China

A British squadron, composed of frigates, a helicopter carrier, and some tankers embarrassed a Chicom sub which was tracking the flotilla. Proceeding through the South China Sea, in international waters, which is also illegally claimed as territorial waters by China, the British ships detected the sub following behind them. The sub was more than 20 miles away and never got much closer, so the Brits did not see it as a serious threat, although the sub is armed with some anti-ship missiles which can be launched while still submerged, and some long-range torpedoes too. The Brits decided to "play" with the sub and to demonstrate their anti-sub capability as a warning to the Chicoms. The Brits dispatched an anti-sub helicopter, a sub hunter, that initially flew in the opposite direction, but then circled back and got behind the sub, tracking it. Then one of the frigates slowed down allowing the sub to close the distance, and the captain of the frigate began broadcasting a warning to the sub to cease tracking the flotilla, to back off. The British fleet commander in the region received a message from Chicom navy officials declaring they did not have a sub where the frigate claimed. Then, following orders, the helicopter dropped a listening buoy right on top of the sub and also deployed colored dye. The Brits replied to the Chicoms, if you do not have a sub where we just marked then our helicopter will drop depth charges...the sub did a power dive and quickly turned away.

Apparently, the Chicom sub had no idea the British copter was hovering over them. Now, while this is "funny" and might make the Chicoms nervous about approaching allied navy units, it also serves to alert them on their weaknesses. In poker you don't reveal the aces you are holding until it is time to actually play them when it matters.

The Chicoms flew 70 attack aircraft, and several support planes (tankers), right up to and then around Taiwan airspace. They are trying to lull the Taiwanese into getting used to these incursions until one day they will be real. Xi made a very inflammatory speech yesterday stating, without any need for interpretation, that Red China intends to invade/take Taiwan as a steppingstone to world domination.

It is way passed time for the West to disassociate with China. Bring all industry, businesses home, or at least relocate to a friendly (-ier) nation.

The Chicoms have also thumbed their noses at India. Last year a newly elected Indian premiere tried to decrease the tension between the two nations by making some (unwise) unilateral withdrawals from the border region. Well, predictably, the Chicoms saw it as weakness and have taken advantage of it with deployment of several more divisions. Including the deployment of a new "light" battle-tank. Weighing only 30 tons the new tank can operate in the low-oxygen/high-altitude reaches of the mountains along the China-India border. On flat terrain they are VERY fast and carry a 105mm main gun capable of knocking out heavy tanks.

Japan is hurrying the completion of a second aircraft carrier, for the new F-35 fighter jet. They have deployed one carrier task force already. Japan is also fortifying its islands, like Okinawa, with navy, air force bases, and land bases hosting long range artillery and missile launchers.

If the Chicoms attempt war, the initial major battles will be for Taiwan and the various straits between islands, through which any Chicom navy vessels (fleets) will have to pass through to reach open waters in the Pacific. Each are guarded by flanking landmasses, currently controlled by Western allies, and the channels will be blocked by US and ally carrier task forces. US and ally subs will enjoy a field day, a real "turkey shoot," picking off Chicom navy vessels.

Xi is a POS, dangerous, delusional, and just plain evil...but his military forces cannot cash any checks he dares to write.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

It is way passed time for the West to disassociate with China. Bring all industry, businesses home, or at least relocate to a friendly (-ier) nation.

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Yep, past time for that to happen.

But, be wary of non-specific bills supposedly banning this or that (like Tiktok) that use our fear to give more and more power to the three character alphabet agencies that have PROVEN they cannot be trusted. The bill, as proposed, can be used to shut down any platform an agency disagrees with, and doesn't even mandate shutting down Bytedance's ongoing intelligence gathering through their social media platform.

Looks like another knee jerk Patriot Act kind of thing where we citizens end up bearing the brunt of the idiotic government overreach and the swamp becomes more and more powerful. Heck, by the time they end up scaring us into giving up more freedoms, it might not make any difference whether we are controlled by the Chinese or the authoritarians in Washington!

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Originally Posted by DawgyNWindow

Yep, past time for that to happen.

But, be wary of non-specific bills supposedly banning this or that (like Tiktok) that use our fear to give more and more power to the three character alphabet agencies that have PROVEN they cannot be trusted. The bill, as proposed, can be used to shut down any platform an agency disagrees with, and doesn't even mandate shutting down Bytedance's ongoing intelligence gathering through their social media platform.

Looks like another knee jerk Patriot Act kind of thing where we citizens end up bearing the brunt of the idiotic government overreach and the swamp becomes more and more powerful. Heck, by the time they end up scaring us into giving up more freedoms, it might not make any difference whether we are controlled by the Chinese or the authoritarians in Washington!

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Well, that's encouraging. :icon_roll:

Chicoms wrap up three days of "training exercises" around Taiwan. Then a spokesman for Xi said, quite emphatically, " we will crush Taiwan and any nation that dares to support them."

Meanwhile, a US Navy destroyer boldly sailed straight past the retiring Chicom fleet, with the Chicoms howling about this type of action "increasing the tension in the region." Never mind that they just had 50+ ships and 70 aircraft threatenly operating right up to Taiwan's territorial limit.

I think the Chicoms are planning to have a real attack on Taiwan disguised as just another training exercise. They are trying to lull the Taiwanese into not reacting to an approach of a large Chicom force, dismissing it as just another show. This will enable the Chicoms to get close before they launch an attack. Well, that doesn't work, sorry Xi. The Taiwanese and the rest of the world will know if/when a real attack is being launched because the Chicoms will have to send thousands of troops on their transports, and not just the types of ships that have been sent in these exercises. If they load up every available transport with soldiers and send them toward Taiwan, the good guys will be alerted that this is probably for real. Not only that, but in the weeks leading up to such an operation, the world will know because of the logistics involved with massing that much military equipment and personnel at the three departure ports the Chicoms will use for the invasion.

If the Chicoms think they can attack using just aircraft and navy assets and defeat Taiwan's defenses to the point occupying troops can be dispatched later...nope, sorry, that won't happen. The more likely scenario would be a Taiwan victory in the skies and just off their coasts and the majority of Taiwan's defenses will survive such a preemptive strike. Taiwan, totally on its own, can withstand initial attacks. And, if their allies, the US, Australia, Japan, and others stand with Taiwan in the fight then no way can the Chicoms' forces, their ships, their logistical units survive the counter-strikes that will occur.

Nukes? Well, that is the wildcard factor that can change any predicted outcomes of a Chicom assault on Taiwan. If Xi dares to launch nukes as part of a surprise, first-strike attack against Taiwan and against her allies, such as the US Pacific fleets operating in the region, then who knows how this might play out. I know this, in such a scenario, no one would be too worried about the plight of Taiwan as the whole world will be dealing with issues.

Chicoms sending thousands of soldiers across our southern border, to later act as a 5th column. They fly into South America, usually Venezuela, sometimes Columbia, make their way into Panama where they are picked up by Chicom-funded or Soros-funded coyotes and brought to close to our border. Then they just walk in.

Biden is destroying this country and with it, the free world.

Philippines' PM Marcos blinks! due to ZERO confidence in the US, thanks to Sleepy Joe's admin. Marcos announced the US, and other allies, cannot use bases located in his country to conduct operations against the Chicoms in the event of an attack on Taiwan. This is HUGE! It is beyond HUGE! It is completely devastating and very dangerous news opening up Taiwan to an attack. The Philippines sits astride of 2 of the 3 passages from the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, including the critical and I mean CRITICAL! Bashi Straight. Under our last real POTUS, our gallant President Trump, the Philippines gladly joined The Quads allowing the US to build 5 new bases expanding the total to 9. The Chicoms have been issuing warnings to the region not to align with the US or our allies or face dire consequences. They did the same thing when Trump was in the WH but back then the Philippines and others responded to the Chicom threats with "Bite me!" Now, they fear the Biden-led US is nothing but a paper tiger and they are covering their asses (CYA).

In just two years Biden has completely destroyed the US, both domestically and internationally.

Biden has his watchful eye on the REAL enemies of the US.

Like the guy wearing the funny hat with horns that was being led through the Capitol by the police and people who think guys wearing dresses are mentally unstable and don't belong in the US military. Oh, and MAGA republicans!

Paper tiger indeed. We are in good hands.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Philippines' PM Marcos blinks! due to ZERO confidence in the US, thanks to Sleepy Joe's admin. Marcos announced the US, and other allies, cannot use bases located in his country to conduct operations against the Chicoms in the event of an attack on Taiwan. This is HUGE! It is beyond HUGE! It is completely devastating and very dangerous news opening up Taiwan to an attack. The Philippines sits astride of 2 of the 3 passages from the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, including the critical and I mean CRITICAL! Bashi Straight. Under our last real POTUS, our gallant President Trump, the Philippines gladly joined The Quads allowing the US to build 5 new bases expanding the total to 9. The Chicoms have been issuing warnings to the region not to align with the US or our allies or face dire consequences. They did the same thing when Trump was in the WH but back then the Philippines and others responded to the Chicom threats with "Bite me!" Now, they fear the Biden-led US is nothing but a paper tiger and they are covering their asses (CYA).

In just two years Biden has completely destroyed the US, both domestically and internationally.

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I just read an article about this announcement, and basically Marcos said we could use the military bases to evacuate Philippinos from Taiwan, should such a situation happen. That's mighty big of him!

I wonder if we can do his laundry and wash his dishes too?

Of course, after seeing the Afghanistan withdrawal, I am perplexed why he would want us handling that, either.

Marcos is a moron, and this announcement is very dangerous. Just a few months ago a British military think tank released an analysis of the situation with the 5 new American bases (which are also used by our allies) and how they were a game-changer for the region. Two islands house airbases which are "unsinkable aircraft carriers" as well as missile batteries to deny the Chicoms the key passages between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. But now all the Chicoms have to do is communicate with Marcos and his advisors that their movement of ships through the passages are not aimed at them, even as they use them to attack Taiwan and probably also engage with the US and our allies. This has completely flipped the script in the region.

But! the Philippines are also standing up to Chicom aggression, even as they try to placate them with their asinine announcements. Two weeks ago a Philippine gunboat retired when approached by two Chicom frigates in what both countries claim as their territorial waters in the "disputed area" around islands in the South China Sea. Yesterday a Philippine gunboat returned but this time refused to give way when approached by two Chicom warships (the types not mentioned in the report). Instead, the Philippine gunboat captain demanded that the Chicom ships depart the area immediately. The Chicoms replied they would not. Then a Philippine frigate appeared and her captain issued a warning to the Chicoms. They refused again. Then an American frigate appeared, asking the Philippine captains if they required assistance, knowing the Chicoms were monitoring communications and would hear his message. Without another word the Chicom ships quickly departed the area. Later a Philippine spokesman for the Defense Ministry issued a statement referencing the incident, saying the Philippines will defend its territorial waters against any and all aggressors...and we thank our American allies for their support. A VERY CLEAR warning issued to the Chicoms.

Xi continues his tough and dangerous rhetoric about invading Taiwan, warning the rest of the world to stay out of it. But other Chicom officials, some in their Defense Ministry, have begun to ask Xi to tone it down some. The world of diplomacy is saying Xi is backing himself into a corner, politically, because he will have to invade Taiwan or simply not which will make him look back and cause him to lose clout in China. Xi is acting like a bully shouting to his neighbors, if you do this or don't do that I am gonna punch you in the nose. As time rolls by and the bully does nothing, everyone stops paying attention to him. This can be VERY dangerous if Xi decides he has to act just to save face. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people will die just so the bully can "look good."

Xi just chit all over Putin/Russia. Purposely left him out of a central Asia alliance formation summit, which includes infrastructure such as a central railroad connecting all Asian countries except Russia. Five former Soviet puppet states have been invited, but not Russia. To add to this diss, a Russian transportation official in one of the Asian provinces contacted the Chicoms offering to help fund a connecting RR spur from his province to the proposed RR network. This was viewed as a brush off of Putin i.e. local official(s) acting independently of Moscow. But, this official ended up with egg on his face when told by the Chicoms, "don't call us, we'll call you...maybe."

The Russians need to arrest and then execute Putin (after a fair trial, of course), and purge their government of the commie bastards in it. Rejoin the peaceful world community, then rebuild their nation into a "western-leaning" country and join us standing up to the growing threat that are the Chicoms.

Biden took credit for forming the QUAD! He did! You can tell the audience, mostly media and members of various governments, know the truth and they sat in stunned silence as Joe Biden lied again. Maybe I should say, lied still! since he never ceases lying.

Biden: bet no one can believe I was able to form the QUAD in just two years since I became president. You're right Joe (for once) no one believes that because they all know it was Trump who formed the QUAD. And in fact! since they have no confidence in Biden/US, Japan and Australia have assumed the leadership role(s) in keeping the QUAD together. No easy task since India has gone rogue since Biden was elected, due to lack of confidence in the current WH.

And, a little good news out of India to report. The prime minister of India who has been trying to cozy up to the Chicoms in an effort to keep the peace, finally got stabbed in the back once too often by President Xi and his merry band of commie bastards and announced a "cooling" in relations with China. It took an economic slight-of-hand to get his attention but hopefully he's seen the light now. Gotta choose your friends a little wiser, Mr. Prime Minister.