Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bridge Player who wrote (62824)	5/1/2008 4:52:14 PM
From: Travis_Bickle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542201

Imo that does not meet the "monkeys fly out of my ass" test.

To: Bridge Player who wrote (62824)	5/1/2008 5:09:43 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 542201

If it is accurate (and that's a big question), it isn't on the scale needed to be a major act of war, but yes it would be an attack against us. If a Canadian soldier, even on orders from their PM, shot at some American soldiers, and say killed one and wounded two. We would be very unlikely to go to war over it. Of course Canada is an ally, and an even bigger trading partner than China, and of course if it was known that a Canadian PM made such an insane order (and that it was followed) it would certainly hurt our relations with Canada (even if the harm might be reduced greatly if he was impeached, which I think would be likely), but the point is unless your looking for a war, you don't use every incident, even a somewhat serious incident, as a pretext for war. We could win a war with China, if by "win" you mean kill more of them than they kill of us, or damage their military capability to a large degree, but the reality is that we would just lose to a lesser extent than they would. If China did launch a full scale strike on our satellites, rather than some tests, or causing minor damage, or temporarily blinding them, that would be a more serious act of war, and one that would be large enough for us to move forces in to the area. But we would be reluctant to initiate full blown war even then. And China wouldn't gain anything significant unless they where timing the satellite attack to cover their tracks on some other attack that they thought we would respond to. Where could China initiate a major attack against US allies or forces? Well they could help North Korea attack the south, but I don't think that's very likely, they took a lot of losses in the Korean war and I don't think they are looking for a repeat. They might also try to invade Taiwan, which is weaker than South Korea and doesn't have US forces in place, but Taiwan is over 100 miles off shore, and they don't have the amphibious capability to take Taiwan now, even if the US doesn't intervene. If the US did, we would take losses, but on the high seas the US navy rules the waves. In decades and generations to come its possible things can be different but the idea of China starting serious trouble with the US now is extremely small IMO.

To: Bridge Player who wrote (62824)	5/1/2008 5:53:02 PM
From: Katelew	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542201

Although the Chinese tests do not aim to destroy American satellites, the laser attacks could make them useless over Chinese territory. The Chinese are on record with complaints about our spying on them. Remember the surveillance plane that was forced to land on Chinese soil....first year or so of the Bush administration? The Chinese govt. was very slow to release the plane and crew and questioned why the US thought it needed to be making these flights in the first place. And now, considering how dependent we are on the Chinese for a number of things, how can the Bush admin. do much complaining? It would take a truly stupid administration to call anything the Chinese do 'an act of war', short of a ground invasion, IMO.

To: Bridge Player who wrote (62824)	5/1/2008 6:35:46 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 542201

If China did try for a full scale attack on our satellites... Message 24208490

To: Bridge Player who wrote (62824)	5/2/2008 3:39:43 AM
From: Cogito	Respond to of 542201

BP - Let's see. We put up satellites to orbit over their country so that we can spy on them. They shine bright lights at the satellites so they can't see anymore. I have a hard time seeing that as anything worse than a cat and mouse game. It's certainly not an act of war. But if it were an act of war, what would you suggest we do about it? Should we go to war with China? By the way, how would you feel about having Chinese spy satellites looking down on us? I would think that if they had satellites up there, shining lasers at them would be a good idea. - Allen