Maybe that war with China isn't so far off

[xchrom]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/ML22Ad05.html

The year 2011 has been a tough one for Sino-United States ties. And 2012 does not look like it's going to be a good year either, with a presidential election year in the United States. For both the Democratic and Republican parties, bashing the Chinese economic, military and freedom-averse menace will probably be a campaign-trail staple.

Lunch-pail issues - protectionism and the undervalued yuan - will focus disapproving US eyes.

Tensions will also be exacerbated by the Barack Obama administration's "return to Asia" - a return to proactive containment of China - and the temptation to apply dangerous and


destabilizing new doctrine, preventive diplomacy, to China.

The potential for friction certainly exists.

China, as it approaches a leadership transition, wants to avoid friction. However, the United States appears to welcome it and, in the election year, might even incite it.



*** me? i don't think the u.s. wants to get into it w/ a big country -- small country proxy wars? yes.
and i think the usual suspects benefit from this 'return to asia' policy,

[saras]

1. We especially don't want to get into it with an enemy who makes the chips in our weapons...

There's no fucking way in hell the US could win a war with China except by nuking the entire country to slag. Not even close.

[thelordofhell]

2. China is going to have enough problems with it's own people

Revolution in China within 5 years.

[Lint Head]

4. I agree totally. The people have been exposed to western

culture for so long, because they can't communize Hong Kong, they want more of the shiny things our culture represents. The leaders are becoming more like figure heads for a dead political ideology. The silver lining of manufacturing going to China is that the common Chinese people, who do most of the assembly work, actually create and handle the things that feed the USA's daily lives. If they create televisions or produce software they have to be exposed to the supposed 'greener grass' of Western culture.

[Populist_Prole]

3. US companies with operations in China would never allow it

And yes, the standard Chamber of Commerce driven policy will be to appease ( they'll call it engagement ) China via more "selling the rope" technology transfers and throwing what's left of the US manufacturing under the bus. The hue and cry will be over US "consumers" paying more for their needed junk...and only diplomacy/engagement will preserve it.

[On the Road]

5. Since Neither Country Could Successfully Invade the Other

War would be a kind of a strange situation -- perhaps like the Cold War, but with much tighter economic relations already in place.

It is not only the US elites that are making money in China. Since almost all major Chinese corporations are government-owned, the Chinese government making lots of money from US trade. Eliminating that would be an economic catastrophe for them.

I think war is unlikely, but China has more to fear.

[Bucky]

6. distorted, historically ignorant perspective.

There's about a zero chance of the US getting into a war with China. Anyone telling you different doesn't understand how global trade & global diplomacy works... and is equally misinformed about the internal politics of both the US and China.

[Mosaic]

7. We are bad at war

We lost Vietnam, we lost Iraq, and we will lose Afghanistan.

Give it up USA, give it up!