Americans will have to get used to something in the coming years: we are not necessarily the main audience for foreign saber-rattling. When China unveiled its new “stealth” fighter last week, American defense experts were quick to point out that because its design is clunky and primitive, the U.S. need not be overly concerned about this minor triumph. But we would be wrong to imagine the Chinese don’t know that. From their perspective, demonstrating that they have already built a stealth aircraft is more important than impressing American analysts with its characteristics.
The reason for that is simple: an arms-and-power race has been emerging in the Eastern hemisphere — and it’s centered on Asia. The U.S. has had stealth aircraft for years. But Russia announced the prototype test of its first stealth fighter in January 2010, and Japan is pursuing an indigenously designed stealth fighter as well. The Japanese effort has accelerated with the U.S. rejection of Tokyo’s offer to buy the F-22 Raptor. (Secretary Gates reiterated his stance on that in Japan on Wednesday.) India, meanwhile, took delivery this week of its first homegrown fighter jet, billed as the world’s lightest supersonic jet.
There are too many such developments to mention in a brief post for general readers; the fielding of new fighter jets is merely one category. Beyond arms buildups, another category is defense agreements with political, balance-of-power implications, such as the pact now in prospect between South Korea and Japan, or Russia’s cooperation agreements with Vietnam. In a separate category are the territorial disputes heating up between Russia, China, and Japan. Additional factors include the predatory competition between Russia and China for fossil-fuel resources, as well as their competition for clients in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
The timing of the Chinese fighter’s first test flight, which coincided with Bob Gates’s visit, was obviously intentional. China wants to reach a U.S. audience with these signals — but not solely a U.S. audience. The theme that Chinese negotiation is backed by thoroughly modern force is intended as much for Asian consumption as for American. And regardless of the intended audience, there is no better “straight man” for that theme than the U.S. secretary of defense.
Falling behind the neighbors has historically had dreadful consequences for Asian nations; since 1945, even our enemies in the region have relied on America’s power and network of alliances to preserve stability. But the principles we have traditionally acted on in defense of that stability are increasingly in question. The Asian nations are already shifting from a posture of maneuvering around the U.S. to one of maneuvering around each other. Not everything is “about” us; American thinking needs to adjust to that emerging reality. But everything will affect us. If we are unwilling to maintain the order we have built over the past 70-odd years, we will have to learn again the ways of a world that operates without effective American leadership.
“Obama’s biggest obstacle in effecting change will continue to be the realization that President Bush often made the wiser choices than previously suspected.”
Obama realizes that Bush f–ked things up more than previously suspected:Gitmo,New Orleans,Galveston,The Economy,Walter Reed hospital-medical care for casulties, Mesopotamia,all f–ked up beyond recognition.
#1, As opposed to all of the other presidents that preceded Bush? I forgot! There was only one president since 1776 in the liberals’ eyes and his name is Bush!!
#2
Abe started it. I wasn’t going to say anything until I read “wiser choices”/that set me off. I know that there have been crappy presidents before Bush,but he’s the one we got;Not the one we wished for. By the way, I didn’t vote for Mcgovern,Carter,Clinton,Gore,or Kerry. Does a vote for Obama make me a life long liberal?
Thank G-d Bush didn’t bomb an aspirin factory, or he would really have f–ked things up.
#3, “wiser choices” is entirely subjective. I will grant you that. However, when you include in your analysis things that Bush had no control over (New Orleans, The Economy, Walter Reed healthcare casualties, Galveston), then that leads me to assume that you’re just a “hate Bush” ideologue. I’ll give you Gitmo, but the other alternative would be to continue a policy that happened under Clinton, which was renditioning terrorists to true torture-practicing states.
BTW, you left out Mondale and Dukakis.
I kid.
Obama never painted any of the issues you mention as easy. But he said he’d get them done. We on the Constitution-loving left have faith that he will. Bush had eight years to erect myopic, moronic, un-American policies. It might take Obama a bit of time to set things clean up the mess. But clean it up he will.
“We on the Constitution-loving left have faith that he will.”
:lol! That’s rich.
Also, I’d like to know what un-American policies Bush has engaged in. I would say that the bailout he’s sanctioned are un-American, but alas, the American people want more of them. 
It is all quite funny. Of course, those of us conservatives who periodically became hysterical during the campaign over how far left Obama us (I include myself in this group), have to admit we were apparently wrong about him. But our being wrong about him is quite worth watching the discomfort of lefties over all the steps Obama has now taken to the center. Personally, I think Obama really has been quite liberal most of his life, and his heart naturally goes to the left, much like Bill Clinton’s did. But once in power, they realize that their fond progressive fantasies must just remain just that.
Isn’t it ironic?
Marxism has now been delivered to the United States…
by a Republican!
from TEXAS no less.
Ted…
I suspect the jury is still out on what Obama’s really going to do. However, he’s already found out reversing everything George Bush has done is easier to talk about than to do. Talk is always easier than action.
Nothing sobers up the party out of power like winning power. All of it has to stop then — the demonization of the other side, the substitution of complexity for simple-mindedness, the pretence of finding reason in the baying of zealots (who must now be ignored until the next time their frenzy may prove useful), the blue-sky promises, the hackle-raising polemics, the drunken oratory, all of it. Welcome to the scary reality of the real world. Enjoy your hangover.
Other way around: the substitution of simple-mindedness for complexity
“Sorry, we have to keep you in this gulag forever. We know you’re innocent, but…humanitarian considerations!”
Liberals are hilarious! So, what should we do with these people? I have a great idea. We can set up a new federal adoption program where we mandate the adoption of a terrorist to every liberal in the United States! We’ll move them from Gitmo to a liberals home free of charge and then the liberal can make sure that he or she ensures their humane treatement, + 3 squares and a cot. Nevermind, give the cot to the liberal, no reason to have a terrorist with a bad back now. That would be “inhumane” ya know.
Obama is an empty suit, and those of you who voted for him will soon realize the most extreme case of buyers remorse in recorded history. Most of you who voted for him didn’t even know who was in control of Congress, which speaks volumes about your ignorance. So I’m writing my Congressman tonight and asking that he introduce a bill to have Gitmo closed by having liberals adopt these maggots by mandate.
When they slit the throats of you and your family, you can feel good in knowing that you did not deny them the humane treatement that they have now denied you.
The plan to close Gitmo is simple .. just release them on the streets of Berkley. Will anybody notice ?
RCAR wrote: “By the way, I didn’t vote for Mcgovern,Carter,Clinton,Gore,or Kerry. Does a vote for Obama make me a life long liberal?”
————————————————————————-
Probably not a life long liberal but it does suggest that you may be an idiot.
Responding to RCAR:
You claim that Katrina was a Bush f**k-up. Tell us, who better understands what REALLY happened in south LA? You? Me? Or the people of LA?! If it as Bush’s fault, then, why did the people of LA replace their incompetent Democratic governor with a Republican? Why did McCain win 60% of the vote in LA?
I was in Shanghai, China went Katrina hit. Two week later, a typhoon hit the province south of Shanghai. 900K Chinese people (<2% own cars) evacuated on their own!!! They asked me, “Why do stupid Americans stay in path of storm???” “Why do Americans expect government to save them? We are a socialist soceity and we do not expect Beijing to rescue us!”
From at least one part of the world, Katrina was an embarrassment on the citizenry of NO, not on Bush!
Hmmmm.
“As the Reuters piece points out, closing Guantanamo isn’t a matter of chaining up the door and walking away. ”
Actually it -is- that easy.
And after a couple months you can go back in and clear out all the bones.
Hmmm.
@ RCAR
“Does a vote for Obama make me a life long liberal?”
I assume this is a rhetorical question and that you really don’t want my opinion on the matter.
The problem of what to do with released detainees who can’t be sent home is easy to solve. President Obama should remind his European admirers that their voices were among the loudest in condemning the long ordeal of these innocent men. Surely they would be delighted to offer them asylum. They’d feel particularly at home in Britain where the police are monitoring 2000 suspected terrorists. C’mon cheese eaters, don’t just stand there weeping and twisting your moral hankies, lets have a real humanitarian gesture rather than blabla for once.
-”…the realization that President Bush often made wiser choices than previously suspected.”-
We are actually in “refusal to realize” territory here.
For the BDS bigot, the mere sight of the letter “W” is enough to trigger a content-free rant larded with sneers & vituperation. [cough] #1 [cough].