points by Mountain_Skies a year ago

Morally right or not, even the US and allies have a limit to how many military resources exist and at what rate they can produce more. Fighting on three fronts at the same time, especially when one of them involves a country that supplies much of your industrial capacity, just isn't viable.

bpodgursky a year ago

This is true, but there's an objectively worse middle ground (that we're in now) where the US deterrent lacks credibility so random semi-functional states are starting shit and the US drains capacity by half-heartedly responding to them (aka Houthis, Russia, Hamas, etc).

If there was a firm belief "The US will respond in force to aggression" it would prevent the attempts, and the US would stop wasting ordinance responding in a halfassed way.

Alternately, the US could just do nothing outside of the 1-2 regions it cares about (ie, the pacific). But the current status isn't great.

tylerflick a year ago

You underestimate the US military industrial complex.

  • ClumsyPilot a year ago

    Today it’s less an industrial complex and more a graft and lobbying complex.

    Look at the amount of equipment US has lost in Vietnam - 10,000 aircraft, including strategic bombers! incomparably more ammunition. Those losses were considered sustainable!

    Now it can’t produce enough dumb artillery shells!

    • danielheath a year ago

      US military doctrine doesn't _use_ dumb artillery shells, because it assumes total air superiority.

      • ClumsyPilot a year ago

        That’s a questionable assumption, but fine - look at production capacity of air to ground missiles, or whatever it is that you think is relevant.

        You will find that US can only produce a fraction of what it could in 1970’s.

mullingitover a year ago

No further production is necessary. Simply loan out a few fully stocked Ohio-class subs and watch how quickly the bullies back off.