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Thread on why America should spend another Trillion dollars on Afghanistan
(AKA me chimping out on China and India)
(AKA me chimping out on China and India)
This thread will go into 6 parts:
1- America's Fragile Maritime World Order
2- China's Strategy In Isolating India
3- CPEC
4- OBOR
5- China's Influence In Europe, Australia, And Latin America
6- India; A Regional Menace
7- The Afghan-American Startegy To Stranghold China
1- America's Fragile Maritime World Order
2- China's Strategy In Isolating India
3- CPEC
4- OBOR
5- China's Influence In Europe, Australia, And Latin America
6- India; A Regional Menace
7- The Afghan-American Startegy To Stranghold China
America as a Seapower
The United States is a “seapower” in all senses of the word. Its history, prosperity, and security are inseparable from the oceans.
It's economy depends on global supply chains and markets that move primarily through the oceans.
Inherently, it's Navy is a priority.
It's economy depends on global supply chains and markets that move primarily through the oceans.
Inherently, it's Navy is a priority.
Like the British Royal Navy more than a century before it, the U.S. Navy has a command of the sea that affords the United States unrivaled international influence.
For decades, its size and sophistication have enabled leaders in Washington to project American power over much of the earth, during times of both war and peace.
Yet some experts believe the navy is at a crossroads, facing a set of historic challenges, from budget pressure, to China’s naval modernization, that could soon erode its supremacy.
By its use of the sea, which covers nearly three-quarters of the earth, a Navy can do things that land-based forces cannot.
It can provide extraordinary access to points of interest around the globe, patrolling vital waterways and maneuvering to distant shores and population centers.
The United States is a maritime superpower because its heavily armed warships can travel thousands of miles in a matter of days and linger around points of interest without imposing on another country’s sovereignty and, if desired, without provoking much attention.
This makes the Navy an incredibly powerful tool, especially for responding to international crises.
At the same time, the Navy’s superior lift capability allows for the transport of firepower, fuel, food, and other cargo needed to sustain distant combat operations.
“The crucial enabler for America’s ability to project its military power for the past six decades has been its almost complete control over the global commons,” wrote U.S. Joint Forces Command in its 2010 strategy document.
https://fas.org/man/eprint/joe2010.pdf
https://fas.org/man/eprint/joe2010.pdf
The United States is one of only a handful of countries that have a so-called blue-water navy, which can operate across the open ocean.
Others, constrained by geography or resources, may only maintain fleets for coastal regions (green-water) or for rivers and estuaries (brown-water).
The navy’s power is rooted in its capacity to use or threaten force, but it also has significant diplomatic and constabulary functions.
In fulfilling these, the U.S. Navy regularly deploys with the Marine Corps, an amphibious assault force, and the Coast Guard, which enforces maritime law and conducts search and rescue operations, among other functions.
These three naval services have several interrelated capabilities that they say constitute U.S. sea power, which can be summarized as:
Forward presence: The navy deploys to various regions where the United States has a strategic interest. This demonstrates a persistent but not permanent U.S. commitment.
Deterrence: Discourages adversaries from acting against the United States and its allies.
Example: US ballistic-missile submarines, which serve as a leg of the nuclear triad, are particularly valued for their ability to hide and stay a credible threat during a nuclear conflict.
Example: US ballistic-missile submarines, which serve as a leg of the nuclear triad, are particularly valued for their ability to hide and stay a credible threat during a nuclear conflict.
Sea control: It exercises control over the sea, at least in certain areas for certain lengths of time. Sea control provides a freedom of action that is required for the pursuit of other objectives, such as shipping protection, military sealift, and blockade.
Power projection: It can threaten or direct strikes—from ballistic-missile attacks to amphibious assaults (which are a meme, but that's a thread for a different time) —against targets ashore for sustained periods.
Maritime security (most important): It protects seaborne commerce—about 90 percent of global trade travels by ship—and generally maintains order at sea.
Operations include counterpiracy, drug interdiction, environmental protection, and other law enforcement.
Operations include counterpiracy, drug interdiction, environmental protection, and other law enforcement.
Humanitarian aid: It responds to natural and man-made disasters with medical, food, and logistical and security assistance.
This Sea Power constitutes the backbone of the majority of America's soft power.
Diplomatically, the Navy can be used to influence the behavior of both allies and adversaries in the following ways:
Diplomatically, the Navy can be used to influence the behavior of both allies and adversaries in the following ways:
