Once upon a time there was a Marine who won 2 Congressional Medals of Honor. His name was Smedley Butler. He became a general.
He later penned something called ‘War is a Racket’. He was rightfully questioning the nature of authority that sent him and so many other marines in to actions around the Americas after WW1. He felt some of his actions were those of a collection agency for US banks, and/or enforcement for United Fruit.
Worldwide, throughout the past human nature has demonstrated that the military forces of a nation follow the commercial interests in order to protect those interests and property. Let’s leave right and wrong behind. This is human nature we are talking about, which is to say NATURE itself. Go complain about the tide.
British East India Company. Suez canal. Today, as one example, we have McDonald’s throughout China, Russia, Pakistan, etc and they are attacked both for their representation of us, and for commercial reasons. It’s a little tougher for the stockholders to get fast food restaurants protected by the Marines today, but other nations have other considerations.
Other nations are amoral, or their morality is other.
In order to remain free to take actions to protect ‘interests’, certain geographies and weapons are compulsory.
Welcome to the Chinese ADIZ. US subs and surface ships operating in that area could confine the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, inshore. This is especially true of US air power. The Chinese who DEPEND on post panamax container ships to maintain the exports their economy is addicted to have a lot at sea to consider. Many new papers on war with China feature a sea blockade because of this.
Iran features a supreme leader whose personal business empire is worth $95b. The IRGC operates not unlike an official Mafia. Hizballah, which is commanded by an IRGC officer, is now doing most of the fighting in Syria for their Capo, Assad, who in turn funnels Iranian weapons to them in Lebanon which is their, .. territory.
This is the world.
Thus the precursor we see is the retreating president of the USA advising American, Delta and United etc to COMPLY with Chinese demands to grant permission to fly through the ADIZ. One day if this is followed we WILL see Chinese aircraft and airlines, given pre-eminence on these routes, and Chinese shipping below given right of way. So why then if you are flying Newark to Hong Kong or Taipei fly Air China for safety and commercial reasons.
Just an example.
That’s HOW DECLINE HAPPENS.
We are interested in peace and see no purpose in conflict over this. Everyone should be reasonable. Then United moves their headquarters to Shanghai to keep routes viable.
We have already seen manufacturing, and steel run away from the USA since the 70’s, first Japan, then Korea, now China. Shipbuilding, computer manufacturing, IBM selling out, and now engineering and design is leaving. Major building corps like Fluor have LEFT the USA.
They follow the money. Physics. Money existed independent of this under our military protection for a VERY long time. That is now ending.
Money, economic success, jobs, universities, R&D, will be adhering to the location of military power which exists to PROTECT IT.
And THAT is what is going on, not anything else.
MONEY.
Smedley Butler.
Human nature.
Nature.
Complain about the tides.
1 comment:
There is much to be mined from this vein.
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