While We Wait: Part 5

[Azale]

"We are just about alone in terms of the highly developed countries that will continue to have demographic growth sufficient to ensure continued economic growth," Fingar said.

But a multipolar world is not shaping up to be a fun one. Unless your a politics major. Like me.

 

[silver 2039]

In this hypothetical, China would be allowed to confiscate the oil and give it to it's own companies.

Whatever course you took on logic. Go get a refund. Now.

 

[das]

In this hypothetical, China would be allowed to confiscate the oil and give it to it's own companies.

Unless I misunderstand, that does not exactly alter the nature of the situation. I am not saying that control over oil is not profitable; I am saying that ensuring security even for just the oil fields and the necessary infrastructure in Iraq would probably be cost-prohibitive, not to mention strategically complicated to say the least. China simply does not have that kind of power projection capabilities.

 

[silver 2039]

Unless I misunderstand, that does not exactly alter the nature of the situation. I am not saying that control over oil is not profitable; I am saying that ensuring security even for just the oil fields and the necessary infrastructure in Iraq would probably be cost-prohibitive, not to mention strategically complicated to say the least. China simply does not have that kind of power projection capabilities.

And why the bloody balls would you occupy a country to get oil and end up having to provide, for its infrastructure, government, defense etc....when you can trade with Iran and Sudan and whatnot and get it? They're more than happy to to provide in exchange for Chinese support.

 

[Luckymoose]

And why the bloody balls would you occupy a country to get oil and end up having to provide, for its infrastructure, government, defense etc....when you can trade with Iran and Sudan and whatnot and get it? They're more than happy to to provide in exchange for Chinese support.

Because NWAG3 found out he could only go so far before someone figured out his lies.

 

[Ninja Dude]

Well, due to bad luck, my character in NevNES has been stabbed no less than 3 times within a few minutes.

Of course I'm able to kill a somewhat big lizard and a dying man without a problem. But when I'm facing to healthy warriors? Bad rolls start happening at the worst possible moments.

Atleast I can boast having the highest kill count (2) so far.

 

[jeps]

What about the good of the Iraqis themselves? There is the risk of an Iran-based Muslim state (in their sphere of influence) if the Americans withdraw, as well as increased terrorist morale.

wrong. COMPLETELY different sects of islam.Iran is majority Shi'ites, Iraq majority Sunni. Trust me that this makes a HUGE difference. For reference, see Iraq-Iran War of the 80s.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Unless I misunderstand, that does not exactly alter the nature of the situation. I am not saying that control over oil is not profitable; I am saying that ensuring security even for just the oil fields and the necessary infrastructure in Iraq would probably be cost-prohibitive, not to mention strategically complicated to say the least. China simply does not have that kind of power projection capabilities.

What exactly is it about the U.S that gives that kind of power projection in the first place? After all, in this scenario China could have active US cooperation in holding Iraq.

The point about security is a good one, though.

wrong. COMPLETELY different sects of islam.Iran is majority Shi'ites, Iraq majority Sunni. Trust me that this makes a HUGE difference. For reference, see Iraq-Iran War of the 80s.

I can find several sources that contradict you.

 

[Shadowbound]

wrong. COMPLETELY different sects of islam.Iran is majority Shi'ites, Iraq majority Sunni. Trust me that this makes a HUGE difference. For reference, see Iraq-Iran War of the 80s.

Incorrect, Iraq is majority Shi'a. It's slim, but the differences between the Kurds and Arab Sunnis emphasize it. It's only recently, post-invasion, that they've actually controlled a government though.

Spoiler :

What exactly is it about the U.S that gives that kind of power projection in the first place? After all, in this scenario China could have active US cooperation in holding Iraq.

Air Force, Fleet. China's carrier capability is crap, I'm unsure whether or not they actually have one. While the People's Liberation Army is large and formidable, the Air Forces and Fleets aren't yet on par with their American counterparts. There's also the numerous bases, in many countries, around the world.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Incorrect, Iraq is majority Shi'a. It's slim, but the differences between the Kurds and Arab Sunnis emphasize it. It's only recently, post-invasion, that they've actually controlled a government though.

Spoiler :

Air Force, Fleet. China's carrier capability is crap, I'm unsure whether or not they actually have one. While the People's Liberation Army is large and formidable, the Air Forces and Fleets aren't yet on par with their American counterparts. There's also the numerous bases, in many countries, around the world.

Maybe in my hypothetical the Americans could agree to do transport work for Chinese forces?

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Has anyone been attempting to send me offline/mobile IMs, recently? My new phone has been giving me some strange alerts, and I'm wondering if that's the cause.

 

[Symphony D.]

Maybe in my hypothetical the Americans could agree to do transport work for Chinese forces?

Did you just get off a flight from Bizarro World or something? I'm genuinely curious. Are you not aware of this whole episode called the Cold War? This place called Taiwan? What planet are you from? If this was 1845 would you be advocating handing Liberia over to Russia? Cuba to Germany in 1902? This logic isn't right. It isn't even wrong.

I've faced a lot of bad ideas in my time on this earth. Contrary to what most people think, I usually don't resort to telling the espousers to shut up. That's typically uncalled for. Yours are perhaps the first positions I have had the displeasure of encountering up close and personal where that is my instinctual response. You genuinely have absolutely no clue whatsoever what you're even suggesting, and you should just stop. Your framework has no basis in reality at all. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Were this scenario to be repeated a hundred trillion times over to see the different ways in which it would play out, no one in any position of power in any nation on Earth would advocate what you are. Probably no other person in the human race would. Just stop.

 

[a_propagandist]

Please, NWAG, just stop while you're ahead, er, behind. You're not going to win this argument about Iraq, especially since you're arguing with Symphony.

 

[Symphony D.]

I don't give a damn about Iraq so much as I question how anyone can argue with a straight face that America turn over some country it spilled blood for to China of all people--to preserve local liberty of all things--and then shuttle Chinese troops around to facilitate such a thing.

I can't even make an analogy for that, it's so far beyond the realm of all sense. I cannot understand or fathom the reality, the Twilight Zone of a mind that would even produce such an idea. Trying to wrap my head around the notion is like staring down some Lovecraftian horror. I either want to grab something to use as a weapon and start swinging or run away screaming in terror. The shores of sanity were long ago left for the roiling, churning waters of madness. Forgive me, Neverwonagame3, but for the good of mankind I'm really not interested in chucking you a life-preserver. You're free to plumb the deep end to your heart's content now. Have fun.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

For political reasons they would never do it, but I was talking about the idea in theory.

 

[alex994]

What would be the point...

 

[Neverwonagame3]

It would be as a theoretical scenario of discussion- like Plato's Republic in a sense. We NESers have zilch influence on world politics anyway.

 

[LightFang]

I can have a theoretical scenario where, as soon as I finish typing this post, America spontaneously shatters into fifty independent states, but that doesn't make it even worth thinking about!

 

[Dachs]

I can have a theoretical scenario where, as soon as I finish typing this post, America spontaneously shatters into fifty independent states, but that doesn't make it even worth thinking about!

*sniggers about ABNW*

 

[Luckymoose]

It would be as a theoretical scenario of discussion- like Plato's Republic in a sense. We NESers have zilch influence on world politics anyway.

I bet atleast one of us will end up in politics and could end up having an effect on national or global politics.