CNO Naval History Essay Contest

[herosrest]

CNO Naval History Essay Contest The CNO invites you to write on a naval historical topic of your choice, your essay should relate in some way to establishing and maintaining maritime superiority in today's environment. The essay should provide your readers with a lesson learned from history that can be applied to today.

Length: 3,000 word maximum (excludes footnotes/endnotes/sources). Your essay must be original and not previously published (online or in print) or being considered for publication elsewhere.

Prize: Up to $5,000.

I assume the CNO is Chief of Naval Operations.

[herosrest]

An article review of Chinese naval force development Visualize Chinese Sea Power By Professor James Holmes raises the Solomons campaign as model and a reasonable example of art of attrition and maximum force. Japanes carrier losses during this phase of the war were catastrophic. A little known US Navy loss occurred during Operation Galvanic with the sinking of USS Liscome Bay.

The performance of the US submarine arm during the early years of the Pacific War remains controversial despite proof that ship launched torpedoes were not detonating on contact. Japan's opening campaign in the Philipines and Malaya on through Java into New Guinea was entirely seaborne and amphibious with each transport ship lost, sorely hampering ongoing logistics.

An interesting aspect of conflict between major powera is escalation into tactical nuclear strikes. Why? Well, it becomes a game of chess. It's likely to happen unless one side suffers game changing losses. The South China Seas strategy of fortifying islands was shown to be seriously flawed in 1942 and this remains true unless US Naval Air can be neutralised. The fortified islands can be bypassed without any loss as Truk was but Japn in 1942 is a rather different beast to modern China. Or is it?

[herosrest]

So, and now........ I've been idly busy reviewing the state of global confrontation and find that hostilities between China and the USA are underway and viciously fought as the PotUS battles to level the economic playing fields. I offer two examples which develop the question of whether or not China is an advanced economy able to diminish costs because of its immense domestic market or whether the domestic market subsidises cut price production into overseas markets which destroys those nations ability to produce goods and develop technology. 

Example One

Example Two

The matter and its issues is far more complicated but it isn't - is it. The World does NOT have unfettered access to the Chinese market.

Trump is at War and unsupported by his nation. I don't care overly for him and his politics but respect the Office and what he is doing.

[herosrest]

The UK problems with Brexit, are masking the importance and difficulties inherent to the Trade Agreement being forged between the US and China. That is a global battlefield.

[quincannon]

And your two examples are reasons why China will avoid war with the West. You don't go to war with your best customers, the ones that keep your own economy humming. That however does not mean there will be any constraints on China seeking hegemony over the greater China Sea, unless those constraints are forcefully applied by its neighbors close in, and backed by its customer neighbors further afield.

You heard that General (in his brand new Pinks and Greens mind you) saying how the Pacific Rim was our greatest focus for shaping new equipment buys, force structure, and combined exercises. That is a mistake in my opinion, but that is for another time. Make no mistake though, all of our military funding on the conventional side is aimed one way - China.

Trumps mistake, among many, is looking at China trade as a two way transaction. China will smile at you, agree with you, then do what they damned well please, and we here in the US, under both Trump and others will end up with the same egg we have been wiping off our face since Korea. In dealing with the Asian mindset, and culture, you must understand that loss of face (being embarrassed) is an out of proportion disaster to them. They will do anything to avoid it. In the end though you must learn to look at every problem through your adversaries eyes, and we have never been much good at that.

[deadwoodgultch]

The enemy/adversary/trade partner always gets a vote. Let me say this, the China thing will not be the second coming of the "Art of the Deal." Trump is doing the right things for the right reasons, but the Chinese are doing what is right for them.

Regards,
Tom

[herosrest]

It seems that all is required is to weaponize blushing. Gents.... I profer the 'Blush bomb'. Yes........ it's pink. Actually, I think that designation is BLU-5H