Neshant wrote:US has buried every contender to it's throne.
China is the latest contender to the throne.
One thing China lacks but which US has (at least until Trump took office) are a diverse array of strong economic and military allies. Western Europe (excluding Germany), UK, Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, Canada, Singapore much rather have US as the global superpower rather than China. Not sure about Brazil and South Korea. But just that alone tips the scale in America's favor.
It may well be the deciding factor in which country emerges victorious this century.
Not sure if Trump has enough brains to realize this.
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Leaked Chinese Memo Warns Of "Thucydides Trap" With US, "War Is Unavoidable"
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07- ... navoidable
Saar,
This is broadly how I would see it playing out.
There are a few battle hardened armies in the world today with recent and actual combat experience on a large scale.
The US and some of her NATO allies, Russia. India, Israel, pakis and some of the mid eastern countries.
China does not fall into this category. Her capabilities are largely untested, as is her weaponry, , personnel, naval systems, airforce, army etc. Her size is impressive and so is her nuke delivery systems but other than that, she has no war fighting capabilities against someone like the US.
She has quelled internal insurgencies only by sheer numbers and overwhelming force concentrations against poorly armed and ill trained muslims in china. So far her wars have been largely fought on the pages of The Global Times and her Xinhua News Agency or New China News Agency which is the official state-run press agency of the People's Republic of China
That said, she would be arrayed against the US and NATO for sure, with India tying up a very considerable chunk of her resources, the pakis would shout and scream but they would sit it out because a devasted china or US would not support them anymore in any way. CPEC/BRI/OBOR would have all gone for a toss.
Russia would benefit by staying out as would the gulf lot. Iran would weaponize rapidly as would japan and taiwan/korea/israel. Israel would keep the gulf quiet and also be ready to pay back the decades of ameriki aid.
China would be confined to the SCS, with a hostile malasia, wary singapore, confused australia and NZ and a very pugnacious japan at the other end.
If china launches, all of europe and the US would retaliate, taking out NOKO as well with very possible second strikes from India and israel as well as japan and from the US, NATO nuke submarines.
Russia will probably emerge untouched and will become the one very strong pole of the now bipolar world with a much weakened US being the other.
How does the Thucydides Trap enter into it?? Some officious and stupid stoned "journo" is having a drunken wet dream, is all.