Is U.S. Military Strategy For China Pointless?

Pointless US Plan for China? -- David Axe, The Diplomat

The US has given its AirSea Battle concept much fanfare. But is it really the best response to China’s military build-up?

The apparent sea change in the Pacific balance of power seemed to come all at once earlier this month. And it has seen the US military scrambling to find a new tack to allow it to preserve its dominance.

Read more ....

My Comment: A rather long post from David Axe, but as usual he nails it on the money. China has the resources, monies, peoples, and most important .... the will .... to dominate the Asian sphere of influence .... and they will.

What is my own take?

With laisez faire capitalism being the rule .... not the exception .... China has found itself in the enviable position of having an economy and industrial base that is the envy of the world. This industrial base is the lynch-pin in its stated strategic goal of being the dominant economic/political player on the Asian scene .... if not the world.

We in the West seem to be pursuing a completely opposite direction .... a direction that has not only de-industrialized America, but it has also produced huge and unmanageable deficits, a moribund and divided political class, and a military that is becoming more of a social welfare program with salaries, health care, and pension benefits being more important that maintaining a viable and effective military force.

So .... is the U.S. plan for China pointless?

I have to say yes. We can discuss AirSea Battle and AirLand Battle strategies till we are blue in the face. But the Chinese are also aware of these military strategies, and I can presume that they have their own ideas on how to confront it.

But the key fact that underlines our perceived (and growing) weakness with China is that everyone now believes that China can outspend us by using their financial reserves to buy the materials and technology that they need to grow their military .... while we go 'cap in hand' to them to get the monies that we need to continue financing our huge and growing debts. As long as this perception remains a reality .... the U.S. role in Asia will become a minor one .... subordinated to a role that will be pre-World War 2 with most of our bases in the Hawaiian island chain and a few places like Guam, Wake, and who knows where else.