China’s View of South Asia and the Indian Ocean

[Dayuhan]

There is also suggestions of defeatism in your posts concerning the US and China. It appear you feel that the US will lose everywhere and it is better to let the remainder of the world rush past it to the finishing tape!!

Hardly. I'm not terrified of China, nor even marginally afraid of China, and I certainly see no Chinese "threat" that needs to be "countered" by military means or by some ill-advised effort to restrain the Chinese economy or Chinese access to resources. If we're worried about competitiveness, ther US needs to look within and address our own economic issues, not to fret over what the Chinese are doing.

I have not understood your comment on your sex desire.

It was simply meant to demonstrate the difference between approval and optimism. One may think an event desirable and still acknowledge that it's not likely to happen.

However, Robert H. Schuller, the Reformed Church Minister had said: “High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true.”

If we're talking about Afghanistan, this illustrates the problem rather well. There is no rich opportunity, neither is there any pressing threat, not for the US, not for China, not for India. There's nothing that makes it worth the effort. What you see as a lack of "gumption" is purely a lack of motivation. Sure, if there was some huge prize to be won or some existential threat to the US, there would be a way to prevail. There isn't. There's nothing to make it worth the cost and effort, therefore little will to persist, therefore little ground for optimism.

The US and China have virtually nothing to gain or lose in Afghanistan. India might have a little more... but really, India survived a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan before, and it would survive it again. What reason would you have that would be sufficiently compelling to lead you into that particular pit?

You may like to read the Indian experience of LIC/ COIN from an article posted SWJ

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art...ree-approaches

I've read it. I see no relevance at all to a potential Indian involvement in Afghanistan. Fighting an insurgency in your own country and fighting an insurgency in a foreign country - especially given the logistic miseries and escalation potential that Indian involvement in Afghanistan would entail - are worlds apart

In short, nothing is lost till the last bullet is fired or one turns tail.

I do not find that feeling with the US or ISAF.

What were the conditions at Dunkirk? The 'current situation' then at Dunkirk, reeked with demoralisation, despondency, and DEFEAT!!

Allies lost World War II?

The difference in two words: existential threat. WWII posed one, in reality to Britain, by perception (likely inaccurate, but that's another story) to the US. Afghanistan does not pose one, not even close. Nothing of significance to be lost or won, why pour lives and treasure into it?

Patience is the watchword. Since you like sexual examples, may I say that modern wars (which are not the conventional types) are not "Wham, Bang, Thank you, Ma'am" type of interactions!!

They are not that way be cause we choose not to make them that way. There was no reason for the US to mess with trying to install a government in Afghanistan. The provocation from Afghanistan - 9/11 - called precisely for a ""Wham, Bam, Thank you, Ma'am" type of interaction: a vigorous punitive raid. Go in, make one point - we don't want to rule you, but if you mess with us we will kill you - and get out.

China's footprint is on all continents including Antarctica! And it does not mean military footprints when economic and social footprints do most satisfactorily!

So is America's in case you haven't noticed. I am well aware of Han culturalism and the supposed "Oriental mindset": I've lived my entire adult life in the Orient. I decline to panic.