Let’s Get Real About US Military ‘Dominance’
“We want to be the GOAT.” So said Lt. Gen. John Shaw, deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, in a meme that drew some derision on social media early last month. Most of the jeers appeared to concern the goat emoji used in place of the acronym for Greatest Of All Time. But what of the three-star’s broader message? While the sentiment is admirable, is being the "greatest of all time" a realistic goal for a service in its infancy, itself part of a military with a stagnant budget and evaporating technological advantages?
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China’s Military Could Turn Small Clashes Into Major Conflicts
Relations between the United States and China are fraught, with escalating rhetoric and risk of miscalculation on both sides. Military affairs aren’t the only aspect of the bilateral relationship—but they’re the most dangerous one. As China’s security presence expands to follow its economic interests, the two militaries will come into more and more frequent contact.
But the big question is: Who is in charge over on the Chinese side? Chinese President Xi Jinping has put considerable effort into shoring up Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)—but as with any military, there’s a big gulf between the intrigues at the top and the grunts at the bottom. When a game of maritime chicken results in ships colliding or a border argument escalates to gunfire, who is making the decisions that follow, and that could escalate, with horrific consequences? Is the PLA capable, or even interested, in defusing and avoiding dangerous low-level encounters? Or will a combination of increasing confidence and fervent nationalism result in catastrophic miscalculation?
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Pyongyang's Secret: There Is No Strategy
With North Korean missiles once again flying, President Biden no doubt hopes his administration’s soon-to-be-completed North Korea policy review will produce a coherent strategy to deal with the threat emanating from Pyongyang. But what the Biden team must recognize—and what its policy must account for—is that there may not be a coherent strategy on the other side.
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