Re: I told you so. [Hutchinson]

At 11:22 PM 18-02-01 +0000, rkm wrote:

>seriously now...  Do you honestly believe the EU,
>or Japan, is likely to mount a military challenge
>to the US?  Have you thought about the kind of
>military build-up that would require, or the kind
>of opposition Washington would bring to bear?  Do
>you really think Europeans or the Japnese would
>support such an adventure?
>
>China, on the other hand is urgently engaged in
>precisely such a military build-up, and has
>claimed an inherent 'right' to Asian hegemony.
>Think-tank journals are full of "China Problem"
>analyses.
>
>rkm

rkm,

could you explain your argument a bit more? how is it plausible that China
would be prepared to mount a military challenge to the US, but we should
dismiss the possibility of any other challenge? you seem to be saying that
the issues of the required military build up or US opposition don't apply
in the case of China. on what basis? what is the evidence that China's
current military development is more urgent or accelerated than other
potential threats? which 'think tank journals' do you refer to, and are you
suggesting we should accept at face value their claims of a 'China problem'
(or are you making some point about the extent to which mainstream public
thinking refers to this problem)? what is their evidence?     

as RH suggested, the issue is surely more about the US attempting to
counter any future potential threats, which could realistically include a
number of options, rather than respond to any current military build up,
and public rhetoric about 'Asian hegemony', in China??

by the way, i'm interested to know exactly who claimed an "inherent right"
to Asian hegemony in China, and in what context. was this another part of
the interpretation by the think tanks you refer to? 

tom griffiths
newcastle.