independence of Southeast Asia, because that is what is stake here, not to mention the trade routes of Japan and South Korea, is the right thing to do. And standing up to China on trade should have been done several administrations ago.
What truly amazes me that until Trump, the policy of doing NOTHING, which used to be called APPEASMENT, was the preferred policy of one administration after another because all they cared about was internal domestic politics instead of the long term welfare of the United States.
Trump is not at fault for the Fitz or the McCain so stop alluding so. High operational tempo coupled with short staffing were happening in the 7th Fleet long before his election. Why it got so bad under Obama is what you should be asking right? Inability to order proper equipment due to budget was common.
Yeah, I guess that one trillion (plus) - like 10x or moreper person or more than what China or Russia spends, just ain't doing the job.
We need more more more more....meanwhile, millions of American go to tent clinics to have all their rotten teeth pulled out.
The Navy thing proves what we've know for many decades....that defense is vastly cheaper than offense. Good chance that was Russia or China or both messing with us...that type of warfare is VASTLY cheaper than hardware like aircraft carriers.
Total cost per year of the Military Industrial Complex plus the Security state...plus Nuke research, vets care and the interest on the money we've already spent (debt due to JUST this) is 1.4 Trillion per year.
Considering that less than 1.7 Trillion are collected from ALL individual taxpayers, that pretty much means all my Fed Income tax goes to the MIC.
That's ridiculous by any measure.
Just saying.....the Gubment also spend close to 2 Trillion on health care (including CDC, etc).....so we are already in the hole before we start. Nothing for space, ag, transportation, justice and everything else.....
Equipment should be in working order. We obviously have WAY too much of it to keep it so given the population's desire to NOT pay taxes. Something has to give.
I am not going to defend everything Trump is doing.
What truly amazes me that until Trump, the policy of doing NOTHING, which used to be called APPEASMENT, was the preferred policy of one administration after another because all they cared about was internal domestic politics instead of the long term welfare of the United States.
If you consider PR sessions and words "standing up", then so be it.
What you call appeasement has been called diplomacy for 100's of years...maybe even longer. It happens in baby steps with dozens of meetings BEFORE any rants, threats and trips 1/2 way around the world by the Reality TV Star-in-Chief.
Now...you may not like that. You may have some Dirty Harry or John Wayne hollywood idea of the way the world works and like all those bigly words.....
But they don't work. They don't produce anything.
Remember that old TPP? That was actually a way of containing China and making sure the USA had more influence in that region.
If the "results" you have been looking for are that record trade deficit, a slowing economy and no deals with anyone...plus, the breaking of any carefully worked out treaties and deals that already existed....
Yeah, I guess that one trillion (plus) - like 10x or moreper person or more than what China or Russia spends, just ain't doing the job.
We need more more more more....meanwhile, millions of American go to tent clinics to have all their rotten teeth pulled out.
The Navy thing proves what we've know for many decades....that defense is vastly cheaper than offense. Good chance that was Russia or China or both messing with us...that type of warfare is VASTLY cheaper than hardware like aircraft carriers.
Total cost per year of the Military Industrial Complex plus the Security state...plus Nuke research, vets care and the interest on the money we've already spent (debt due to JUST this) is 1.4 Trillion per year.
Considering that less than 1.7 Trillion are collected from ALL individual taxpayers, that pretty much means all my Fed Income tax goes to the MIC.
That's ridiculous by any measure.
Just saying.....the Gubment also spend close to 2 Trillion on health care (including CDC, etc).....so we are already in the hole before we start. Nothing for space, ag, transportation, justice and everything else.....
Equipment should be in working order. We obviously have WAY too much of it to keep it so given the population's desire to NOT pay taxes. Something has to give.
If the Navy is going to be there in the SCS then they need to be equipped with what they need to do the job. Either it's important or it's not but doing it half-assed gets people killed.
Let me ask you something: how much of your life do you spend writing things like this on the internet? 60%? 70? More?
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High operational tempo coupled with short staffing were happening in the 7th Fleet long before his election. Why it got so bad under Obama is what you should be asking right? Inability to order/receive proper equipment due to budget was common.