Does This Really Surprise Anyone?

Reverting to a big backwater country isn't the worst thing that could happen to the US (hell, much of the country is still there). With the current US administration's renewed vigor in attempting to secure American hegemony in the world, the US is pissing in far too many pools. Coupled with Bush's desire to create a massive missile defense system (including space-based missile platforms), which would violate the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, is possibly setting the stage for World War III: The USA vs. Just about everyone else. With Russia and China bulking up their militaries and carrying out joint maneuvers, could the US win such a war? Not likely.

If president Bush has the urge to 'Impact' something, shouldn't under- privledged Americans and children be the first line, or the dilapidated schools, and bereft school curriculms.

What is the Bush Administrations policy?

"To Hell With Poor, Let's Make War?"

Coupled with Bush's desire to create a massive missile defense system (including space-based missile platforms), which would violate the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty,

is possibly setting the stage for World War III: The USA vs. Just about everyone else. With Russia and China bulking up their militaries and carrying out joint maneuvers, could the US win such a war? Not likely.

How would space-based missile platforms violate the NPT?

And why do you think missile defense plans include such? I've heard plans to someday have space-based lasers, but know of no current plans for interceptors in space.

Mills75 wrote:

is possibly setting the stage for World War III: The USA vs. Just about everyone else. With Russia and China bulking up their militaries and carrying out joint maneuvers, could the US win such a war? Not likely.

We are not about to go to war against the rest of the world.

And we have more than enough nukes to destroy them if we did.

oralloy wrote:

How would space-based missile platforms violate the NPT?

The most obvious response is that it would be proliferating nuclear weapons into space.

Furthermore, Article VI of the NPT states that parties to the treaty are to negotiate in good faith to end the arms race and begin comprehensive disarmament--one can't negotiate in good faith when one is actively building the means to trump his opponent's arsenal.

This also has the potential to break the stalemate the NPT was designed to create.

Quote:

And why do you think missile defense plans include such? I've heard plans to someday have space-based lasers, but know of no current plans for interceptors in space.

Bush II himself actually proposed the militarization of space via missile platforms.

Did someone say we were about to go to war with the rest of the world? However, if Bush continues along the path he's on, he might very well be setting up that precise scenario.

If the war is economic rather than military, then the US could very quickly become a third-world country (this would hurt the rest of the world, but not nearly as much as it would hurt the US, and the rest of the world might simply view their suffering as the global equivalent of chemo-therapy).

We, the US, might (probably would) go to war militarily in an attempt to secure necessary resources, but we probably couldn't win a conventional war,

and if we used our nukes, then most of the world would be obliterated--including us (remember, Russia and China have enough nukes to destroy us, too).

So Bush II can either play nice with the other world leaders, or he can continue along the path that's going to get the US kicked out of the playground.

Of course, war tends to be a pretty good distraction...people don't tend to take education and the plight of the poor as seriously when there's a war on. We become the sheep following the shepherd, but when the shepherd's intention is to eat the sheep, is he any better than the wolves?

If most of the rest of the world did decide to kick the US out of the playground by waging economic war against us, then we would be hurt more than the rest of the world. We are no longer the principal producer nor the principal consumer of the world, and most of 'US' manufacturing has been outsourced to other countries.

How about "you would have all this <arms stretched broadly, spinning in grassy fields a la The Sound of Music> if these terrorists had their way"...as the poor, uneducated, sick, elderly Americans read a book about the American dream.

We've had a few threads on this angle, Mills. I've got one right now in the International Forum starting with an article by Peter Drucker on the New World Economy. link

If you've got any more articles or thoughts on this, I'd love to have you come by to discuss/drop links.

and the missile defense system (ground-based or space-based, missile or laser) would violate the 1972 ABM Treaty

When Bush II first mentioned the orbiting missile platform, its purpose was defensive. I'm unaware of any change in that (though the military is no doubt examining the feasibility of space-based offensive weapons).

If most of the rest of the world did decide to kick the US out of the playground by waging economic war against us, then we would be hurt more than the rest of the world.

We are no longer the principal producer nor the principal consumer of the world,

One might argue that the US is the economic superpower of the world, and this is true, but much of US capital is tied up in other countries. What's to stop those countries from simply expropriating that US capital?

If the US attempted to react militarily to secure the resources it needs, and Russia and China (not to mention many of the smaller countries) stood against the US militarily, then the US would lose.

Our military is spread thin

and, since our most important imported resources come from locations in Asia, we would have to transport supplies, equipment, and reinforcements much farther than Russia and China would

(just look at the fiasco our troops are facing in Iraq just getting the necessary armor plating and other equipment there).

In addition, China, whose military's larger than the US's,

is currently (and quickly) upgrading its military with the latest technology, arms, and equipment (purchased mostly from Russia).

Russia's military, while not at its Cold War level, is still formidable.

If they stood together, they would most likely be able to block US military intervention in Asia.

As for who has what nuclear missiles: it doesn't matter that we have enough to take out the world even if Russia took us out; we'd be crazy to use them. The point is that because Russia and China (yes, Russia has many, China has few) have enough nuclear might to wipe us out, we would be forced to fight a conventional war rather than a nuclear war.

Don't underestimate anti-US sentiment in the world. They would rather we stayed and played by the playground rules, but that doesn't mean there isn't a point where they'll get sick of the US playing by its own rules and kicking dirt in the face of the other countries.