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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
ANTAGONIZING CHINA OVER NMD
(New 6/20/01.)
lobal peace and prosperity depends to a remarkable degree on robust exchanges between the world's richest nation and the world's most populous. Considering that fact, the leaders in Washinton D.C. and Beijing have been either tragically star-crossed or remarkably cavalier about provoking confrontation.
In 1996 Beijing fired a pair of ballistic missiles across the Taiwan Strait under the pretext of "military exercises", prompting the U.S. to send a carrier battle group in response. In 1999 the U.S. bombed the Chinese embassy in Kosovo and ascribed it to an intelligence error.
In mid 2000 the two nations seemed about to put the bad blood behind them when President Clinton struck a deal for U.S. approval of China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Then George Bush vowed to commit untold billions to building a space-based national missile defense (NMD) system to detect and destroy ballistic missiles that might threaten the U.S. A clear effort at upsetting the global balance of power, charged Beijing, vowing to commit whatever resources necessary to counter NMD. Its predictably harsh and intransigent stance toward a crippled U.S. spy plane forced to land on Hainan Island produced another standoff which, for several tense days, seemed capable of triggering a shooting war.
What American wouldn't want a shield from foreign ballistic missiles? But the NMD is hardly a sure thing. It's premised on technology that won't exist for a decade or more. It will end up costing well over $100 billion dollars. Meanwhile its mere existence on drawing boards sours relations with China, Russia and other nations. At present all it guarantees is another arms race. The only way it makes strategic sense is as a means to bankrupt a nascent geopolitical rival by forcing it into an arms race it can't afford. Look at what the nuclear arms race did to Russia.
Does the U.S. stand to gain or lose by using the NMD to threaten and alienate China?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
I disagree that a nuclear war would break out with the U.S. striking first. The American population is a lot different than it was when they fought Japan (even then, the people didn't have much say in the use of nukes).
Anyway, you would really have to piss off the general population before they demand the use of nuclear weapons (i.e. vaporizing L.A.).
Even hawks like Bush wouldn't dare unilaterally use weapons of mass destruction.
I think a more likely scenario would be having the U.S. Airforce and navy contain China with conventional means. Assuming America doesn't suffer too many casualties.
Besides, does it really take that many nuclear weapons to ruin your day.
Imagine the U.S. totally wipes out Asia and they send 10 back at us. What would the U.S. be like if it's 10 largest cities disappeared?
huu76
Monday, June 10, 2002 at 03:25:57 (PDT)
HK and Japan are masterpieces of economy. The rest of Asia should learn from both...I would hope Asians would stop fighting each other and get Asia back to what it was before the white invaders came. Asia was a place rich with trade and culture and the oldest civilizations on earth. There was peace in Asia and it was better than first world, much less third world. The Asian-American minds that you see today who basically are the doctors, engineers, etc...are what the Asian mind really is. They are what Asia could've been. There's no doubt about it. What Asians need to do is to learn to FIGHT for their right!!!
bringittogether
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 10:14:26 (PDT)
South Asian...
I have seen Rudi Bhakitar and her white self...I think she's pretty hot actually...no wait a minute she is...There are 23-30 million Indians with Christian background and 10 million Indians with Buddhist background. DO NOT put down the Hindu culture...we are nowhere near the fundamentalist regimes of Pak through Palestine. Hindu "fundamentalism" has been started to counter the Muslim crap.
"East Asians are different...especially those with a Buddhist or Christian backround. They are the nearest to being the challengers of American (perhaps should I say white) "supremacy".
- No I don't think so...look at Indian-Americans...by far the richest group in America...and Indians have the most millionaires in the world...but to counter that statement...but this is not to say that all Asian-Americans in general have the highest per capita income in the US. I don't believe Buddhist or Christian or Hindu or Muslim background has anything to do with it. Old ways? Yes...that has everything to do with it...treating women badly...yes...that has everything to do with it. More East Asians have adapted to Western society...but of course they have...when Japan & South Korea is rich because it's America's bitch, HK was run by UK, and Phillipenes was owned by Americans...But religion plays no part in the matter. I'm Indian and I'm Hindu...doesn't mean I'm going to beat my wife and not let her get an education. Muslim husbands...same thing. There are PLENTY of Buddhists and Christians who beat their wives. It's the mental attitude of the people.
Asia in general is a poor place beside Japan & South Korea in terms of per capita income. India and China in terms of PPP rank respectivly China 2nd and India 4th in total GDP. China is a huge superpower and US is scared of China no doubt. The US is not scared of India but wants to use India as a democracy to counter China.
America already has made Japan and South Korea it's bitch. Japan by far is America's bitch no matter what anyone says. How can you let white America write your constitution??? American soldiers who are based in Japan and South Korea are there to counter China. Taiwan is also there to counter China. By bringing Russia closer to NATO is another counterweight to China. The Phillipenes would have been a counterweight to China. China is expected to possibly take over the US as the world's largest economy by 2025. The US is scared shitless of China and it's 5 mega-ton ICBMs. China is in the process of replacing the 1,750km JL-1 ballistic missiles and putting in new JL-2 8,000km SLBMs into it's SSBN Xia Class which could strike the western US just sitting at the docks. China's plans for a carrier are somewhere...and China also has two SSNs. The active PLA who march over 2 million strong could take on the US 4 to 1. The Chinese AF though outdated mostly has as many aircraft as the US does. There is no doubt in my mind that the US will use India to counter China and Pakistan both. Though the US will make no arms deliveries to India, it will strategically place forces in such a way to counter the growing Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean where the US 7th Fleet operates.
The US is such a big power it's just inconceivable. China has yet to learn that to take on the US it needs a lot more than ICBMs. China will need allies. Pakistan, North Korea, and Vietnam, and possibly the chaotic Middle East could form the new USSR if China's economic growth persists in my thinking. This would be killer. India would be the only major power in the region only to sit there and be killed by that new USSR. Japan's economy continues to go down. How long can Japan be non-combatant?
But I don't say all this to talk against China or India or Japan or the Koreas or the US...this is a scenario that I'm laying out. The bottom line is the US considers China as it's main threat now and it will do everything to remain the sole superpower in the world.
A nuclear war WILL be fought sometimes in the future. The world will not die but poverty and devastation will ruin the earth. Pakistan and India will NOT fight a nuclear war...I would say once again...the US will be the only one to use nukes and they will probably use them on the Middle East or China, most likely the Middle East.
bringittogether
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 10:06:06 (PDT)
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