US: "Mirror Mirror on the Wall ..."

This news item shows us how hypocritical, bias and arrogant the USA is. The US Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), conducted once every 4 years, pinpoints China as the main threat to the USA.

What about Russia, once its principal foe during the USSR days?

Well, the US now views Russia as a ‘country in transition’, not quite on par with the latter’s former incarnation, the USSR. However the Americans are fretful about the Russian sales of weapons technology abroad and its foreign policies and actions that could compromise the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of other states.

Come again, did I hear it right? Was that the USA criticising the Russians about weapon sales and foreign policies?

The USA is the world’s biggest salesman of dangerous weaponry. As for ‘political actions that could compromise the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of other states’, I leave that to your imagination to visualise who should top that bill?

That’s the hypocrisy. Now, where is the ‘bias’ that I mentioned? Well, there’s of course dangerous, oppressive and nuclear equipped Israel, but leave that aside as it’s a given the USA has to be very much beholden to that nation.

The QDR considers nuclear state India as a great power and a key strategic partner. Unlike China, India is not a threat, though once the USA was exasperated with a cool non-aligned and politically uncooperative India that was suspiciously too close to the USSR, using only Soviet weaponry. But it’s okay now as Bharat or Mother India moves closer to her new found friend, hence considered by the USA as a key strategic partner (obviously as part of the US ‘encirclement of China’ strategy).

But it certainly frowns on what it suspects China of investing in, such as electronic and cyber-warfare, counter-space operations, ballistic and cruise missiles, advanced integrated air defence systems, next generation torpedoes, advanced submarines, land and sea-base strategic nuclear missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Amazing! And we suppose the USA doesn’t possess any of these capabilities? But wait, haven’t we read somewhere that the USA stated strategy is to dominate space militarily? How dare China even contemplate development of ‘counter-space operations’?

And then, apart from suspected Chinese intention to possess the above mentioned military capabilities, most annoyingly, the QDR notices that China has not been very cooperative by being geographically so far from the military reach of the USA. The QDR stated of China:

"These capabilities, the vast distances of the Asian theater, China's continental depth, and the challenge of en route and in-theater US basing place a premium on forces capable of sustained operations at great distances into denied area."

See what those Chinese have done – having a bloody country so far and so big that it would place a premium on US forces that needs to be based in Asia to sustained operations, presumably in China’s continental depth.

Couldn’t they be a bit more (or, on 2nd thoughts, perhaps preferably ‘less’) like Iraq?

Then the QDR said something that I thought was rather funny – it acclaimed that US policy wants to encourage China to choose a path of peaceful economic growth and political liberalization, rather than military threat or intimidation.

I thought China has been doing that rather well. In fact, too well for the USA’s liking because its economy has frightened the hell out of the Americans. Chinese citizens are today roaming the world, protesting against its government, etc, which seems to indicate an improved political liberalization from its ‘Bamboo Curtain’ days.

China finds it far more profitable to trade than to resort to military threat or intimidation. She leaves the latter two chores to someone already well versed in their application.

Now for the ‘arrogant’ part:

Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defence for policy, revealed that the US really wants to be a partner in China's peaceful rise, and offers advice that China should only have a military capability sufficient to meet its genuine security needs, which should be regional in scope.

From Henry’s advice, may we take it that the USA has reserved for itself the sole right for a military capability of international dimension? Hmmm OK, but why does the USA frown on a China that has invested in ‘advanced integrated air defence systems’? Air defence, mind you! Perhaps the Americans don’t fancy the idea of a China making it too hot for marauding USAF planes?

Sometimes, the US Administration needs to look at itself in the mirror and ask, “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the ugliest of them all?” Afterall, hasn't Nelson Mandala cited the USA under President Bush as the most dangerous nation in the world?