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America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

theatlantic.com

11–20 of 128 posts

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#11
post #6
post #4

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Since they are currently at war with Ukraine if they make a profit from selling oil Ukraine will just drone strike their ports. These weird conspiracy theories that the US moves at the behest of Israel and Russia don't hold any water.

They're common because they're probably less weird than reality, which is seemingly "there's no consistent or clear official reason for doing these things"

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#12

The single most interesting thing that will come out of the Iran war, is it's giving the go-ahead signal for China. I don't mean morally specifically, I mean practically: China is plainly seeing the US can't sustain a long campaign what-so-ever. The US has burned through ~850 Tomahawks in weeks, 20-25% of its stock. Again an opponent that wasn't that hard to knock down in terms of air to ground / ground to air, and s…

The upside is that taking down Taiwan will be really hard. Fairly sure a lot of it is mountainous and forested and I think the strait is quite perilous.

So China might cripple Taiwan but invading it risks being their Vietnam.

That doesn't mean a war won't happen, people make stupid decisions all the time.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#13
post #6
post #4

[flagged]

Since they are currently at war with Ukraine if they make a profit from selling oil Ukraine will just drone strike their ports. These weird conspiracy theories that the US moves at the behest of Israel and Russia don't hold any water.

Why say "will" when Ukraine already is striking the ports?

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#14
post #6
post #4

[flagged]

Since they are currently at war with Ukraine if they make a profit from selling oil Ukraine will just drone strike their ports. These weird conspiracy theories that the US moves at the behest of Israel and Russia don't hold any water.

[dead]

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#15

The single most interesting thing that will come out of the Iran war, is it's giving the go-ahead signal for China. I don't mean morally specifically, I mean practically: China is plainly seeing the US can't sustain a long campaign what-so-ever. The US has burned through ~850 Tomahawks in weeks, 20-25% of its stock. Again an opponent that wasn't that hard to knock down in terms of air to ground / ground to air, and s…

on the other hand the us interventions have betrayed that chinese radars e.g. don't "work as advertised", to the point that there have been purges at chinese military industrial manufacturers. on top of the recent purges in the military hierarchy, it seems like action against Taiwan is delayed for a few years.

conversely the US brass now has a fire lit under its ass due to low ammo stockpiles and and excuse to replenish them faster, develop anti drone tech faster etc.

imagine not having the current embarrassment in iran -- the generals would be complacent, and should a conflict arise over taiwan, they would not be ready.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#16
How times have changed when a neoliberal institution (not quite as bad as The Economist) openly says this:

> Even the threat of terrorism from the region was a consequence of American involvement, not the reason for it. Had the United States not been deeply and consistently involved in the Muslim world since the 1940s, Islamic militants would have little interest in attacking an indifferent nation 5,000 miles and two oceans away. Contrary to much mythology, they have hated us not so much because of “who we are” but because of where we are. In Iran’s case, the United States was deeply involved in its politics from the 1950s until the 1979 revolution, including as the main supporter of the brutal regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The surest way of avoiding Islamist terrorist attacks would have been to get out.

This is absolutely correct and it's wild we now live in a time when mainstream media just comes out and says it.

I agree with two general themes of this article:

1. This administration has done more to destroy American's global power than any other in history and it's not even closer. We live in a time when Europe is questioning its position of being America's dog. The Gulf states are questioning what they get out of America's security guarantee if America can't or won't protected them; and

2. Russia and China are huge winners here. China simply has to do nothing and not interrupt the US while they're making a historic and unprecedented mistake. And Europe and the US will likely make peace with Russia over Ukraine because of spiralling energy costs thanks to America's reckless misadventure in the Gulf.

This is going to end very badly for the US and it will (IMHO) go down as the biggest own-goal in American history.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#17
post #16

How times have changed when a neoliberal institution (not quite as bad as The Economist) openly says this: > Even the threat of terrorism from the region was a consequence of American involvement, not the reason for it. Had the United States not been deeply and consistently involved in the Muslim world since the 1940s, Islamic militants would have little interest in attacking an indifferent nation 5,000 miles and two…

China has played much much better chess so it's not surprise they're benefiting. However, I don't really see how China will benefit from Iran being in ruins. Can you elaborate on how China benefits ?

From what I can tell, The USA is either going for force a regime change or it's going to ruin Iran. Where will China get oil from then? You might say Russia but that's a precarious situation for them to be in.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#18

The single most interesting thing that will come out of the Iran war, is it's giving the go-ahead signal for China. I don't mean morally specifically, I mean practically: China is plainly seeing the US can't sustain a long campaign what-so-ever. The US has burned through ~850 Tomahawks in weeks, 20-25% of its stock. Again an opponent that wasn't that hard to knock down in terms of air to ground / ground to air, and s…

China's biggest hurdle that they cannot manufacture is experience. They have virtually zero. How much of China's military command is a crony boys club full of people who never had to militarily prove anything? Just "win" at their own made up war games?

The real problem I see is the one child policy. If China decides to go to war and say they have 1000 deaths. How many bloodline die? I feel like there would be a hesitation to fight on the Chinese side if they were to take any losses.

It is one of the reasons I don’t believe China would take on Taiwan.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#19

The single most interesting thing that will come out of the Iran war, is it's giving the go-ahead signal for China. I don't mean morally specifically, I mean practically: China is plainly seeing the US can't sustain a long campaign what-so-ever. The US has burned through ~850 Tomahawks in weeks, 20-25% of its stock. Again an opponent that wasn't that hard to knock down in terms of air to ground / ground to air, and s…

If China switches to war time economy, they can produce very easily 1M Shahed like drones every month. Plus many millions of FPV/AI controlled drones. Plus massive number of missiles, including hyper sonic and supersonic. They can kill everyone in Taiwan with just drones and missiles if they decide to commit to it.

But given the advances that China has had in EVs, drones, solar, batteries, wind turbines, AI, nuclear energy, smartphones and other advanced industries IMHO it doesn't make sense for them to start a war right now. Better to keep growing their industry and exports and take over Taiwan sometime later.

Re: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower

#20
post #4

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It doesn't add up at all, the cost of oil is just one metric and so far the prices are still lower than the last administration's self-inflicted high oil prices that we had just a few short years ago. Obviously the price of oil isn't the whole story.

Also Iran had been supplying Russia with a lot of parts for drones. Now they can't, making Ukraine's victory more likely than before.

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