Three weeks after I wrote this piece, the pessimistic parts appear to have been validated by the administration's actions on Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan (perhaps), Russia, and beyond. It is becoming fair to ask just how profoundly Biden's foreign policy differs from Trump's. https://t.co/W2XCc85X8l
Two days after dialogue with the US in #Alaska, China will greet its close and powerful strategic partner #Russia at home. Chinese experts said Beijing and Moscow will share information and strengthen cooperation to deal with the common threat from US. https://t.co/rStDZqfasz
China's "limited global responsibilities compared to ours" is exactly the issue. The United States has unwisely chosen to give itself virtually unlimited global responsibilities. https://t.co/olWYRZDKtk
冷战开始时,美国国安界给杜鲁门出谋,让全民参加冷战,就必须想个办法把大家吓得屁滚尿流,这招真灵。“永久战”的基础是“永久性威胁”,“一个永久性你死我活的宿敌”,只要你跟美国人民说有一个威胁美国生活方式(American way of lives),你死我活的敌人,这个那个美国利益被威胁,你就能拿到一张去维护美国利益的空头支票。美国国安界以“美国利益受威胁”作为切入点来引导美国制定国安外交政策,成了美国决策的基础。纽约市立大学的一位教授在分析美国国安界的例行评估(Worldwide Threat Assessment)时【25】发现这种所谓“美国利益受威胁”的结论往往缺乏任何解释,逻辑混乱,因果倒置,这些评估机构往往自行做主决定什么是美国利益,什么是重要的,什么是次要的,最要命的是这种评估把美国对全球安全风险评估和美国利益纠缠在一起,本来首先要确定什么是美国利益才能衡量有什么风险,但现在往往是风险就是美国利益,什么是风险,什么是利益,两者的利害攸关无法分离,而且用他们的方法,什么是美国国家利益,谁也不知道,结果一切都是美国利益,这就给上级决策班子上设了一个框框,如果美国政府不按照这些评估所推荐的做出相应的决定,那么美国利益就受到威胁,决策者就出卖了美国利益,美国只有进入一种全民参与的永久战,打造一个包罗一切的军工产业,才能控制住这些风险,压制住敌人,一下子,民选的决策者成了傀儡。
正是因为国中国,美国才发现自己到处被威胁,怪了,美国刚刚警告中国“别跟美国过不去”(It's never a good idea to bet against America),从来厉害到打遍天下无敌手,怎么会这么惨?美国跑到全世界各地去干嘛去了?那是美国国家利益,人民的意愿吗?这无关紧要,紧要的,是国家动用举国之力来对抗这种威胁,这种威胁的真实性有多少,也无关紧要。这种“评估”是国中国把“自己的”利益强加到决策者、民选代表和人民之上的手段,事实上成了控制者。作者引用历史学家(John Lewis Gaddis)的分析,这一过程看上去“科学”,但把立足于国家利益上分析风险评估什么是威胁倒了个个,用威胁定义了国家利益,那么任何威胁都是利益受威胁,美国对任何威胁都必须回应,否则要么利益受损害,要么声望,合法性(credibility)受损害。作者发现国安情报界总是把中俄(和朝鲜伊朗)的任何成就,在世界各地的任何所为都列举一遍,这一切都是对美国利益的威胁,美国到处被威胁也就不以为奇了,这种威胁甚至年复一年每年都在增大。没有人去问如果真是这般,那是不是美国真的在衰退,或者说政策从头错到尾,大家问的是,为了对美国的敌人全面反击,怎么增加军费去消除这些威胁【26】。
If China quadruples its stockpile of nuclear warheads, it grows from low 200s (per DIA) to, say, 900 to 1000. The US stockpile is around 3,800. In what world is having 4x the stockpile of your competitor being "overmatched"? https://t.co/3SwqXRxnMI
High-level Indian sources confirm that there was no discussion of human rights in India with the US Defence Secretary. In fact, human rights and values were mentioned as shared attributes. The only mention of minorities was by EAM in the context of Afghanistan. @horror06
USAF RC-135U Combat Sent #AE01D5 just set a new record of 25.33NM, the shortest distance US reconnaissance aircraft have reached from the China's coastlines, based on public data so far.