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"We will take steps against any attempt to change the status quo by use of force as we are determined to defend the country's sea and airspace," Abe said.Lots of papers covered this, but USA Today had a cool picture of a B-52, so I used it.
For the United States' part, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Chinese action represents a "destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo" and "will not in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region."
To that end, the U.S. Navy arrived in force Tuesday off the coast of Japan for a complex exercise in which Japanese naval ships and U.S. fighter jets, warships and submarines will practice scenarios for a possible attack on Japan.
I hope that there were lots of advanced radar receivers on the planes to see what kind of threat radars the Chinese would paint them with, so that this was an intel run as well as a show of defiance.
OK, for those who actually want to get the context of this, here's a map:
As you can see, our Jarheads in Okinawa are close to the crisis. Click on the map to get labels for the overlapping Chinese and Japanese Air Defense and Exclusive Economic zones.
I saw this in the news last week. I was surprised that the U.S. acted with such a direct response to China's provocation. The U.S. is perceived as being weak by the rest of the world, the Iran negotiations being one example. America has been distancing itself from its traditional allies and getting closer to its enemies. One commentator said that provocations like these are the result of the demonstrated weakness of America, or something like that.
ReplyDeleteChina has a fairly weak military. But I read that in a decade that China's military could pose a serious threat to America as China is rapidly expanding its military. In a couple of years, America will be completely funding China's military with the interest that it pays to the Chinese for holding out debt. (Recently China made an important announcement regarding its need to hold large amounts of foreign reserves. If acted on this could have profound implications for America.)
On Obamacare, I recently got my policy cancellation notice saying that I will be issued a new policy next year that is expected to cost around 51% more than my current policy, something I will have a very difficult time affording.
A lot of conservative commentators are getting it all wrong on Obamacare. They say that the problems are the result of incompetence and will lead to the destruction of Obamacare. The problems are by design--see Obama's words himself. I can't understand why respectable conservative commentators can't mention Obama's own word and completely ignore them. The havoc Obamacare is causing will lead to an outcry by the people for more government involvement in health care. This is evident from looking at historical patterns of government programs. Also the Obamacare issue illustrates the complete lawlessness of Obama.
Regarding the Chinese ADZ, it's good to see our response and an even stronger response from the Japanese. I am a little dismayed that the FAA is requesting our commercial airlines to comply with the Chinese request (though not our military aircraft). This is the prudent move from a safety standpoint, but the real answer should be what the Japanese are doing and say "locking onto our commercial aircraft will result in a military response" and have our commercial aircraft ignore the Chinese demands.
ReplyDeleteSo you're one of the victims/beneficiaries of individual-mandate Obamacare. Congratulations, Jeff! Obama feels that you make enough money that you should be supporting others. You can feel good that you are participating in the redistribution of wealth.
I read that the Japanese were a little on edge about Joe Biden's vist to China because of the way America went around its traditional allies in the Middle East and left them out of the Iran negotations. Japan was scared America might do the same to them. Japan is affraid that America might put its relationship with China ahead of its alliance with Japan. America undermined the Japanese with that order for commerical airlines.
ReplyDeleteOn Obamacare, the young are being asked to pay higher premimums to subsidize the old. In my letter from my insurrance company it said that rates were expected to rise less for older people. This is backwards as younger people cost insurance companies less money than the old do. Obamacare is depending on more young people to sign up to subsidize the old and unhealthy, but this is not likely to happen. Obamacare in its current form can't work. Obamacare will create a desire among the millions of Americans who are being negatively affected by it to create a single-payer system--the exact thing Obama said he supports and said that parts of Obamacare will help lead to a single payer system. Watch the video http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/10/22/is_this_gross_incompetence_or_the_planned_path_to_single_payer_health_care
Tough to be a US ally these days with both Democrats and Republicans running away from anyone that says "boo!".
ReplyDeleteI would feel sorry for the youngsters, who are being so royally screwed by Obama, if they weren't his biggest cheerleaders.
Gimme your money, punk!