Secretary of Defense Bob Gates has been visiting China at a time when it is beginning to flex its military muscles in ways that should alarm its neighbors and their protector — us. While Gates was meeting with President Hu Jintao, the People’s Liberation Army was testing its J-20 Stealth fighter, a clear challenge to American power in the western Pacific. To make matters worse, American officials got the distinct impression that President Hu had not been aware of the test beforehand.
That raises questions about how firmly civilians are actually in control of the armed forces — not normally a problem in a Communist state, which is designed to have parallel lines of authority (party and state, military and secret police) precisely to ensure that the oligarchs at the top are in control of everything that happens. It is no secret that the Chinese armed forces are full of ultra-jingoistic officers who make hair-curling threats about going to war against the United States. If they are not firmly under the sway of the central party bosses, that is a worrisome development. Even if they are under control, however, we can hardly relax, for the senior party leadership has indicated that it is bent on pursuing a nationalistic agenda, with Chinese triumphalism replacing Marxism-Leninism as their ruling theology.
That is all the more reason why we need to ensure that our own military is strong enough to deter Chinese adventurism — something that further defense cuts in Washington will endanger.
If people – Like Sen. Dodd – think Waggoner should go; how about Sen Dodd resigning, since he is – of all government officials – the most responsible for the credit market meltdown with his protection of the Fannie’s and Freddie’s. If I were Waggoner, I wouild say I will step down if Sen. Dodd does the same, because our inabilty to get consumer credit is the reason we are here with our hands out – and he caused that.
Line of the day: “Once he’s sworn in we’ll find out whether ambiguity is a tactic or a malady.”
re metro-weenie Gregory, maybe he should do Beat the Depressed en francais.
General Shinseki’s request for more troops was in no way related to “the surge”. To imply that it was is disingenuous.
Relying on “what my advisors recommend”.
The regent cabinet.
as long as obama dont reproduce no Smoot-Hawley im good
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07lipsky.html?_r=3&sq=seth%20lipsky&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=4&adxnnlx=1228748479-+r21aHTp/uqtpIT5Vib1Bg
former sun editor ” marc rich is a good guy, anything israel does is okay ” seriosly, I dare anyone to defend this^