A lot of the talk about the military capabilities of the US vis a vis
China misses one of the most fundamental points of World-systems
analysis--that military strength is not, and has not for five hundred
years, been all its cracked up to be. Military greats--going back to
Charles V and through Napolean and most recently the US in Vietnam have
repeatedly been defeated by those with greater economic and or
cultural/social power. Don't underestimate the ability of China to
rapidly convert its developing economic power into military strength--they
would only be following in the footsteps of the US. And while the US
military establishment may have the capabilities to lash out one last time
at China (why?) that is most definitely not the same as having the social,
economic, cultural and military strength to actually control the
situation.
Steven Sherman
Binghamton University