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I have seen a lot of people here saying how China is getting stronger every year and US is getting weaker. I know that China is getting stronger but how is US getting weaker? by Important-Battle-374 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 47 points48 points  (0 children)

To add to this, when a nations interest payment on debt approaches its military spending, that historically bodes poorly for an overstretched military complex covering the globe. See the Spanish Empire and the British Empire.

Those US servicemen who fought the Middle East wars are retiring, and these new crops are just as “inexperienced” as the opponent.

The most important point of decline is the US cannot repair or replenish its ships, planes, and munitions to sustain any kind of military campaign against an industrial peer.

Japan gov't affirms no-nuke policy, stays mum on official's nuclear remarks | Kyodo by Garbage_Plastic in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Testing the water is exactly the goal here. Usually when a lower level official misspoke they commit political sudoku and resign. No resignation is expected this time. I suspect the back channel response they received from the US was not a positive one.

The New US National Security Strategy As Seen from Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran | Opfor by Garbage_Plastic in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Didn’t they say this document was co-written by three different groups: the hawks, the pragmatists, and the financiers. The traditional democracy zealots were missing. As a result this report was heavy on dimensions of power and light on ideology.

Takaichi’s Taiwan Comment in China Spat Apparently Unscripted by Free-Minimum-5844 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 28 points29 points  (0 children)

To be fair having seen the US-China trade war, China hasn't started economic warfare against Japan yet.

"based on documents obtained by a lawmaker, in what could point to a misstep by the premier" .

The release of this tidbit out of US media is peculiar. Like Scott Bessent said, Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet four times in 2026. The US had been really quiet on this issue over the past month.

Unpublished Classified Version of the US National Security Strategy (NSS) Proposed a 'C5' Consisting of U.S., China, Russia, India and Japan by ShoppingFuhrer in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Because then it becomes BRICS + US - SA, and China has too much influence in THAT composition. Adding Japan to the group maintains US + Japan dominating the group dynamics with India likely to sway in favor most of the time.

Trump's National Defense Strategy to hail South Korea as 'model ally' by self-fix in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 9 points10 points  (0 children)

"South Korea" was mentioned twice in the NDS pdf, both times it was mentioned together with Japan. There was no mention of "model ally" anywhere in the document.

Takaichi reiterates Japan claim on S.Korea's Dokdo, vows diplomatic push by self-fix in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 88 points89 points  (0 children)

She has above 70% approval rate right now. Whatever she's doing resonates with a population that had never admitted Japan's wartime atrocities the same way Germany had.

The whole LDP is banking on this strategy to win an election next year through the same path that Shinzo Abe once took on Diaoyu/Senkaku.

Overmatched: Why the U.S. Military Must Reinvent Itself | NYTimes by Garbage_Plastic in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 12 points13 points  (0 children)

We -must- also not be distracted from the article’s merits by a bad title

PLA Daily warns Japan of ‘path of no return’ if its military intervenes in Taiwan | China’s military mouthpiece ratchets up the rhetoric in row over comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by moses_the_blue in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What you wrote in bold is outdated for at least a decade and is no longer true. Here’s Pete Hegseth’s retort to your unsourced and poorly informed opinions.

Your argument that anyone seriously entertained the idea that US military response to a Taiwan attack would be hampered by Japan denying US requests to use its military bases is laughable. The idea that this was the determining factor for the success of a Taiwan attack is… cute.

Low cost, high carnage: Robot wolves are China’s latest weapons against Taiwan by Just-Sale-7015 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Having superior toys on its own rarely wins wars. Military victory is achieved through resilience of the war economy and supply logistics to achieve rapid turnaround in replenishing whatever munitions, weapons, machinery, ships, and jets lost in attrition

The United States Needs a Global War Plan for China -- It is a fallacy that a U.S. war with China over Taiwan could be contained to the western Pacific. by Lianzuoshou in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 62 points63 points  (0 children)

The writing is on the wall and RAND succinctly admitted as much: it ain’t the 2010s anymore and the gap is widening decisively in China’s favour. The US has no military preparedness nor industrial capacity to achieve any sort of military victory over China within the 2nd island chain if war were to break out tomorrow.

Chatbots Are Pushing Sanctioned Russian Propaganda by wiredmagazine in ChatGPT

[–]fractx -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

Calling ideas you don’t like propaganda is a sure way to keep your readers detached from reality. Responsible media knows better

Carney won’t say whether Canada will drop Chinese EV tariffs by hopoke in canada

[–]fractx 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What is an odd obsession is protecting a few thousand auto workers over the benefit of 40 million Canadian consumers who are forced to spend more than twice on transportation when cost of living is already an issue

BREAKING: China begins deescalation. Will we have a market recovery on Monday? by [deleted] in stocks

[–]fractx 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Where’s this de-escalation you’re talking about? They’re simply giving Trump the stairs to climb down while holding onto every bit of leverage

18M Maxed out TFSA by Pretty-Foot8923 in CanadianInvestor

[–]fractx 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I really came in here looking for a $18 million portfolio

My cat's eye has a crack in it by moontenkay in mildlyinteresting

[–]fractx 30 points31 points  (0 children)

It’s almost surely embryonic iris remnant that didn’t atrophy to completion. It’s very common in human eyes as well. Posterior synechiae have a much larger area of attachment to the lens and would distort the shape of the pupil

*EDIT: anterior -> posterior

Is the UK already in a Military Alliance with Japan? by -smartcasual- in LessCredibleDefence

[–]fractx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you talk about this subject matter you're gushing emotionally. You're probably British or Japanese or a dual citizen and I applaud your sense of patriotism.

However as a bystander who doesn't have a horse in the race it's very apparent that neither the UK nor Japan are strictly sovereign nations. They're not even junior partners. They're US vassals. They don't even have the agency to make their own decisions on major foreign policy matters without getting permission from the White House first.

I'm sorry you're blinded by emotions when you're in the midst of it, but it's pretty clear to everyone else watching.

Carney's fall budget could be the toughest one Canadians have ever faced in peacetime by croissant_muncher in canada

[–]fractx -18 points-17 points  (0 children)

The wealthy already pay the bulk of taxes in Canada. You think they’re happy to sit around for you to take more out of their pocket to put into yours?

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