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What other means does China have for attacking a carrier 1700 km from its shores? China has been able to live without Taiwan for nearly its entire history, cle

by jjk166 5y ago

What other means does China have for attacking a carrier 1700 km from its shores? China has been able to live without Taiwan for nearly its entire history, clearly it's not that important. No, America doesn't lose everything in a fight. So long as war stays conventional, it can't be hit; and if war turns nuclear its still in the best position. You have the factors exactly backwards: China has no reason to fight a war except prestige, whereas America has an immense network of alliances that will unravel if it does not fight. If tensions ever rose the point that an invasion of Taiwan was a serious possibility, the US would position forces in close proximity such that China could not attack Taiwan without also attacking the US and thus starting an all out war, which China does not want. It's the same reason the US put military bases all around USSR/Russia - and just like how the USSR never attacked for fear of US retribution, neither will China. How are you defining "defeat China in a direct war"? If your definition is US troops holding a victory parade in Beijing, then probably not. If you use my definition, which is prevent China from taking Taiwan, America is definitely in a good position to win. But again, America already has a free Taiwan, it's China's move.

mytailorisrich 5y ago
You cannot move the goal post by redefining winning a war against China the way you now try to do... And the nuclear option is really losing everything on both sides. The US cannot win a war against China and they know it. Everyone knows it. That's why the issue is academic. So the US will not attack China and China will not attack the US. But an invasion of Taiwan is not an attack on the US. TBH the way you dismiss Chinese national feelings passes off as complete lack of awareness and understanding of other people's points of view and of the whole Chinese history of the last 200 years. I am not saying that mainland China will invade Taiwan, but it is indeed an important issue to them (as seen by how touchy they are about it), more than it is to the US, and they won't let go. For the US it is really only about divide and conquer against China but they otherwise don't care about it. So we shall see how things evolve.

by jjk166 5y ago

mytailorisrich 5y ago

You cannot move the goal post by redefining winning a war against China the way you now try to do... And the nuclear option is really losing everything on both sides. The US cannot win a war against China and they know it. Everyone knows it. That's why the issue is academic. So the US will not attack China and China will not attack the US. But an invasion of Taiwan is not an attack on the US. TBH the way you dismiss Chinese national feelings passes off as complete lack of awareness and understanding of other people's points of view and of the whole Chinese history of the last 200 years. I am not saying that mainland China will invade Taiwan, but it is indeed an important issue to them (as seen by how touchy they are about it), more than it is to the US, and they won't let go. For the US it is really only about divide and conquer against China but they otherwise don't care about it. So we shall see how things evolve.