Japanese say U.S. can't win war with China, U.S forces incompetent

[longeyes]

I too believe that China, though obviously a serious competitor, is being used to deflect attention from our real national problems. We are going to need to get clear on a lot of things, including basic economics, in order to deal with what appears to a highly disciplined, education-valuing, gratification-deferring nation that values hard work and hustle. Either we will or we won't; it would be good if we had leaders who could clearly and forcefully lay out this challenge to Americans and try to inspire them.

Taiwan, in one form of another, will likely become part of Big China, just as Hong Kong did. Taiwan and HK will change Big China every bit as much as Big China will change them. I don't see us fighting a nuclear war over Taiwan, though one long-term danger of losing our manufacturing capabilities will be pressure to solve military problems with short-term (nuclear) "solutions."

We have a symbiotic relationship with China that threatens to become a parasitic one. We are better to see them as a "learning lesson."

 

[NHBB]

why the sudden japanese outburst chastizing the US, like doing anything about china would be a rational decision for us right now. yes, they are big, and a massive economic force. thats why we do business with them, and why it is in their best interest to keep up good relations with the US. war is bad business and despite their occasional grandstanding about taiwan and such, I don't see them as a real threat at this point and time. they have learned a lot from the microcosm of HK, a thriving capitalist nation.

 

[Faithless]

Last time there were trade problems with China, England just shipped in the drugs and made them all junkies.

 

[joab]

One of the worst mistakes you can make is to underestimate your opponent

The people that see us as weak because we cry over 2000 dead soldiers and show respect for our opponent's religious and cultural buildings and practices.are forgetting a few things

This is not a unanimously or even overwhelmingly supported war, a fight with China will be a fight for our lives and most Americans will accept greater American losses as long as the threat to our microwaves and air conditioners is stopped

We would not be fighting "extremist elements with in the Chinese religion" we would be fighting an organized recognized army and most Americans will accept greater Chinese losses as long as the threat to out microwaves an air conditioners is stopped

As far as them invading, the only thing riskier than a ground war in Asia is a ground war in the Americas

 

[Cosmoline]

China would attack major cities even at the cost of retaliatory U.S. nuclear strikes on such cities as Shanghai, which would entail a huge loss of civilian lives, Ishihara said.

With what? Their air force would be dead meat and they have no blue water navy. Even Imperial Japan at the height of her power barely managed to lob a few shells onto the mainland US and take over some isolated islands up here. The Pacific ocean is really, really big and right now we OWN it.

If China launched even one ICBM at us, the trigger would come down and China would cease to exist. One billion people turned to dust in a day. They know that.

This is just a Japanese nationalist trying to attack one of the anti-military faction's key supports--the idea that the US will always be there to protect Japan. It has little or nothing to do with us. It's a Japanese vs. Japanese debate.

 

[GunGoBoom]

Seriously, does anyone agree with his assessment that the U.S. army is incompetent, to ANY degree? Upon what does he base that, do you think? He seems to be right about everything but that... Seems like that might just be an erroneous translation, not something he actually said, as it is so offensive to many and just not true, is it?

 

[Cosmoline]

It may well be a poor translation. Japanese to English is a tricky tricky translation.

 

[Deadman]

If I could ask a quick question. Why do most people think that a communist nation requires a strong capatilist economy?

 

[SomeKid]

I've been following Chinese affairs for some years, no. Several things seem likely: First, China has never really shown any desire for territorial expansion, the Hitlerian "Lebensraum" idea. They've only sought to regain what they see as "old China", as Tibet, Taiwan, and part of lower Siberia and a bit west.

I am sure the USSR was harmless as well.

 

[CAnnoneer]

The Japanese dignitary is actually scared of China for a number of reasons. He just wants to "wag the dog" and get us all riled up about China, so that we continue keeping it in check and thereby playing into Japan's hands. Crafty, but ultimately too transparent.

I agree that Chinese leaders want money and power. They have a rich imperial tradition and I believe they are building a statist capitalist society that is a remarkable amalgam of modern technology and ancient management methods. I do not believe they are really moving to democracy, just capitalism. As such, they are certainly not "commie" in the traditional meaning of the word.

Militarily, I do not believe China is in any condition to invade anybody, the major reason being China is heavily dependent on imports of food and oil. A simple embargo can bring them to implosion within just a few months. The nuclear option remains available to them, but would result in the same starvation and collapse.

Thus China in my mind is a paper tiger that can only solve its problems and prosper through peaceful integration with the rest of the world. Only if they get nihilistic should we worry, but that is simply not in their culture.

All of the above is why I'd be far more worried about homegrown liberals and statists than the Chinese "commies".

 

[Skofnung]

Thanks for the critique there Ishi. Perhaps you'll contribute some of those Evas or Giant Mechs in your arsenal to help us poor stupid gaijin out? Pretty Please?

Seriously...Bear in mind that the Chinese mindset differs a bit from ours. They tend to think in the longer term. Ruminate on that thought for a moment. Long Term.

I'm 28 years old now. I think that we will come to blows no sooner than the time I turn 60 or after. Hopefully, with advances in medicine I will still be in good enough shape to fight to protect the west.

If the west is worth protecting by that time...

 

[Titus]

As soon as I got to "Ishihara", I stopped reading.

 

[neoncowboy]

But, as others have said, economic strangulation is the best course of action.

Right. So, since that's probably the best strategy, lets count on our congress and white house (whoever is in there) to do exactly the opposite! Instead of economically strangling this beast, let's send them ALL of our money! Yeah, that makes sense.



What is it going to take to wake this nation up?

 

[No_Brakes23]

he means they are not as ruthless and cruel as japanese soldiers have been in the past.

Oh Snap!

 

[beerslurpy]

the United States would "certainly" lose a war with China, which he said would not hesitate to sacrifice its people on a massive scale when fighting against an enemy.

They tried this in korea and it didnt work. We just shelled them and bombed them until they stopped coming. When they were going to overwhelm us, we just withdrew till they ran out of momentum and resumed the bloodletting.

Human wave attacks do not work since the invention of:
-the machine gun
-the artillery piece
-the ground attack aircraft and the bomber

Attacking with massive waves of anything just provides any halfway competant military with lots of inviting targets to expend ordnance on.

 

[c_yeager]

Japan has a long and illustrious history of grossly underestimating the U.S. military.

Does it strike anyone else that the only military service that they actually idicted was the one that they had the *least* contact with in the past? I get the distinct impression that, even today, A Japanese official cannot openly criticize the Marines or Navy lest they admit some shame at being defeated by them in the past.

 

[Gary H]

U.S. technology level is simply too advanced for China to catch up with in the few years it would take to defeat them.

Technology is irrelevant. The U.S. no longer has the stomach for war. China doesn't need to defeat the United States. The liberals within the United States will destroy this country and would weaken American resolve in any fight with any foe. Like many great nations, we will defeat ourselves. The process is already well advanced.

 

[agricola]

was that speech given to a crowd of US Marines?

 

[Oldtimer]

The Chinese are VERY patient! They KNOW that they are on the foot path toward world dominance, and realize that they don't have to build that foot path into a multi-lane expressway.

On the other hand, the Chinese government is very IMPATIENT when it comes to Chinese dissidents! There has been a long-term purge of their intellectuals who were from the "old school". Their current crop of "intellectuals" should have the prefix "psuedo-" in front. The Chinese are better at COPYING already-existing technologies than forging ahead with new advancements.

I'm still on the fenceline about the possibility of having a ground war with China. At this point in time, they lack the logistics for a successful conventional attack on the USA. The Chinese do NOT want to destroy the USA, for we are their major buyer of for their manufactured goods.

Remember, the Japanese UNDER-estimated the resourcefulness of the USA prior to 7 Dec 41. At the same time, the Japanese OVER-estimated their own military capabilities, and became VERY arrogant with each military victory they had.

Bottom line: Ishihara is full of "Bushido"!

 

[Winnisimmet]

Formosa is the Flash Point ~

"Economic containment sounds reasonable to me."

That would make sense with most countries but since at least 80% of the items found within stores in the United States are marked, "Made in China”, there's a whole lot of cash flowing in that direction. How do we cut off their money supply? Close down Walmart?

Art is correct . . . China, unlike Japan and other aggressor nations has never shown a natural interest in expansion. My wife is Korean (of Chinese ethnicity) and they too seem to have been contented over the centuries with what's happening on the Pusan peninsula and just over the line in southern China. The wars and fighting just wage up and down the Korean peninsula and every couple of centuries they get into a slugfest with the Chinese. Whole deal is like a big family feud that erupts every now and then.

To my knowledge, the Koreans and the Chinese for that matter has never pushed beyond their borders except into areas claimed through ancient ancestry. Can't recall in history either Korea or China mounting an invasion of their traditional enemy, Japan.. Meanwhile, the Japanese are always floating across the straights to kill off or enslave millions of Chinese and Koreans.

Now the Chinese probably will make a run on Taiwan within the next few years. It's considered being part of China. That's where the conflict will erupt with the United States if and when it does. The United States has been quietly arming both Japan and South Korea with the latest fighter-bombers (F-15J & F-15K) along with other weapons in anticipation of a Chinese invasion of the island of Formosa / Taiwan.

Really don't expect a "Red Dawn" style invasion of Chinese ground forces on the mainland United States any time soon. A telltale nuke here n' there along the West Coast is another story however.

 

[PATH]

Interestingly enough China is made up of several ethnic groups. I'll let you guess which one is biggest. The countryside and the majority of their economy is still agrarian. There is a dearth of modern farming equipment.

China's "One Child Policy" is creating a demographic problem for them. Female infanticide has been regularly practiced over the years. Polyandry(one wife with multiple husbands) seems to be taking root in the countryside.

Destroy the American economy and the money they have made here is worthless.

It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out!

 

[utahminirevolver]

Yorec +1. God bless America.

At Newsmax.com, there a writer with a Russian name who keeps warning about Red China's secret "nanoweapon" program. Does anybody know anything about this? Is it real? Or just tinfoil beanie stuff?

 

[CAnnoneer]

Technology is irrelevant. The U.S. no longer has the stomach for war. China doesn't need to defeat the United States. The liberals within the United States will destroy this country and would weaken American resolve in any fight with any foe.

That is only true for limited conflicts. My impression is that the public ultimately perceives Iraq and the GWOT as such. The leftists equate Iraq with Vietnam and use the same rhetoric to attack it. By contrast, a massive conflict with another large country would hush them the hell up (or make them run to Canada or Europe to dodge the inevitable draft).

 

[WT]

"U.S. technology level is simply too advanced" ..... tell that to the insurgents in Baghdad.

Italy is selling high speed, high power torpedoes to the Chinese, designed specifically to knock off aircraft carriers. As our carriers sail out of Yokusuka a Chinese sub will sink them in the harbor entrance. Chinese subs have been snooping around Japan for years, plotting the waters.

The new AIP subs that Germany, Sweden, and Russia build are awesome. Very quiet and hard to find in literal waters.

The Chinese SOSUS listens in on our nuclear boats.

The Chinese don't want the entire Pacific Ocean. The western Pacific will suffice.

 

[ebd10]

Incompetent? Maybe they need a reminder?