J-20 Fighter's strategic impact

You know, I don't think this comment got the attention it deserved.

This is exactly right. This is in fact the driving force behind why other countries are appearing to "catch up to" or "surpass" the US technologically.

Other countries aren't "catching up" to US technologically - they have been on par with US for a good while, particularly Western Europe and Japan, and even most of those behind the curve aren't decades behind, just years.

During the Cold War, US has maintained a greater propensity than others for sparing much less expense on armament, which translates into putting more expensive technology in, and post-Cold War this propensity has reduced. But there is not as much catching up going on as US realizing it doesn't really need to spend so much on heavy armament once it's recognized to be in a position of unchallenged military superiority, while some other countries are cranking up their military expenses after the post-Cold War cooldown (or warmup) period.

The problem is the US was over the past decade trying to stage an arms build up, and definitely spent all the money that normally entails. They just didn't get anything for it.

Now they are scaling back from replace everything to replace something. Even that probably won't work out though.

One part is that the US doesn't really know what kind of war it has been preparing for.

/All/ the war.

There are three missions the US military prepares for: humanitarian, WW3, and brushfires. If those three look like they cover the entire spectrum of what a military could possibly be expected to prepare for, you are correct.

Now, the military's overall missions are pretty much controlled by civilians, who like the first and have observed we're most likely to be engaged in the last. The first is good for America and good for the world, we help people who get hosed when the next earthquake or tsunami (or both) rolls through. That's nice. And we go and knock over tinpot dictators, which makes presidents happy.

The middle mission, they believe quite incorrectly, to have been dealt with via MAD.



We are currently built for the middle mission, and do the first with what we have. The current administration wants to do the last.

I always thought the current administration wants to make a robot dog, robot donkey and a robot chicken that are almost half as useful as a real one.

There are three missions the US military prepares for: humanitarian, WW3, and brushfires. If those three look like they cover the entire spectrum of what a military could possibly be expected to prepare for, you are correct.

Now, the military's overall missions are pretty much controlled by civilians, who like the first and have observed we're most likely to be engaged in the last. The first is good for America and good for the world, we help people who get hosed when the next earthquake or tsunami (or both) rolls through. That's nice. And we go and knock over tinpot dictators, which makes presidents happy.

The middle mission, they believe quite incorrectly, to have been dealt with via MAD.



We are currently built for the middle mission, and do the first with what we have. The current administration wants to do the last.

Indeed. Our current equipment is far too overpowered to fight warlords, but it is too underpowered to fight a conventional adversary.

Another thing is that we need more boots on the ground. We need the capacity to assume control over the administration of each and every town, just as in post-war Germany, and be aided by officials appointed by us. After which point we organize a national election.

A robot chicken.