while Americans continue to focus on high prices at the gas pumps, they still don't see or understand the risks of global warfare over competition for dwindling oil supplies ... without a national campaign to conserve fuel and develop and deploy alternative energy technologies, the US, that has only 3% of the world's oil supply, is in great peril ...
real leadership would entail making this a central issue in America's political discourse ... continued catering to the "special interests" of Big Oil will lead to very dire times in the US ...
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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/09/14/opinion/index.php?news=opinion_18599259.htmlMany of China’s neighbours are alarmed. The United States Defence Department views China’s goal as being to build a series of military and diplomatic strategic bases – a so-called “string of pearls” – along the major sea lanes from the South China Sea to the oil rich Middle East.
China seeks not only to secure its energy supplies, but to achieve broader security goals. For example, the Gwadar military port, which China is constructing in southwest Pakistan, is strategically placed to guard the throat of the Persian Gulf, with electronic eavesdropping posts to monitor ships – including warships – moving through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea. <skip>
Still, China is transforming its coastal navy into an ocean-going navy at a pace far quicker than most experts reckoned possible. By 2010, China is expected to have 70 of the most modern surface vessels, several modern strategic nuclear submarines, and several tens of modernised attack submarines, exceeding the modern forces of both Taiwan’s navy and even Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force, at least in quantitative terms.
Moreover, China plans to improve and expand its capabilities for assault landing and joint logistical support, both of which used to be weak points. This will provide China with necessary capabilities to invade, should China’s rulers wish, Japan’s most remote islands, including the disputed Senkaku Islands, as well as Taiwan. If China’s naval growth continues at its current pace, it may have the world’s largest naval force by 2020. <skip>
All of Asia must wake up to the arrival of Chinese-style aggressive “sea power”. Japan, in particular, must reformulate its national maritime strategy with this in mind. Japan, America and other traditional maritime countries must also once again treat “sea power” in Asia as a key component of their ability to defend their own national interests.