Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? | 79 comments (79 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? (none / 1)

Well, I am aware of the power of the USA to finance its overseas empire by simply printing units of the international currency and I recognize the role that military power has played in supporting that function. But China can surely provide US Treasuries to trading partners in need of them from its reserve and that is a positive for them. In addition to an accounting shadow what the Chinese hoard of US financial instruments represents is the price of undervaluing their currency wrt the US$.

Carriers are a significant means of power projection, and so are bases such as on Diego Garcia and in Thailand and Okinawa. But these are of limited utility on the Asian continent from Russia east. So China and Russia will not be feeling constrained except for agricultural production any time soon.

The point I am trying to make in this diary is not that Russia, China and the BRICS are trying to eliminate the USA as a major international power, but rather that they are creating an alternative sphere not controlled directly by the USA, thus giving trade partners a choice.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Apr 28th, 2014 at 04:03:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? (none / 1)

But only those trade partners which have contiguous land connections to Russia or China.

Which, with the exception of Northern Indochina, are basically already in either Russia's or China's sphere of influence.

This may make it more difficult for the US to pry away Russia's Central Asian colonies. But that was always a half-hearted, opportunistic, and, most importantly, loss-making enterprise for the US anyway.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Apr 28th, 2014 at 04:34:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? (none / 0)

It is true that US sea power could block Russia and China from conducting trade in large parts of the world. But that would be an overt act of war. It is certainly something to watch for, but I don't think we are very close to that point yet, and certainly not against China. And, were the USA to get into a war with China it could be very dicey for Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, etc. Power over the sea ways can be exercised from air bases as well as from the deck of a carrier. Japan could start having problems importing fossil fuels, for starters. Which way would Vietnam go? How secure would the new US access to Philippine bases be? I sincerely do not want to find out.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Apr 28th, 2014 at 09:30:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? (4.00 / 2)

It wouldn't be war with Russia or China.

It would be war with the American colony that trades with them without paying its tribute to the Americans.

That this happens to impact Russian and Chinese trade, well too bad, so sad.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Apr 29th, 2014 at 01:45:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Are we on the eve of a turn in the Great Game? | 79 comments (79 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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