"Over a hundred years later, showing the big stick" Topic

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I knew that when Donald Trump got elected, that he would approach impressing the madmen of the world like Teddy Roosevelt did. Only today it isn't ships it's planes. Is "Rocket Man" even savvy enough to take the hint? Or will we have to beat on him like the Barbary pirates?

Fortunately, I'm on the road, and will have to miss this golden opportunity of visiting the Dawghouse.

Don't be silly.
Ultramodern Warfare has a papal dispensation regarding "politics".

Those of us with children in the service at the sharp end would prefer a more measured approach as the "stick" happens to involve real people not paper counters or toy soldiers.

Remember what Sun Tzu said, 'All warfare is based upon deception.'

So are a lot of other things.

+10 McKinstry

As it happens, I'm on the road because I'm on the way to Parris Island, to witness my nephew's graduation from Boot Camp, so another +10.

+10 McKinstry. When it is your son who may bleed you fervently hope that the sword stays sheathed.

I understand and agree with the sentiment of those who have children in the service. Mine are too young to serve and my days of getting shot at, (by foreign enemies as opposed to bad guys in this country), are over.

We have seen before that the fervent desire for peace at any cost can lead to far more loss of life in the future. I don't know if Trump is doing the right thing or not, but I pray that he is. Not only for my children and yours, but for those of the Koreans, Syrians, Yassidies, Israelis, and others.

Sadly he is far too savvy to take the hint, if that's what we want to call it. He knows he's holding the better cards in this situation.

Better to face him now with him only holding a few nukes.
Or would you prefer he has a hundred nukes. Playing the cards right is forcing the Chinese to act.

@Hafen: Congrats on the new Marine in the family!

Planes are much faster to get to a place than ships are, plus the US doesn't really have anything short of an Amphibious Ready Group to show the flag easily.

Un has learned the valuable lesson of dictators that gave up their nuclear arsenals…they're no longer among the living!

I always thought the statement was "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

But maybe I'm just misunderstanding what the first part of the means.

I also am pretty sure that TR said his foreign policy was: "the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis."

Which does not seem to be the policy of the current administration.

Another +10 for McKinistry. He spoke for a lot of us, I suspect.

Rick

I live in the cross hairs and work with the young people that will pay the Piper so I am happy to see the opinions like McKinstry's expressed. It was just the other day that they were ringing the bell for the sailors lost in the last few months. RIP and God bless them!

Showing the big stick has no effect on the "target" if they don't give a damn. In this case its more of a PR stunt aimed that the rest of the world and the ROK than Pyongyang