What's your thoughts on Trump?

[Aristocatt]

Why do you think China has a more sophisticated cyber intelligence infrastructure than the US? I find that claim incredibly hard to believe.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Equipment on a par with American equipment is in numbers much smaller than our own. Massive numbers of soldiers can in some circumstances be valuable, but any putative war between the two nations will be naval/aerial, where land troops can't bring might to bear except by missiles, and those only with the range and accuracy to hit ships on the open sea.

I think your analysis is overly simplistic insofar as it doesn't take into account the likely nature, cause(s), and scope of the operational aspects of such a conflict.

[paulpablo]

I would gamble on America winning a war against China.

Based on the battle experience and history of both countries plus the military spending of America.

Anyone who's done anything competitive ever knows the value of experience, and America has a fuck load of experience of fighting across the world and experience with all kinds of weaponry ranging from nukes to subtle espionage.  

It would be interesting to see what alliances would be made.  Russia would probably be laughing along with a large majority of the Muslim middle east.  
Based on what I remember from my days in the Islamic forums they would pray for horrible things to happen to China nearly as much as America.

[Minimalist]

Based on the battle experience and history of both countries plus the military spending of America.

Best ask what we spend it on.

Obsolete aircraft because they are based in states that need jobs.

Tanks that the army doesn't want or need because they are assembled in states that need jobs.

And then there is the personnel costs....

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/201...anizations

How many generals does it take to run the U.S. military? At the end of World War II there were 2,000 generals and admirals overseeing 12 million U.S. military personnel. Today, nearly 1,000 flag officers preside over about 1.3 million people.

This “brass creep” has grown since the end of the Cold War, particularly at the highest ranks. While the most innovative organizations of the last decades have flattened structures and shed excess layers of management, the U.S. military has added corner offices.

I bet the Chinese have a lot more grunts.

[Pat Mustard]

I would gamble on America winning a war against China.

Based on the battle experience and history of both countries plus the military spending of America.

Anyone who's done anything competitive ever knows the value of experience, and America has a fuck load of experience of fighting across the world and experience with all kinds of weaponry ranging from nukes to subtle espionage.  

It would be interesting to see what alliances would be made.  Russia would probably be laughing along with a large majority of the Muslim middle east.  
Based on what I remember from my days in the Islamic forums they would pray for horrible things to happen to China nearly as much as America.

Ye've fuck all experience against a well equipped, motivated and modern army. And thearmy's experience against half trained and idiotically lead insurgents doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies that the army's leadership is up to anything much other than feathering their own retirement nests.

As minimalist has said, quite a lot of the spending difference is pork barrel and corporate welfare, another huge chunk goes into the category of "we haven't afucking clue" (which likely means bribery and other corrupt payments). I think ye're overestimating theUS's position quite a bit here.

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

I would gamble on America winning a war against China.

Based on the battle experience and history of both countries plus the military spending of America.

Anyone who's done anything competitive ever knows the value of experience, and America has a fuck load of experience of fighting across the world and experience with all kinds of weaponry ranging from nukes to subtle espionage.  

It would be interesting to see what alliances would be made.  Russia would probably be laughing along with a large majority of the Muslim middle east.  
Based on what I remember from my days in the Islamic forums they would pray for horrible things to happen to China nearly as much as America.

Depends. Obviously the country that is being attacked will have a home advantage against the country that is attacking. I don't think for one second America can come out of that scenario unscathed and victorious(think the Vietnam wars). Nukes are also highly unlikely.

[account_inactive]

I would gamble on America winning a war against China.

Based on the battle experience and history of both countries plus the military spending of America.

Anyone who's done anything competitive ever knows the value of experience, and America has a fuck load of experience of fighting across the world and experience with all kinds of weaponry ranging from nukes to subtle espionage.  

It would be interesting to see what alliances would be made.  Russia would probably be laughing along with a large majority of the Muslim middle east.  
Based on what I remember from my days in the Islamic forums they would pray for horrible things to happen to China nearly as much as America.

I remember watching a video about this a few weeks ago. Obviously the video probably isn't entirely accurate, but it suggests that China would have an advantage at the beginning but eventually the US would have the upper hand, and that's just on their own - If a war between the US and China were to actually happen, no doubt the entire West would back the US.

[ApeNotKillApe]

Two nuclear superpowers going to war without using nukes on each other sounds farcical. Why do we even keep all these nukes around if no one is going to use them?

What a waste.

[Tonus]

I would gamble on America winning a war against China.

We would need to understand what the objectives are and how they would be attained. Neither China nor the US will wage a war to conquer one another, that's a sure way to lose with very high casualties either from a foolish land invasion or more foolish nuclear exchange.

China might invade Taiwan if they feel it is pushing for independence. The US would need to defend Taiwan from attack, most likely on the island itself, leaving China free from any concerns of invasion. Even assuming we succeed, this is an island nation that is less than 200 miles from China and across the entire Pacific for the USA. It's main resource is its people. That means military bases and lots of personnel just like we have in South Korea, with the understanding that if China decided to strike again they might inflict significant losses before the US could respond in force again. It also means significant aid to the Taiwanese if a war caused damage to infrastructure, as it likely would. If I'm the US I don't like any of those scenarios and am likely to seek some kind of negotiation or accommodation from the start because a war would be costly and an almost certain failure.

And even before we get to any of that, we have two nations who would suffer economic harm from a war. Possibly massive economic harm. So if the USA came up to China seeking a peaceful resolution, they would listen. And we would need to weigh the cost of swallowing our pride against a huge military mess with the attendant loss of life and cost in money and material.

[abaris]

If a war between the US and China were to actually happen, no doubt the entire West would back the US.

No doubt? Depends on who's starting it and why. I would remind you that not even in the case of Iraq the whole west backed the US. Because it was considered an unjustified war of agression by most of the larger western powers. Only the UK and Spain remained, apart from the usual suspects in Eastern Europe. And Micronesia, of course.