The new DoD budget priorities terminate the F-22 Raptor at less than 200 planes, plus up F-35 purchases, emphasize ISR and UAVs, encourage the further development and acquisition of “troubled” Littoral Combat ships at the expense of major combatants and generally favors “SysAdmin” land forces over the “Leviathan” power inherent to air and sea power.
This, of course, to combat 21st Century transnational threats such as terror and piracy.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the world:
(Military) spending increases — that include billions of dollars worth of new warplanes, ships and submarines to project force farther from China’s shores — have drawn concern over China’s intentions from the U.S. and neighbors such as Japan, although Beijing insists it intends no aggression.
Earlier this year, China announced a 14.9 percent rise in military spending in its 2009 budget, to 480.68 billion yuan ($70.36 billion), the 19th double-digit percentage increase in defense spending in 20 years. It did not give a breakdown of the defense budget.
Wu did not mention aircraft carriers, but the official China Daily quoted Senior Col. Li Jie, a researcher at the Chinese navy’s Military Academy, as saying the large combat warships would include aircraft carriers. Chinese military officials have been saying that building an aircraft carrier was simply a matter of time.
It is important for China to keep sea lanes open because it imports large amounts of oil for its booming economy. It also has disputes with several countries over islands, many in the South China Sea.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Things rush in.
It’s going to be an interesting century.
Isn’t “May you Live in Interesting Times,” usually thought to be a Chinese curse?
I guess it’s human nature to continue to unlearn the lessons we’ve learned, but it is frustrating.
Careful there Lex – in some parts of the country (OK, inside the beltway) you’d be tarred with the brush of “future-warism”… because afterall, we and China depend so much on one another that we couldn’t possibly come to blows, right?
- SJS
SJS/
Your SO right, the left’s dillusions continue unabated. Ideologues ALWAYS let economics trump ideology, right? Just like LBJ thought he could bribe Uncle Ho by holding out the carrot of money for a TVA like project of dams for the Mekong Delta so as to improve the lives of Uncle Ho’s “people.” And we all know how well Uncle Ho responded to economic logic. We all know how THAT whole little affair turned out, right?
(and if I remember correctly I was part of the team that went over to build the da–oh, wait, just woke up, I was dreaming. THAT version of history took place in a parallel universe, didn’t it?)
Pity so few of our leaders have a knowledge of history. If they did, they might realize that in 1940, Germany’s biggest trading partner was the Soviet Union.
A year later, they were waging the bloodiest war in history. Business does NOT ensure peace.
SJS
We can sell them the Big E since it will be de-commed early. Throw in an air wing too and then we can write off $10 billion from the 1 trillion we owe them. Then why not sell them the dies and jigs for the F-22 and we can write off another $200 billion. Of course, you have to wonder who is holding the ace in this card game – the holder of the debt or the debtor.
I guess I don’t understand how “hybrid warfare” costs less than asymmetrical, irregular, contingency, or whatever the heck we now call it.
“Things rush in.”
Wouldn’t it be entertaining to watch CARQUALs on the first Chinese carrier?
‘Course the way things are going we may offer to train a couple of squadrons in Pensacola.
Putting 10% of the budget into technologies for fighting unconventional wars is hardly going to create a vaccuum that leaves us defenseless to the Chinese. That other 90% should be hard to ignore.
Big E’s being decommed “early” huh…
Well, she doesn’t have her AARP card, so yeah, I guess that’s right.
One would ‘hope” that the some adults show up before 2012 so we can toss the kids out and get this place back on track before terminal damage is done.
I cried a little when I saw the terms “SysAdmin” and “Leviathan”
I still can’t believe that guy testified before Congress on how best to spend defense dollars…
Just more short sighted politicians. MacArthur had to do battle with the same sort in FDR before WW2. This country has never been prepared for any war it fought because of idiots like FDR, carter, Clinton and now the Obamanation. The next time will probably be one time too many.
“The next time will probably be one too many.”
I’ve got a couple of aphorisms for you, QM. Take your pick as to which one your puttin’ your money on to protect us.
(a) “God protects fools, drunks and the United States of America”
(b) “The Lord helps those who help themselves.”
Put your money down.
I’ll take (b)! How’d I do VX?
You get the kewpie doll! Those picking (a) should know that the Lord has been known to lose his patience from time to time…
I should have also added after “Put your money down” the words “And keep your powder dry!”
QM, you are correct with one exception: FDR. He knew there was a war coming, and connived as hard as he could to prepare. What he could not do was bully any sort of plan through an isolationist Congress and still be able to deal with the Depression. The only problem I have with FDR (besides the start of socialism in the US) is that he trusted Stalin and gave him E. Europe at Yalta.
Byron, he starved the military even when he knew war was coming.
I would also suggest a reading of “Day of Deceipt” to see how vile FDR actually was. The author uses actual Navy radio traffic to show what happened.
FDR not only knew war was coming, he planned to get us in it. It seems you have to get a lot of troops killed to be regarded as a great president.
Quartermaster, I read that book, and it was utter crap. Try reading “At Dawn We Slept.” It’s still the definitive popular work on the Pearl Harbor attack.
I don’t quite agree with those who believe FDR to be as hands-on instrumentally active in the Pearl Harbor affair as the Conspiracy theorists posit, but logically speaking, what the H did he think the reaction of an island nation devoid of natural resources and totally dependent on imports was going to be to a blocade/embargo of it’s oil imports and suspension of scrap metal sales which supported it’s heavy industry and military? Twiddle their thumbs?
ESPECIALLY the crew that he KNEW to be in charge.
I just think he was too clever by half, as the British are wont to say and thought the Japanese would react first to secure oil in SE ASIA and the initial brunt of the sons of Nippon’s anger would fall on the British (HongKong and Malaya), French (IndoChina) and Dutch(Indonesia) with minimal attacks on the Phillippeans which would serve to bring us into the war with minimal losses–but just enough to enrage public opinion, keeping our main fleet at Pearl intact. Which is why he didn’t forward deploy the fleet when hostilities were obviously on the horizon, IMHO.
Re: View from the Still-Frozen North
The reduction in acquisition of hardware may be echoed in an obligatory overseas reduction in the use thereof.
A prominent piece in the Toronto Globe 14/04/09 by a young lady named Jessica who interviews the Dutch General in Kandahar “who oversees all troops” in southern Afghanistan:
“All 15,000 U.S. troops are being told to dial back on their expectations on when they’ll be allowed to use force.”
“He (Gen. Dutchboy) plans to personally (no less) deliver a reminder to all members of the U.S. deployment that they must be very reluctant with the use of force” in AF.
“Force will be pushed down to the lowest level” he said.
“He has sent some of his staff to U.S. military bases to spread the message.”
The overarching goal of his campaign is to reduce the number of civilian casualties, reports Miss Jessica.
Everybody is quietly wondering if the influx of U.S. troops will result in an increase in violence, because U.S. troops are sanctioned to be more cavalier with their weapons, says Miss Jessica-of-the-acid-tongue.
I do not know what to make about this with respect to the actual command structure, but it is the dreary, gloating leftwing Toronto perspective and apparently the Hollandish one as well.
Nice that one is appreciated, is it not.
Thought you might like to know.
P.S. This may be somewhat off-topic and a bit harsh for a beautiful Spring day; if you find it so, please excuse.
However, it is typical of the the mean, sneering anti-Americanism we so often find in some Canadian newspapers. The Toronto Star is even worse.
On the bright side, it is not typical of the attitudes of normal Canadians.
EDGAR/
Man, you just KEEP flooding us with the good news, don’t you? I don’t know how much more of this good news I can take. When’s the really BAD stuff coming down the pike? So, like, I can prepare for the ram. It’s bad enough as it is when you spring all this GOOD news on us all unexpected-like. We’re just overwhelmed with the joy of it all down here.
PS: Really, EDGAR, please try to tone down the extreme pollyannish aspects of your reporting from now on. We’re tough, you don’t have to sugar-coat things for US!
Those of us with Canadian entangling alliances know that EDGAR speaks the truth re the attitude of the MSM up in the Great White North… merci beaucoup* EDGAR. Best
* thats French lingo for “many thanks”… Lex Babes
Virg
Everyone knows the Canucks have always wanted to the the 51st state, they just never got over not being invited to the party. And just exactly how many wars have the Dutch won? Last I remember they couldn’t go anywhere cuz the Krauts stole their bicycles (altho de Ruyter did beat the British at Medway).
G-Man/
If offered the chance the Western provinces would probably jump in a heart-beat as they’re pretty much muy simpatico with us philosophically speaking. And the Maritime provinces would jump in a heart-beat also because they’re pretty much economic basket-cases and would want the subsidies. But I’m afraid Quebec would want to go it alone in splendid isolation–unless they could physically detach SW Louisiana and beam it up or them down to merge with their francophile cousins. As for Ontario?
Well my God! THAT”S where all the politicians are…….pray for a localized ice age–or an asteroid. (probably an ice age–give the non-politician innocents time to flee south–if only a way could be devised to shackle the Parliament to their seats to keep them from following)
Shall we tone down the stupidity?
There’s plenty of anti-American sentiment around Canada… not necessarily deserved, but nothing more than neighbourly grumblings, really. I’m figuring we can discount the idiots… everyone’s got them.
As for this notion of Canada wanting to become the 51st state… other than Albertans, and a few addled republicans (as in anti-monarchist rabble), Canadians want to join the US almost as much as (just guessing) the American contingent on this page want to regain a sovereign. Y’know, not at all. Emphatically.
And… the Toronto Globe is a rag, not worthy of consideration.
God Save the Queen!
David/
Rather bemused by your comments. Never claimed citizens of the Maritime provinces would “want” to leave–but if the western provinces left (and they would in a heartbeat–all three, with BC wanting to either go it alone or merge with Washington and Oregon– but only if all three could be an independent nation.) financially Ottawa couldn’t support them without the West–so merger with the US the only financially viable way to go. And we KNOW how Quebec thinks. That would just leave Ontario to stew….
You implied it rather strongly… “if offered the chance… in a heartbeat.” Seemed fairly clear, at least as far as the west…
Yeah, without the west, ON/QC would be up the creek, as the whole Rust Belt thing is a lousy way to make a living, these days. By the way, the way these things are generally figured, there’re four western provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC.
Maritimes aren’t actually doing too badly these days… decent port, oil off the coast, good tourist destination: “Ireland, N America Edition,” and all that. Not exactly Dubai, but far better than a few years back, when mines were closing and fisheries collapsing on a near-monthly basis.
Quebec is rather enigmatic: on one hand, les Quebecois don’t exactly dig the rest of the country; on the other, they like our money. The practicalities of the situation dictate that, for now, separatism is mostly window-dressing for funding pitches to Ottawa, just like every other damn province.
David/
Glad to hear it about the Maritimes–guess
I hurt Michelle’s feelings–have to apologise–guess I’m behind the power curve and thinking of the “bad old days.”
Never did consider BC part of the cowboy/rancher/farmer/oil “West, ”
more like “Northern Cali North.” in a world of it’s own. (LOL!) (Or the entire NW US east of the cascades fron SF thru Seattle to BC in gen, as far as that’s concerned–all the same climate, lifestyle and psychology.) Vancouver would be a great place to live though. I’ve really been hooked on it ever since I got hooked on “The Davinci Inquest” Series–one of the greats of all times as far as I’m concerned….
“Nature abbhors a vacuum.”
Yeah, the “vacuum theory” of geopolitics is pretty much one of the most time-tested, consistent predictable theories around exactly as vacuums act in physics.. Sort of an [a squared+b squared=c squared] deal.
You always get a consistent, predictable outcome.
Apparently Gates thinks he has found a way to defy the laws of Geopolitical Physics.
Or his Master thinks he has…
As I read the whole issue of the F-22, the F-35 and the whole military acquisition system has been a “Royal Fuster-Cluck”. This whole system caused all of the branches untold grief and expense. As we all know, nothing in this realm is cheap. SECDEF looked looked at the technology and it was not yet ripe. SECDEF made the decision to leave the “fruit of technology” to ripen on tree. Then we need to develop a working system to transfer that very same “Ripe Working Fruit of Technology” to the warfighter.
Grumpy, I tend to agree with a lot of that, except the F-22 is a mature technology, and the F-35 isn’t. The other mature system that got cut was the C-17.
That said, the procurement system is hopelessly flawed. And of course, the Congress is to blame for that as well. They designed it.
I dunno, Virgil.
This is one member of the “economic basket-case” crowd that wouldn’t jump so fast at the chance to join you. Not that I have anything against y’all, it’s just that I would prefer us to be neighbours as opposed to … family. And no, I’m far from alone in that sentiment.
Michelle, I strongly agree on the good neighbor status between us…we had our chance, however fleeting, with the Maritimes just after the conclusion of the Civil War …strong ties with the New England states at that time argued for it…for many reasons it never worked out… a lot of water has passed under the bridge since…the differences are now more striking…good neighbors always… compatriots ?…I don’t think so. Best
Michelle,/
Since as you know I am a one-time holder of an account at the Bank of Nova Scotia,
I have a warm spot in my heart for that neck of the woods–especially as a goodly portion of South Louisiana are Acadiana refugees. I just think your politicians would check with their green eye-shades types and leap at any offer–despite the love of the good citizens like you for things as they are.
Sorry–Should have said “Arcadia” Acadiana is a SW Louisiana term. Force of habit. mea culpa.
Re: Chuckles the Clown is back in town.
My post above at #11 does appear excessively, perhaps even egregiously, lugubrious. A goddamn bummer on wheels.
I got carried away. I’m so ashamed.
Howsoever, a snotty young reporter doing a bit of posturing in a semi-progressive Canadian rag don’t really make or break anyone’s day. We’re men for Gosh Darn sakes; some of us anyway.
Sorry for the downer Virg, but things are lookin’ up: I can almost promise that it probably won’t happen again.
I think I was indirectly asking a dumbass question about the Dutch officer who sees U.S. troops as social workers in body armour.
Does this guy really, really, honest injun, truly, no fooling, actually command U.S. soldiers?
Please give me good news for a change. You in the back row. Yes you. I’m counting on you.
EDGAR/
As someone who read the 1967 book “Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me,” I always worry about the term “things are looking up,” as I am a great believer in the Theory of “Relativity.”
all left-wingnuts see the US military as social workers in body armor. What I don’t like is using the troops to forcefully mediate between certain warring parties when it involved no interest of the US.
No, I don’t think Iraq was in our best interests. Now, if Bush wanted to go into Pakistan, after securing the southern border, then I would say “go for it!” The Soviet Union was a third world country with a large military and nukes. Pakistan is far more dangerous as there really is no adult in charge in Pak as their was in Russia. The Politburo wanted to live, and they didn’t want to rule an oversized radioactive heffalump pit. The Paks are death loving islamist extremists that welcome death in the service of their moon god.
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