Their behavior sends the wrong message...

[aricbcool]

I saw this article linked from Drudge today. It puts forward the idea that our Eastern Allies don't think we could win a conflict with China. Included in the article are some remarks by the Tokyo governer Shintaro Ishihara, which although inflammatory, bring up a point regarding the recent behavior of our democratic lawmakers.

From the article: "The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw."

While the governer may have ulterior motives in making this statement a la building a new Japanese military, his statement could not have been made if it weren't for the clear message that the Democratic politicians are sending to the world.

They're irresponsible behavior affects more than just the troops, the American public, and the votes they will or won't get in '06. It affects the way our allies view us and how they plan for their contingencies as well. It's sad that the steadfast reputation we gained from WWII, and Korea, has fallen so far as this.

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir on this, but it just struck me as profound the extent of damage the latest democratic antics is causing our Country.

--Aric

Full article:

http://www.insightmag.com/Media/Medi...eastasia_1.htm

East Asia allies doubt U.S. could win war with China

The overwhelming assessment by Asian officials, diplomats and analysts is that the U.S. military simply cannot defeat China. It has been an assessment relayed to U.S. government officials over the past few months by countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. This comes as President Bush wraps up a visit to Asia, in which he sought to strengthen U.S. ties with key allies in the region.

Most Asian officials have expressed their views privately. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has gone public, warning that the United States would lose any war with China.

"In any case, if tension between the United States and China heightens, if each side pulls the trigger, though it may not be stretched to nuclear weapons, and the wider hostilities expand, I believe America cannot win as it has a civic society that must adhere to the value of respecting lives," Mr. Ishihara said in an address to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Mr. Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack. Indeed, he asserted that China would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Asian and American cities—even at the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation.

The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw.

"Therefore, we need to consider other means to counter China," he said. "The step we should be taking against China, I believe, is economic containment."

Officials acknowledge that Mr. Ishihara's views reflect the widespread skepticism of U.S. military capabilities in such countries as Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. They said the U.S.-led war in Iraq has pointed to the American weakness in low-tech warfare.

"When we can't even control parts of Anbar, they get the message loud and clear," an official said, referring to the flashpoint province in western Iraq.

As a result, Asian allies of the United States are quietly preparing to bolster their militaries independent of Washington. So far, the Bush administration has been strongly opposed to an indigenous Japanese defense capability, fearing it would lead to the expulsion of the U.S. military presence from that country.

On Nov. 16, Mr. Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The two leaders discussed the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan and Tokyo's troop deployment in Iraq.

During his visit to Washington in early November, Mr. Ishihara met senior U.S. defense officials. They included talks with U.S. Defense Deputy Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless to discuss the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan.

For his part, Mr. Ishihara does not see China as evolving into a stable democracy with free elections.

"I believe such predictions are totally wrong," Mr. Ishihara said.

[Doc]

Just me thinking out loud but it looks like a continuation of the decades old argument that the U.S. couldn't have beaten Japan without the use of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan couldn't beat China despite some pretty diabolical methods employed so how could the Americans do it now?

Make no mistake, some anti-American feelings in Japan still run deep.

JMOYMV.

Doc

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by aricbcool

From the article: "The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw."

history does not support his thesis...

[The Reaper]

This should be a lesson to our pols who want to cut and run or "establish a timetable" now.

You stay till the job is done, like we have in Korea.

The Chinese, and the rest of the world seemed pretty impresed with how fast we did in the Taliban and then Sadaam's forces. Maybe we have better warriors than policemen.

How quickly they forget.

TR

[Maisy]

I've seen this posted a couple of times today. I am curious as to where they got their information regarding Australia's position on this subject. Certainly nothing to this effect has been reported in the Australian media.

[Squidly]

Aside from using the bad mouthing ammo provided to the world by our fellow Americans, Ishihara is at least a bit jingoist, a strong nationalist with racist roots, and is prone to making inflammatory statements that reflect these traits. This guy has been anti-America for a long time.

[Pete]

I hate to point out the obvious but they have to get here first.

To get "here" they either have to go through a lot of other countries or buy their way in.

If another world war starts between us and China I think that Japan would find it real hard to sit it out as a peaceful bystander.

They know both sides. The question is "Which side do they want to win?"

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by Pete

If another world war starts between us and China I think that Japan would find it real hard to sit it out as a peaceful bystander. They know both sides. The question is "Which side do they want to win?"

depends on whether they believe the Chinese have forgotten and forgiven the Rape of Nanking...IMNSHO...

[kgoerz]

Food for thought. The Asians have always hated and despised westerners. Always have and always will. They tried to destroy us in war and couldn't. Now they have been trying to destroy us economically and politically and have failed so far. That was a quote from a former WWII POW who spoke at our SEAR graduation in 1992. My point is always listen to what their leaders (Japan) say from an enemy point of view never an allies as they claim to be

[Trip_Wire (RIP)]

Hmmm! Seems to me we lost a lot more Americans in Korea, fighting the Chinese then the number quoted and we didn't cut and run. I think in fact we did a pretty good job of kicking their ass actually! (Chinese.) The North Korean Army was finished after the Inchon landings, for all intent and purposes. Perhaps, General MacArthur was right after all!

I'm hoping that China will eventually go the way the USSR, East Germany and other Communist countries have gone.

[Jo Sul]

Much of the world has the impression that the American public has a short attention span and little stomach for taking casualties - and in many ways they are right. In WWII and Korea we didn't have embedded reporters and live on-the-scene coverage of every battle. Today's CNN and Nintendo generation wants instant gratification with conflicts resolved quickly with a happy ending before the next commercial break. After a few weeks, wars get boring and the headlines shift focus to more important things like Paris Hilton's latest boyfriend.

To most Americans the threat of terrorism isn't real and messy things like war just drive up the cost of gasoline. There is not much long-term thinking going on here and the rest of the world knows it. That is why the bad guys think they can win by being patient and by inflicting more casualties - sooner or later the Americans will pull out when the war is no longer entertaining to the American public.

That's when the folks with the "Impeach Bush NOW - 2000 dead in Bush's war!" stickers on their cars will get what they want. I wonder if these people ever considered the number of casualties taken in WWII and what the world would be like today if we had not finished that job?