It’s Not Just Asia

Maybe it’s just its tone but I wasn’t completely in accord with Christian Whiton’s Substack post about a recent speech by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. I did agree with this passage:

What really upsets the soft-on-China crowd is not that China has systematically stolen technology, jobs, and whole industries from America, nor that it threatens to invade its neighbors, but that it proves that their postmodern, globalist kumbaya (“universal values,” “international order”) is really just hippie make-believe.

In reality, what has kept the peace in the Pacific is the U.S. military, which gained supremacy after the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, followed by final victory the next year. The Japanese and Australian militaries also contribute significantly to that peace today. There are no “universal values” in Asia, and certainly no “international order,” just nations and political forces with interests. If you doubt me, put the Taiwanese and Cambodian governments in the same room and see how much they have in common. China sees this reality for what it is, and it wants to put itself at the top of this heap, first regionally then globally.

It’s not just Asia and it’s just “peace in the Pacific”. What has kept the peace in Europe has been the overwhelming power of the U. S. military and, as I have observed in the past, U. S. military power is downstream from U. S. economic power. If you’re wondering why Putin chose to invade Ukraine now, you need look no farther. The rules-based world order is a fantasy. Always has been. What actually exists is various countries each pursuing their own parochial interests, many of them depending on the U. S. to keep the others in line.

The irony of all of this is that I don’t actually object to France, Germany, Japan, Philippines, and so on pursuing their own interests. It’s just the way things are. What I object to is the U. S. doing things that don’t actually promote U. S. interests but do promote those of the UK, France, Germany, Israel, or some other country. The most glaring example is our campaign against Qaddafi. Our interests in going after him were pretty nominal but the UK and France thought they could get a better deal on Libyan oil from someone other than Qaddafi. As it turned out they were mistaken but that’s what they thought. Syria’s another example. Our interests in removing Assad are pretty notional but the Israelis genuinely want him gone. That the situation without Assad would actually be worse not just for the Syrians but for them seems not to phase them. I guess they think they’ll benefit from chaos.

That’s the rules-based world order for you. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an affront to democracy. Turkey’s invasion and occupation of parts of Syria goes unremarked.

3 comments… add one
  • CuriousOnlooker Link

    “what has kept the peace in the Pacific is the U.S. military, which gained supremacy after the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, followed by final victory the next year”

    I believe the history of the Asia-Pacific region contradicts that statement.

    From 1945-1976; the region had no less then 4 major wars; the Chinese civil war (1945-1949); the Korean War (1950-1953); the Vietnam War (1955-1975), Sino-Vietnam war (1979).

    What’s kept the peace since 1979 is that the two most powerful actors in the region (China and the US) arrived at a mutual understanding against Soviet Hegemony and China prioritized economic growth; even if that meant compromises with countries it has difficult relations with (Vietnam, Japan, etc). The warning sign is both driving forces for peace are wearing extremely thin.

    Its a real pet peeve of mine that many Western commentators mistake the “liberal international order” since 1991 as the political order that existed from 1945-1991.

  • Drew Link

    “If you’re wondering why Putin chose to invade Ukraine now, you need look no farther.”

    Weak presidents: Obama and Biden. And a byproduct, once again, of the politically motivated covid hysteria.

    We are a powerful and resilient country. But we can’t withstand stupidity in voting and policy forever. The free beer and victimhood model of winning elections is killing us. Think about that, Democrats.

  • Jan Link

    Speaking of the follies of “weak” presidents, this country presently has an entire administration of fools, led by a Captain Ahab prototype whose feckless, hapless policies are sinking our economy, perhaps along with our country.

    In fact there are worries currently being discussed regarding China’s behind-the-scenes apparent mobilization of arms, toughening their citizens by lockdowns to prepare for self sacrifice, having joint talks with leaders in all provinces, menacingly flying over Taiwan because China says there is no center line, while the U.S. embroils itself in ideological warfare, gender and CRT cultural changes, kicking out some of our best in the military because of objections to vaccines having less efficacy and relevance all the time. In fact madurna threw out 30 million doses because “nobody wanted them.”

    The unfortunate bottom line is, with recent examples of Biden’s disastrous leadership and the U.S.’s lack of prowess and coordination demonstrated in Afghanistan and now Ukraine, we are seen as a weak adversary that easily can be conquered. Consequently, it seems more and more that it will be less “if” rather than “when” this country will be tested as to our capability and tenacity should we be called to go on either the offensive or defensive to protect ourselves.

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