re: The Magnitude Of US Naval Dominance

quote:

---

Not really. America needs to keep a strong Navy and severely reduce the size of the active duty Army and Air Force.

---

Go into detail on this. I agree with the concept, but don't know exactly what you'd want to do.

They need one more than Russia though

quote:

---

Also, the biggest hindrance to our military is DC politicians

---

In more ways than what you listed. I remember reading something one time about a few Senators pushing some tanks on the Army they didn't even need because those tanks were built in their state.

The Army flat out said they did not need the tanks and to spend the money on something else but that would have meant jobless people in their area and no reelection for them so of course the tanks got built.

quote:

---

Go into detail on this. I agree with the concept, but don't know exactly what you'd want to do.

---

In my perfect world, which will never happen of course, the Army and the Air Force would be entirely National Guard units. These would of course require more funding and training than the recieve now but without an active component of those services it would still save trillions. The Navy and Marine Corps would be stronger in order to maintain free sea lanes and protect our immediate national interests abroad. We'd also have to have some type of active duty strategic nuclear force to man the bombers and missiles. Or just turn this responsibility over to the Navy and build more nuclear missile subs.

Not having a large active duty Army at our fingertips would keep us out of any foreign entanglements that aren't absolutely necessary for our national security. And save a shitload of money.

The amount of ways we could list would be endless. I've just never agreed with shite like the one example I gave. If you see someone placing an IED, pop him. You point a weapon at me, pop him. The pork barreling is so out of control.

quote:

---

That is quite the mental leap

---

Pax Americana has allowed for the world to develop to a point that people did not ever dream possible

international war is all but ceased

international trade has exploded, which has led to the decreasing of almost every negative societal trait, while increasing almost every positive one . that is a good thing

quote:

---

The bad news first. The People's Republic of China now believes it can successfully prevent the United States from intervening in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or some other military assault by Beijing.

Now the good news. China is wrong — and for one major reason. It apparently disregards the decisive power of America's nuclear-powered submarines.

---

quote:

---

It's not surprising that Beijing would overlook America's subs. Most Americans overlook their own undersea fleet — and that's not entirely their own fault. The U.S. sub force takes pains to avoid media coverage in order to maximize its secrecy and stealth. "The submarine cruises the world's oceans unseen," the Navy stated on its Website.

Unseen and unheard. That why the sub force calls itself the "Silent Service."

The Navy has 74 submarines, 60 of which are attack or missile submarines optimized for finding and sinking other ships or blasting land targets. The balance is ballistic-missile boats that carry nuclear missiles and would not routinely participate in military campaigns short of an atomic World War III.

Thirty-three of the attack and missile boats belong to the Pacific Fleet, with major bases in Washington State, California, Hawaii, and Guam. Deploying for six months or so roughly every year and a half, America's Pacific subs frequently stop over in Japan and South Korea and occasionally even venture under the Arctic ice.

According to Adm. Cecil Haney, the former commander of Pacific Fleet subs, on any given day 17 boats are underway and eight are "forward-deployed," meaning they are on station in a potential combat zone. To the Pacific Fleet, that pretty much means waters near China.

America has several submarine types. The numerous Los Angeles-class attack boats are Cold War stalwarts that are steadily being replaced by newer Virginia-class boats with improved stealth and sensors. The secretive Seawolfs, numbering just three — all of them in the Pacific — are big, fast, and more heavily armed than other subs. The Ohio-class missile submarines are former ballistic missile boats each packing 154 cruise missile.

U.S. subs are, on average, bigger, faster, quieter, and more powerful than the rest of the world's subs. And there are more of them. The U.K. is building just seven new Astute attack boats. Russia aims to maintain around 12 modern attack subs. China is struggling to deploy a handful of rudimentary nuclear boats.

---

good read

quote:

---

The only reason I disagree is because it's not like we as citizens would see any savings from a cutback anyway. It will just go to waste somewhere else in our Government.

---

that isn't a reason to not cut it though. I would rather we spend the money on us, and not protecting other people's interest.

quote:

---

i'm fine with China becoming the hegemon for the Asia-Pacific arena, however, and in a perfect world, Western Europe would pay us tribute (at the last, giving us favorable trade terms). but Western Europe is going to crumble in a generation

---

No its not. Will it be less relevant? Sure. But its going to still have a good bit of economic, political and cultural clout.

We are the one branch that no other nation can hope to compete with. Army, Chairforce, and Marines...pfffft.

quote:

---

We are the one branch that no other nation can hope to compete with. Army, Chairforce, and Marines...pfffft.

---

Ninja please.