China's Military Ambitions

[D_Bokk]

China and Russia are having "War Games" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4161660.stm) which they refer to as Peace Mission 2005. The Chinese government has a hard time figuring out logical names, seeing as they still refer to themselves as Communist. Even more ironic is that their government seems to be becoming fascist.

Logically, one doesn't practice for something they don't plan on using. The hostility between Taiwan and China is probably one of the main reasons for the recent war games, however we cannot rule out that they have higher ambitions. Considering that there are so many Chinese, if they were to wage a world war - they alone could put up a very good fight, granted they have enough weaponry and oil.

How do you look at these recent military improvements of China?

[D_Bokk]

They're also creating new police forces to deal with the protesting done throughout China. The main reasons for the protests are inequality, you can read the rest here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4162254.stm

Am I the only one who is noticing a '1984' scenario that is about to occur?

[Decolonize The Left]

I'll state first that I didn't read the links. I just want to toss in a thought about a possible "1984 scenario that is about to occur".

While I think on many levels you are correct, i.e. molding the truth, destroying the past and history and re-writing it, among others, I think that it cannot happen in full. This is simply due to our communication system today, it will be impossible to lie to the public on any large scale about wars. Remember how in 1984 there was the simulation of three waring nations, when in fact there was peace. This won't happen, but I think other aspects might. Supprising how much Orwell knew back then, no?

-- August

[D_Bokk]

China is creating their own Internet, but it's more like a computer nanny to make sure the Chinese don't go on a real communist site or read about real Marxism. The whole worldwide communication thing can go down the tubes for one nation. IP blocking also can be used so people from other countries cannot talk with the Chinese. It would be possible for hackers to access others, but I'm sure they wouldn't be able too for long.

There would probably be a war to grab as much land as they could, which probably happened before '1984' took place. Also the government was bombing their own people and had a police force to watch over people who didn't follow the rules.

[CheMN]

The age of going to war with nations iis over, the war in Iraq lasted 1 month and then the rest is terrorism. Another world war cannot happen especially between china and thje U.S. If China were to attack another nation, who would attack china except the defending country. No one because the day when the enemy was the guys on the other side of the battlefield is over. That type of clarity is gone. If you want to take over a country these days and get away with it, you create a rebel force to take it and use a puppet government. That's what we are doing in Iraq except we screwed up the process of taking over. Also if China were to attack anyone, it would be North Korea because Norht Korean soldiers gets alot of their food by going to china and looting the countryside.

[Seeker]

CheMN, you are only describing A way to take control of a country. Iraq did not exist as a country until it was carved out by the victors of a world at war. What need do the Chineese have of puppet regiems if they are able to erase the national borders and redraw them around capitals and governments of their choice?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

On something that was brought up earlier, China now has an Internet Police force. They patrol the net, arresting people for posts they don't like, censoring sites, and taking down domestic sites the government doesn't approve of.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18 2005, 12:06 PM
Am I the only one who is noticing a '1984' scenario that is about to occur?
Why?

It made some sense that some people had those fears about the USSR, when it seemed superficially that regime was monolithic, had no major challenge or even potential challenge from within, and was likely to last a long time, even eternally as Orwell depicted in his novel.

With what we've now seen about the limitations of that kind of bureaucratic regime, and with the many cracks in the PRC, why would anyone think Beijing had any chance of being able to create that kind of situation now?

History has spoken...that kind of regime, as depicted in 1984, is impossible. Bureaucratic regimes based on nationalized, postcapitalist economies are unstable and short-lived. The "theory of bureaucratic collectivism" or "oligarchic collectivism" has been disproved by events.

The PRC's basically futile attempts to censor the internet reflect a new problem for them, not a new Orwellian danger. The Stalinist regimes in their heyday didn't even have this problem to worry about.

***

On the military side of things, the PRC has nowhere near the warships, warplanes, and amphibious landing craft that would be required for an invasion of Taiwan. The current buildup would have to continue for a long time before that would be possible....significantly, the PRC so far has bought submarines but not aircraft carriers and other necessary components of a ocean-going surface navy....

The PRC's military stance towards Taiwan is aimed at preventing a formal declaration of independence. So long as Taiwan refrains from doing that, war is unlikely.