Persuasively Upping The Ante
China was one of many countries in the mid- and far-East bullied incessantly by those two great imperial powers, Russia under its succession of ambitious czars, and England under its long-reigning Queen Victoria. China had but to look at the constant pressing forward of Russia's long arm of acquisition, and England's presence in India, both impressive predators - along with both countries' constant militant striving for ascendency in Iran and Afghanistan.
A long history of being nervous about the intent of neighbours near and far, more or less consolidated by the Japanese invasions of Korea and China in the early 20th century, cementing historically uneasy centuries before. That's a long stretch from then to now, but it's telling. China is proving to be a fascinating country to observe as it outgrows its ancient and middle history to become an emerging world power in every sense of the word. A situation the United States, having helped Russia shed its previous superpower status, isn't that anxious to see come to fruition.
The U.S. feels it is morally superior, more intellectually advanced, technocally unstoppable, economically overpowering, culturally aware and responsible not only for its own ongoing status as sole arbiter of world affairs, but looking down from its aerie, responsible too for the overall well-being of the rest of the world. It will sign agreements with other countries when it is seen to be in its own best interests, however, not necessarily in the best interests of the world at large.
The past superpower, at a time when there were two, and the emerging superpower at a time when there will once again be a tentative two - until India also fully emerges to make a fidgity threesome - will not lend itself to being offered advice. President G.W. Bush, representing that great country to the south of Canada, has declared that the United States will "preserve its rights, capabilities and freedom of action in space" as indeed, it does elsewhere on this mortal coil.
Invitations from China and Russia to agree to a global prohibition on space-based weapons tests were turned down out of hand by President Bush and he authorized a new U.S. space policy to "deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests." In that the overtures from Russia and China were meant to ensure that no one country entered into a programme of weaponization of space, that statement is a telling one, leading one to understand that the U.S. believes it has the right and duty to itself weaponize space, ostensibly for the protection of the entire world.
Military spending in China is a mere fraction of that of U.S. levels. But the U.S. has no monopoly on human resources which produce highly creative and intelligent scientists; China, after all has a long and glorious historical record of civilization, arts and science and technical and medical advances behind it, thousands of years pre-dating that of the U.S. China's response to the U.S.'s refusal is a persuasive demonstration of technical know-how and risk-taking. As well as a cautionary nose-thumbing.
Immediately following President Bush's negative reaction to the joint China-Russia proposal China evoked an interesting level of awareness and acute concern in the Pentagon by the use of ground-based lasers to illuminate a number of U.S. satellites rendering them useless. The illumination had the effect of "blinding" the satellites; stellar devices which the U.S. military relies heavily upon to snoop, guide smart bombs, pre-warn of possible security threats to the country.
It followed that come-uppance with its latest demonstration; launching a ballistic missle to destroy one of its own outdated weather satellites. Thus amply indicating its own rather spectacular technical advances in military hardware. Illustrating also China's apprehension at a state of affairs where its ancient nemesis, Japan, has now foresworn its former post-war pacifist stance in re-naming and re-orienting its former Self-Defence Force into its Ministry of Defence. Ready and able and willing to not only defend itself from newly-perceived regional threats (such as North Korea with its nuclear capability), but to go on the offensive, if need be.
And who is Japan's ally? Well, the world's only superpower, of course. And does it rub China the wrong way that that superpower has immense influence in the Pacific? Why it most certainly does. Fully understanding China's position, Pentagon planners are themselves alarmed, warning that China's new and improved military may some day challenge U.S. dominance in the Pacific and beyond. An economically-advanced country of some 300+ million population as opposed to an economically-emerging one with a population of 1.2 billion, with all the baggage that comes with it scenario.
Ignoring the scorpion only serves to encourage it to bite your unprotected flank.
A long history of being nervous about the intent of neighbours near and far, more or less consolidated by the Japanese invasions of Korea and China in the early 20th century, cementing historically uneasy centuries before. That's a long stretch from then to now, but it's telling. China is proving to be a fascinating country to observe as it outgrows its ancient and middle history to become an emerging world power in every sense of the word. A situation the United States, having helped Russia shed its previous superpower status, isn't that anxious to see come to fruition.
The U.S. feels it is morally superior, more intellectually advanced, technocally unstoppable, economically overpowering, culturally aware and responsible not only for its own ongoing status as sole arbiter of world affairs, but looking down from its aerie, responsible too for the overall well-being of the rest of the world. It will sign agreements with other countries when it is seen to be in its own best interests, however, not necessarily in the best interests of the world at large.
The past superpower, at a time when there were two, and the emerging superpower at a time when there will once again be a tentative two - until India also fully emerges to make a fidgity threesome - will not lend itself to being offered advice. President G.W. Bush, representing that great country to the south of Canada, has declared that the United States will "preserve its rights, capabilities and freedom of action in space" as indeed, it does elsewhere on this mortal coil.
Invitations from China and Russia to agree to a global prohibition on space-based weapons tests were turned down out of hand by President Bush and he authorized a new U.S. space policy to "deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests." In that the overtures from Russia and China were meant to ensure that no one country entered into a programme of weaponization of space, that statement is a telling one, leading one to understand that the U.S. believes it has the right and duty to itself weaponize space, ostensibly for the protection of the entire world.
Military spending in China is a mere fraction of that of U.S. levels. But the U.S. has no monopoly on human resources which produce highly creative and intelligent scientists; China, after all has a long and glorious historical record of civilization, arts and science and technical and medical advances behind it, thousands of years pre-dating that of the U.S. China's response to the U.S.'s refusal is a persuasive demonstration of technical know-how and risk-taking. As well as a cautionary nose-thumbing.
Immediately following President Bush's negative reaction to the joint China-Russia proposal China evoked an interesting level of awareness and acute concern in the Pentagon by the use of ground-based lasers to illuminate a number of U.S. satellites rendering them useless. The illumination had the effect of "blinding" the satellites; stellar devices which the U.S. military relies heavily upon to snoop, guide smart bombs, pre-warn of possible security threats to the country.
It followed that come-uppance with its latest demonstration; launching a ballistic missle to destroy one of its own outdated weather satellites. Thus amply indicating its own rather spectacular technical advances in military hardware. Illustrating also China's apprehension at a state of affairs where its ancient nemesis, Japan, has now foresworn its former post-war pacifist stance in re-naming and re-orienting its former Self-Defence Force into its Ministry of Defence. Ready and able and willing to not only defend itself from newly-perceived regional threats (such as North Korea with its nuclear capability), but to go on the offensive, if need be.
And who is Japan's ally? Well, the world's only superpower, of course. And does it rub China the wrong way that that superpower has immense influence in the Pacific? Why it most certainly does. Fully understanding China's position, Pentagon planners are themselves alarmed, warning that China's new and improved military may some day challenge U.S. dominance in the Pacific and beyond. An economically-advanced country of some 300+ million population as opposed to an economically-emerging one with a population of 1.2 billion, with all the baggage that comes with it scenario.
Ignoring the scorpion only serves to encourage it to bite your unprotected flank.
Labels: Realities
posted by Pieface @ 6:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home