{"id":105543,"date":"2018-01-29T12:01:06","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T12:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=105543"},"modified":"2018-01-26T19:33:52","modified_gmt":"2018-01-26T19:33:52","slug":"the-2018-us-national-defense-strategy-in-plain-words-tragi-comic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2018\/01\/the-2018-us-national-defense-strategy-in-plain-words-tragi-comic\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2018 US National Defense Strategy in Plain Words: Tragi-Comic!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

26 Jan 2018 – <\/em>Excerpts from Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor decades the United States has enjoyed uncontested or dominant superiority in every operating domain. We could generally deploy our forces when we wanted, assemble them where we wanted, and operate how we wanted. Today, every domain is contested air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nAn admission of two things, namely that the US considers it right, or natural, to dominate the entire world<\/em> and do what it pleases. And that its relative power is decreasing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2028<\/em>\u201dChallenges to the U.S. military advantage represent another shift in the global security environment. Our network of alliances and partnerships remain the backbone of global security. China and Russia are now undermining the international order from within the system by exploiting its benefits while simultaneously undercutting its principles and \u2018rules of the road.\u2019 \u201c<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nNATO \u2013 a West-only alliance aimed at defense among its own members \u2013 and some partners shall remain the<\/em> backbone of global society: there is no role to play for other countries; it\u2019s our<\/em> security, not theirs<\/em> that is the backbone.<\/p>\n

\u201cA more lethal, resilient, and rapidly innovating Joint Force, combined with a robust constellation of allies and partners, will sustain American influence and ensure favorable balances of power that safeguard the free and open international order.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nThis global security policy \u2013 to become even more lethal \u2013 shall sustain American influence. Balances of power shall be favourable<\/em> to the US, meaning non-favourable to others \u2013 a somewhat strange philosophy if you want a free and open international order.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina is leveraging military modernization, influence operations, and predatory economics to coerce neighboring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific region to their advantage.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nThe US has only negative perceptions of China. If it so evil, how come the world\u2019s largest future economic+ project is the non-military, China-initiated Silk Road And Belt that attracts lots of countries while Western global capitalism for 300 years has thrived on exploiting colonies, used multinational corporations and established 600+ US military bases and secured strategic resources such as oil by the repeated use of violent interventions, occupations, regime change, coup d\u2019\u00e9tats etc. Predatory?<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia seeks veto authority over nations on its periphery in terms of their governmental, economic, and diplomatic decisions, to shatter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and change European and Middle East security and economic structures to its favor.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nRussia is what Reagan called the Soviet Union, an Evil<\/em> Empire. It\u2019s however one country with 8% of NATO\u2019s 29 members\u2019 military expenditures. It\u2019s out to shatter<\/em> NATO! Did we know that NATO is that<\/em> weak and believes that<\/em> little in its own capabilities? I didn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

\u201cRogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran are destabilizing regions through their pursuit of nuclear weapons or sponsorship of terrorism.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nThe US knows something the rest of us don\u2019t: Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. So that\u2019s<\/em> why it signed the deal about abstaining from acquiring them (JCPOA), has done what it should according to that deal, is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treat (NPT) and accepts tighter international inspections than any other. The US does not have to mention Israel, of course, because Washington believes that the rest of the world doesn\u2019t know that Israel has 200-300 nukes, isn\u2019t a member of the NPT and would not even think of accepting inspections.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran continues to sow violence and remains the most significant challenge to Middle East stability.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nThese cunning Iranians have moved their country so unacceptably close to all our bases and our CENTCOM. They haven\u2019t \u201ckilled their own people\u201d, they have a lively political debate, a parliament and hold elections and \u2013 worst of all \u2013 they are just playing tricks by not having invaded any other country the last 250 years. Israel, in contrast, has shown some real occupation capability. The Iranians have the guts to be grumpy just because<\/em> CIA & Co. destroyed their democracy in 1953, gave Saddam Hussein chemical weapons with which he could mass kill them and because we continue to impoverish their 85 million people with our sanctions. And, while we are at it, we no longer mention Syria because it\u2019s now and opportunity; we are chopping it up to better serve our interests<\/em> and we see no problems when our allies, Saudi Arabia, do<\/em> Yemen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn support of the National Security Strategy, the Department of Defense will be prepared to defend the homeland, remain the preeminent military power in the world, ensure the balances of power remain in our favor, and advance an international order that is most conducive to our security and prosperity.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nWe are God\u2019s own country, his chosen people<\/em> \u2013 we have a God-given right to be the biggest and most violent, always for our common good. Balance is fine but only if it\u2019s in our favour;<\/em> the international order shall not serve all humanity; it shall serve us\/US. And what is good for us is good for the world. As simple as that!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs we expand the competitive space, we continue to offer competitors and adversaries an outstretched hand, open to opportunities for cooperation but from a position of strength and based on our national interests. Should cooperation fail, we will be ready to defend the American people, our values, and interests. The willingness of rivals to abandon aggression will depend on their perception of U.S. strength and the vitality of our alliances and partnerships.\u201d We must\u00a0\u201cbe strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In plain words:
\nCooperation is not the preferred US style but, OK, it can go along with it if it remains superior<\/em> and the cooperation is based on its interests, not their<\/em> interests. And to really scare the crowd into submission\/obeyance, the US shall be un-predictable. <\/em>No, the US doesn\u2019t do confidence-building, it is second to none in conventional strength and has lots of nukes and big buttons\u2026<\/p>\n

What is a strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A strategy is overarching goal and means plan based on some cohesive thoughts<\/em>.\u00a0 It is based on some clearly defined concepts, theories and visions \u2013 or scenarios<\/em> \u2013 of the future and defining who<\/em> shall do what, when<\/em>, at what costs<\/em> and to the benefit of whom?<\/em><\/p>\n

This National Defense Strategy is as problematic as it is scary for the American people and the world, because:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. It has nothing whatsoever to do with a defense philosophy or plan. With just a tiny sense of empathy, it should be clear that it will antagonize\/frighten and provoke any present real or potential adversary and convince friends too that it\u2019s impossible to work with the US, or trust it. It\u2019s megalomaniac, out of touch with reality. It\u2019s a plan for de-creasing security and increasing the risk of major war(s).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Understood as a result of analyses of the world and what defense and security is, or could be, in the 21st century \u2013 its intellectual level is such that it defies serious discussion. Is this<\/em> really the best defense intellectuals in Pentagon and the Armed Forces can produce with the help of multi-billion dollar university institutes and corporate-funded think tanks?<\/li>\n
    2. Its exceptionalist, God-like, imperial (white) supremacy philosophy will turn off the far majority of the world, many inside The West and virtually everybody outside it, in The Rest.<\/li>\n
    3. Studied closely, it is a systematic psycho-pathological projection of the US\u2019s own dark sides unto others. It seeks to construct enemies that must<\/em> be antagonized, shown contempt, held down and, if necessary, destroyed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      For that<\/em> the US needs more and more lethal weapons although it is already by far human history\u2019s largest military power and its military expenditures are larger than the next 7-10 largest military spenders combined! It\u2019s never enough, we need more, a new fix \u2013 like the drug addict<\/em>.<\/p>\n

      How come that the world has become so insecure when its backbone since 1945 has been the US-lead Western backbone? What is so madly wrong with this entire imperial, militarist way of thinking?<\/p>\n

      Given its content and underlying world view, this strategy has received surprisingly little media attention.<\/p>\n

      There is a reason for that: If the whole world gets to know its details, it will become impossible to sell the US and NATO re-armament and worldwide warfare system based on fake, paranoid \u201canalyses\u201d of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc. to taxpayers and, thus, the US Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex, MIMAC, won\u2019t get what it demands.<\/p>\n

      This Strategy is not healthy.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s dangerous for the US itself and for the world. 2017-2018 would have been the right time to say something new and seek co-operation with the Rest. US MIMAC elites are unable to.<\/p>\n

      A world power that sees enemies everywhere and hates so many so strongly, that is unable to see opportunities for benign, mutual-benefit cooperation and therefore increasing isolates itself on top of a powder keg with a deliberately unpredictable, chaotic administration is a very very dangerous creature.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      God, bless America! But before You do, please save it from itself!<\/h4>\n

      ______________________________________________<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a>TFF Director Prof. Jan Oberg is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Go to Original \u2013 transnational.live<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      26 Jan 2018 – This National Defense Strategy is as problematic as it is scary for the American people and the world. God, bless America! But before You do, please save it from itself!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":75557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transcend-members"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}