Originally posted by lord of the mark
we're not the hegemon in the Pacific, and we are barely an independent player militarily in Europe. The ME is debatable, but lets not debate that here.
we're not the hegemon in the Pacific, and we are barely an independent player militarily in Europe. The ME is debatable, but lets not debate that here.
We also have about 80,000 troops in Europe, and again, command of the seas. Looks at what ended up happening in the Balkans.
Cause we're trying to maintain kinds of capabilities others are not. Yet that 49% doesnt allow us to assert our will without regard to alliances, or even with alliances in many places. And its spread around the world - in any locality theres a limit to what we can bring to bear.
Of course we can ssert our will regardless of allies- we could have easily asserted our will in Iraq withou ANY ALLIES, including Kuwait, which we could have invaded, secured, and then used as a jumping block. Having allies makes all the operations infinately easier and cheaper, and hence politically feasable, but the US has the capability to do it without allies, even if it would be politically impossible.
As for the spread around the world part, we spend 49% of it, and 190 other states spend the other 51%- whcih means that while the US might not the able to bring its full power against anyone in a single theater, in the theaters I have mentioned we can certainly bring more firepower to bears than any other single power.
All that says is that no one else can project power globally in the same way - but regional powers can still overawe is in given regions, depending on the local diplomatic balance. We beat Iraq, but then NO ONE, not even those who most opposed us, came to Iraqs aid.
Scenarios that show us winning, or even just matching China in the straights assume no one else on Chinas side, and that Japan provides at least logistical support. If say, Japan AND China were to oppose the US, in response to US overreaching, the US could not act. Carriers and all, theyd be defeated by local land based air, subs, etc. Thats not a hegemon.
NO, the US is the Hegimon the the Pacific theater- certainly NOT on mainland East Asia, or South Asia, or the Indian Ocean, nor South-East Asia, but in the Pacific, certainly.
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