4 ms·

it doesn't matter how terrible our side thinks it would be if the other side has decided it is going to happen.

Dah00n 5y ago
But it does matter. It takes two to tango and many a wise man have backed down from a winnable fight with a bloody nose. The US isn't forced to go to war with China over Taiwan. IMO it's more that those that want to retaliate are never anywhere near the war. If generals and politicians were in the first wave in an attack to retaliate against China invading Taiwan, retaliation would never happen. On the other hand if a war breaks out and the US gets in the middle of it because of power projection (like in the South Chinese sea) then the other side didn't start it, they escalated. You don't see PRC warships, army bases, etc. as a mainstay everywhere around US borders and coastal waters. If we did the US would instantly escalate to WW3.
- stevehawk 5y ago
  We would? Because if we did that every time Russia did it then we'd be at WW200 by now.
  - Dah00n 5y ago
    Please be serious. The only time the USSR did anything like how the US does this was the Cuban missile crisis. There have never been a ring of Russian army bases, nuclear missiles, airfields with nuclear capable bombers, etc. around the US. It has happened once on a tiny scale in modern history by someone else than the US and it almost started WW3.
- afterburner 5y ago
  > The US isn't forced to go to war with China over Taiwan. And China isn't forced to go to war with the US over Taiwan. What's your point?
  - Dah00n 5y ago
    You are the first to mention China going to war with the US. What was written was the US going to war with China because of China attacking Taiwan, not attacking the US. It's not that same thing. If you want to discuss China attacking the US that's fine, but this isn't about that.
    - afterburner 5y ago
      Incorrect, I was responding to this comment about a Chinese attack on Taiwan or a Russian attack on the Baltics: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27346478 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27346478 > In other wargames: > You might remember that the Ronald Reagan was sunk by a Swedish stealth submarine in 2005 [1] and that there is little hope to save the Baltic and Taiwan if Russia and China decide to occupy them [2]. > [1] https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/war-games-swedish-ste https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/war-games-swedish-ste... > [2] https://breakingdefense.com/2019/03/us-gets-its-ass-handed-t https://breakingdefense.com/2019/03/us-gets-its-ass-handed-t...

But it does matter. It takes two to tango and many a wise man have backed down from a winnable fight with a bloody nose. The US isn't forced to go to war with China over Taiwan. IMO it's more that those that want to retaliate are never anywhere near the war. If generals and politicians were in the first wave in an attack to retaliate against China invading Taiwan, retaliation would never happen. On the other hand if a war breaks out and the US gets in the middle of it because of power projection (like in the South Chinese sea) then the other side didn't start it, they escalated. You don't see PRC warships, army bases, etc. as a mainstay everywhere around US borders and coastal waters. If we did the US would instantly escalate to WW3.

stevehawk 5y ago
We would? Because if we did that every time Russia did it then we'd be at WW200 by now.
- Dah00n 5y ago
  Please be serious. The only time the USSR did anything like how the US does this was the Cuban missile crisis. There have never been a ring of Russian army bases, nuclear missiles, airfields with nuclear capable bombers, etc. around the US. It has happened once on a tiny scale in modern history by someone else than the US and it almost started WW3.
afterburner 5y ago
> The US isn't forced to go to war with China over Taiwan. And China isn't forced to go to war with the US over Taiwan. What's your point?
- Dah00n 5y ago
  You are the first to mention China going to war with the US. What was written was the US going to war with China because of China attacking Taiwan, not attacking the US. It's not that same thing. If you want to discuss China attacking the US that's fine, but this isn't about that.
  - afterburner 5y ago
    Incorrect, I was responding to this comment about a Chinese attack on Taiwan or a Russian attack on the Baltics: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27346478 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27346478 > In other wargames: > You might remember that the Ronald Reagan was sunk by a Swedish stealth submarine in 2005 [1] and that there is little hope to save the Baltic and Taiwan if Russia and China decide to occupy them [2]. > [1] https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/war-games-swedish-ste https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/war-games-swedish-ste... > [2] https://breakingdefense.com/2019/03/us-gets-its-ass-handed-t https://breakingdefense.com/2019/03/us-gets-its-ass-handed-t...