Rebutting accusations that I am an isolationist or a defeatist for believing that it is grossly immoral to send US military servicemen to fight an unwinnable war against a nuclear superpower adversary
Let’s not forget that China, like Russia, has the resources to implement the Roman solution to the ambitions of Hannibal. The stressed Romans burned Carthage during the Punic Wars, while Hannibal was stuck crossing the Pyrenees. China is not Vietnam, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, that didn’t have the STEM, trade surplus, manufacturing, and military might to hit back any intended U.S. aggression. Minus the apologetics, I agree with the prudent author that we must look at our umbilical cord, re-industrialize, and protect the homeland. Above all, we must stop being bullies poking the bear, because pandas can bite.
Yes Russia and China overmatch the US across the military, economic, industrial and nuclear spectrum so we need to focus on using diplomacy to split the Sino-Russian military alliance and abandon our military interventionism to ensure the security of the American people as well as our treaty allies.
David Pyne is an accomplished geopolitician who deserves all the accolades he has received. With regard to Taiwan he is absolutely correct -- the United States would not survive a war with communist China. Neither would China. We must not forget the words of Lt. General Gregory Newbold USMC (ret) "Wars must be waged only with stone-cold pragmatism, not idealism, and fought only when critical national interests are at stake." That is the ONLY justification for sending our soldiers, sailors and airmen to war. I wrote an article published in AND Magazine about Taiwan that shows the fallacy of the neocon desire to go to war with China -- ignoring the certainty that the least they will do is punch our lights out with a massive EMP strike. Read it here: https://andmagazine.substack.com/cp/134747722 and understand how correct David Pyne is in his assessment of the Taiwan issue.
Chet, your article is outstanding! As you correctly state, China could simply sail its warships and amphibious assault fleet in between the largely undefended islands of the First Island Chain and invade whatever Pacific nation they want to. The idea of re-deploying nuclear weapons to Taiwan now that China essentially has a monopoly on nuclear weapons in the Western Pacific is crazy. The US should definitely re-nuclearize the US Navy with up to 500 theater nuclear weapons but deploying them on Taiwan would result in an immediate Chinese invasion following a super EMP first strike on the US homeland. Let us hope senior Trump officials do not listen to such irrational ideas to ensure America's continued survival. Similarly, deploying addition US troops to Taiwan would only ensure they are all cut off, captured or destroyed when war breaks out. President Trump has stated that a war with China over Taiwan would be unwinnable due to the fact that it is 85 times farther away from the US homeland than it is to the PRC, not to mention the fact that China has overwhelming naval, missile and nuclear superiority over us in the region. The idea that India would come to the aid of Taiwan is fanciful in the extreme. India is a longtime Russian ally and will never do anything against China unless China attacks them first. China signed a border agreement with India last year to ensure its southern front is secure to give it a free hand to attack Taiwan and/or the US and its Pacific Treaty allies. There is no hope for the formation of an Asian NATO unless we can get Russia to join it. Also, Japan and the Phillippines likely would try to stay out of any direct war with the PRC as might Australia as well leaving the US to fight the PRC and its allies including North Korea on multiple fronts.
I agree with your assessment of when and how our military should be used.
I am surprised on one hand that you were thrown under the bus and on the other hand not really surprised at all. I would suspect you might just be over a target that is too important to your adversaries to give up.
I have great respect for you and anyone that is willing to stand on their moral and ethical principles of truth, justice and our founding principles that protect our rights and freedoms.
Thank you for that and sharing your thoughts, opinions and experience to help us all navigate through these difficult times.
Always enjoy your interviews on Brannon Howse Live, which has been a lot recently, because I always learn something new.
My Dad used to tell us growing up.
Doing the right thing can sometimes be hard, but it’s always the best thing to do.
Really appreciate your support! Yes, standing up for an America First policy that enhances rather than imperils US national security continues to remain controversial in establishment GOP circles even in the midst of the Trump era.
I totally respect your principled stance. Admirable. Not only is it principled, it makes perfect sense and anything else is foolhardy.
I say that even though I don't have the same view of the US or of China as you do. However, no matter, I commend your pragmatic solution to the Taiwan problem.
Two wrong views don’t converge to a correct perspective. Taiwan is not of U.S. to give or not give to China. Might makes right is sensible in a unipolar world, which is now a reality only in certain idealist minds. The imperial (or imperative) give or not give is not a realistic option of U.S,, because China, like Russia, has mighty military powers. The unrealistic idea that Russia is weak led to the NATO disaster in Ukraine. The contrived obsession with Taiwan, like the invented recent obsession with Ukraine, is premised in the dubious idea that China is weak. Let’s not confuse prudence, silent public behavior, or lack of bravado with weakness.
Yes that is the key to restoring US national security. Unfortunately, Trump appears to be sticking with Waltz, the leader of the neocon wing of his administration, even after Signalgate so we may continue to see unforced errors from the administration's foreign policy particularly with regards to Iran.
If Trump goes to war against Iran he should be impeached and then tried for treason. IMO the US neocons are around to divert from who is actually directing him. The decade orchestrated rant about the “Russians” has been to obfuscate from the obvious fact that the Epstein network is what is controlling him more so than the Adelman money.
Communist China cannot be trusted to adhere to any "subsidiarity" or "Semi independence" brokered agreement though.
See how they behaved over Hong Kong SAR - they broke the Sino - British agreement ten years before the initial period was over. So it cant be trusted to adhere to any semi Independence/SAR for Taiwan.
I do agree though that
"I was one of the few arguing we should arm Taiwan, Japan, South Korea (and Germany) with US tactical nuclear weapons in the 1990s so they could defend themselves against Chinese and North Korean aggression. For the past few years, I have been saying that all the weapons Biden has sent to Ukraine should have been sent to Taiwan instead and have criticized Beijing Biden for refusing to prioritize the $20 billion in congressionally authorized weapon sales to Taiwan"
This is what should have been done.
Communist China is expanding in Far East- it will look to gobble up Philippines, Taiwan, Australia & NZ and it has a historic score to settle with Japan(Manchuria). Either way war in the pacific is coming.
Question is does the West(Europe is weak, UK is weak, infested as they are with Islam and Socialism) get involved or engage in "Lend Lease" style aid.
Splitting the Sino-Russia axis is key - and sorting out Iran, the worlds number one sponsor of global terrorism is long overdue imo
Let’s not forget that China, like Russia, has the resources to implement the Roman solution to the ambitions of Hannibal. The stressed Romans burned Carthage during the Punic Wars, while Hannibal was stuck crossing the Pyrenees. China is not Vietnam, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, that didn’t have the STEM, trade surplus, manufacturing, and military might to hit back any intended U.S. aggression. Minus the apologetics, I agree with the prudent author that we must look at our umbilical cord, re-industrialize, and protect the homeland. Above all, we must stop being bullies poking the bear, because pandas can bite.
Yes Russia and China overmatch the US across the military, economic, industrial and nuclear spectrum so we need to focus on using diplomacy to split the Sino-Russian military alliance and abandon our military interventionism to ensure the security of the American people as well as our treaty allies.
David Pyne is an accomplished geopolitician who deserves all the accolades he has received. With regard to Taiwan he is absolutely correct -- the United States would not survive a war with communist China. Neither would China. We must not forget the words of Lt. General Gregory Newbold USMC (ret) "Wars must be waged only with stone-cold pragmatism, not idealism, and fought only when critical national interests are at stake." That is the ONLY justification for sending our soldiers, sailors and airmen to war. I wrote an article published in AND Magazine about Taiwan that shows the fallacy of the neocon desire to go to war with China -- ignoring the certainty that the least they will do is punch our lights out with a massive EMP strike. Read it here: https://andmagazine.substack.com/cp/134747722 and understand how correct David Pyne is in his assessment of the Taiwan issue.
Chet, your article is outstanding! As you correctly state, China could simply sail its warships and amphibious assault fleet in between the largely undefended islands of the First Island Chain and invade whatever Pacific nation they want to. The idea of re-deploying nuclear weapons to Taiwan now that China essentially has a monopoly on nuclear weapons in the Western Pacific is crazy. The US should definitely re-nuclearize the US Navy with up to 500 theater nuclear weapons but deploying them on Taiwan would result in an immediate Chinese invasion following a super EMP first strike on the US homeland. Let us hope senior Trump officials do not listen to such irrational ideas to ensure America's continued survival. Similarly, deploying addition US troops to Taiwan would only ensure they are all cut off, captured or destroyed when war breaks out. President Trump has stated that a war with China over Taiwan would be unwinnable due to the fact that it is 85 times farther away from the US homeland than it is to the PRC, not to mention the fact that China has overwhelming naval, missile and nuclear superiority over us in the region. The idea that India would come to the aid of Taiwan is fanciful in the extreme. India is a longtime Russian ally and will never do anything against China unless China attacks them first. China signed a border agreement with India last year to ensure its southern front is secure to give it a free hand to attack Taiwan and/or the US and its Pacific Treaty allies. There is no hope for the formation of an Asian NATO unless we can get Russia to join it. Also, Japan and the Phillippines likely would try to stay out of any direct war with the PRC as might Australia as well leaving the US to fight the PRC and its allies including North Korea on multiple fronts.
I agree with your assessment of when and how our military should be used.
I am surprised on one hand that you were thrown under the bus and on the other hand not really surprised at all. I would suspect you might just be over a target that is too important to your adversaries to give up.
I have great respect for you and anyone that is willing to stand on their moral and ethical principles of truth, justice and our founding principles that protect our rights and freedoms.
Thank you for that and sharing your thoughts, opinions and experience to help us all navigate through these difficult times.
Always enjoy your interviews on Brannon Howse Live, which has been a lot recently, because I always learn something new.
My Dad used to tell us growing up.
Doing the right thing can sometimes be hard, but it’s always the best thing to do.
Thanks again for doing just that !!!
Really appreciate your support! Yes, standing up for an America First policy that enhances rather than imperils US national security continues to remain controversial in establishment GOP circles even in the midst of the Trump era.
I totally respect your principled stance. Admirable. Not only is it principled, it makes perfect sense and anything else is foolhardy.
I say that even though I don't have the same view of the US or of China as you do. However, no matter, I commend your pragmatic solution to the Taiwan problem.
Two wrong views don’t converge to a correct perspective. Taiwan is not of U.S. to give or not give to China. Might makes right is sensible in a unipolar world, which is now a reality only in certain idealist minds. The imperial (or imperative) give or not give is not a realistic option of U.S,, because China, like Russia, has mighty military powers. The unrealistic idea that Russia is weak led to the NATO disaster in Ukraine. The contrived obsession with Taiwan, like the invented recent obsession with Ukraine, is premised in the dubious idea that China is weak. Let’s not confuse prudence, silent public behavior, or lack of bravado with weakness.
Until the U.S. purges the neocons from the government the country will continue to be a pawn to their pathological desires.
Yes that is the key to restoring US national security. Unfortunately, Trump appears to be sticking with Waltz, the leader of the neocon wing of his administration, even after Signalgate so we may continue to see unforced errors from the administration's foreign policy particularly with regards to Iran.
If Trump goes to war against Iran he should be impeached and then tried for treason. IMO the US neocons are around to divert from who is actually directing him. The decade orchestrated rant about the “Russians” has been to obfuscate from the obvious fact that the Epstein network is what is controlling him more so than the Adelman money.
Communist China cannot be trusted to adhere to any "subsidiarity" or "Semi independence" brokered agreement though.
See how they behaved over Hong Kong SAR - they broke the Sino - British agreement ten years before the initial period was over. So it cant be trusted to adhere to any semi Independence/SAR for Taiwan.
I do agree though that
"I was one of the few arguing we should arm Taiwan, Japan, South Korea (and Germany) with US tactical nuclear weapons in the 1990s so they could defend themselves against Chinese and North Korean aggression. For the past few years, I have been saying that all the weapons Biden has sent to Ukraine should have been sent to Taiwan instead and have criticized Beijing Biden for refusing to prioritize the $20 billion in congressionally authorized weapon sales to Taiwan"
This is what should have been done.
Communist China is expanding in Far East- it will look to gobble up Philippines, Taiwan, Australia & NZ and it has a historic score to settle with Japan(Manchuria). Either way war in the pacific is coming.
Question is does the West(Europe is weak, UK is weak, infested as they are with Islam and Socialism) get involved or engage in "Lend Lease" style aid.
Splitting the Sino-Russia axis is key - and sorting out Iran, the worlds number one sponsor of global terrorism is long overdue imo
We’re in partial agreement. I don’t believe it’s realistic or desirable to pursue the Sino-China split.
As they used to say in the fleet of yesteryear, Bravo Zulu! (Those are the flags that spell out Well Done.)
Hasn’t the USA officially recognized Taiwan as part of China?
Yes it has officially but we still have a policy to try to keep it de facto independent of the PRC.