Gaza sets a terrifying precedent: the radical reinterpretation of the laws of war is bound to have serious consequences on the destructiveness of future conflicts — including a US-China war
When the world's most powerful military begins normalizing mass civilian casualties under the guise of legal reinterpretation, it's not just a regional issue; it's a strategic signal. What’s unfolding in Gaza isn’t an exception. It’s a preview.
The erosion of restraint in warfare reflects a deeper shift: the West is recalibrating for a future where brute force overrides moral calculus and where legitimacy is measured by power, not principle. Any nation that fails to adapt to this reality — or worse, pretends it isn’t happening — will find itself unprepared and irrelevant.
China at its weakest thoroughly defeated–indeed, routed–the US in battle in 1951.
Today, China has 100,000 missiles in inventory and 5 dark factories each designed to produce 1000 missiles a day. Thanks to their advanced propellants (N15B) and explosives (CL-20) Chinese missiles outrange America's by 50%-150% (depending on age) and vastly out-punch them.
America's fleet has, at most, 55 combat-capable warships, while China has 102 that are half the age of the US ships, half the mileage and are vastly better crewed. Ditto their Army and Air Force.
The notion that the US is a superpower is a PR confection. It never was and will, on present trajectory, will never be.
"“From that vantage”, Jones writes, “Gaza not only looks like a dress rehearsal for the kind of combat US soldiers may face. It is a test of the American public’s tolerance for the levels of death and destruction that such kinds of warfare entail”."
Nowhere I see mentioned the idea that the American public tolearnce with high levels of death and destruction inflicted on them is on the cards. The US sky is open because there is little to no AD systems in place.
The aging, over-the-hill champ gets into the ring for a comeback bout against a younger, stronger, faster and highly motivated challenger….. 🤔 I think we can see what happens next. Problem is, what happens after that? Will the US Navy quietly slink back to Hawaii, with its tail between its legs, having left 4 Nimitz flattops on the bottom of the ocean, along with 15,000 dead sailors? Doesn’t seem likely, does it? Similarly, if it tries to pull Israel’s strategic chestnuts out of the Iranian fire, does it call it quits after all its Middle East & gulf bases are destroyed and another 15,000 servicemen are dead? Doesn’t that seem a bit unlikely also? Seems like we are entering a time where the 2nd use of nukes by the USA is becoming a very real prospect…….
The Outlaw US Empire will lose a war launched against China. It no longer has the means to even begin. And if it uses its old nukes, China will destroy the USA--destruction of the homeland is something the US Military NEVER contemplates. And just WHY does the Outlaw US Empire salivate at the thought of going to war against China? Does China pose any threat to the national security of the Empire? No. Then why the fear? The Empire's Neoliberal policies combined with those employed by China to enrich China AND the Empire's elite. What the Neoliberals had no clue about is China's 5,000 year history and the philosophy of life it developed over all those years which happens to becoming reality under a political movement that calls itself Communist.
This comment can go on for many pages, but the above is enough. The declining Outlaw US Empire thinks it's not declining and is as powerful as it was when it attacked itself in 2001. It isn't. It's a paper tiger as are all reactionaries.
The author deserves praise for drawing attention to these developments. Unfortunately his concerns for the respect of international law disappear completely when the attention shifts from what the US might do in the future to what Russia is very much doing at present.
The wild west. The carpet bombing of German Cities in WW2 and more latterly Hanoi. The Mai Lai massacre. A single individual was found guilty serving just three years under house arrest for killing 22 Vietnamese. So many precedents. There is 'form'.
What about the wild east ? Mao's complete nonchalance while millions of his people were dying of hunger during the Great Leap Forward, his unleashing of the murderous Cultural Revolution to buttress his power.
We need to look in the mirror. Since the founding of our country we have been responsible for the most genocide in history. It's still going on in Palestine, Ukraine, Burma, etc. They all have our fingerprints on them: the CIA backed violence. I suspect our visa free privileges will be eliminated in the near future to curtail the CIA's actions.
When the world's most powerful military begins normalizing mass civilian casualties under the guise of legal reinterpretation, it's not just a regional issue; it's a strategic signal. What’s unfolding in Gaza isn’t an exception. It’s a preview.
The erosion of restraint in warfare reflects a deeper shift: the West is recalibrating for a future where brute force overrides moral calculus and where legitimacy is measured by power, not principle. Any nation that fails to adapt to this reality — or worse, pretends it isn’t happening — will find itself unprepared and irrelevant.
Wars should always be avoided whenever possible.
But if, as a last resort, a war has to be fought, it must be fought with victory in mind - not principle or moral calculus.
China at its weakest thoroughly defeated–indeed, routed–the US in battle in 1951.
Today, China has 100,000 missiles in inventory and 5 dark factories each designed to produce 1000 missiles a day. Thanks to their advanced propellants (N15B) and explosives (CL-20) Chinese missiles outrange America's by 50%-150% (depending on age) and vastly out-punch them.
America's fleet has, at most, 55 combat-capable warships, while China has 102 that are half the age of the US ships, half the mileage and are vastly better crewed. Ditto their Army and Air Force.
The notion that the US is a superpower is a PR confection. It never was and will, on present trajectory, will never be.
"“From that vantage”, Jones writes, “Gaza not only looks like a dress rehearsal for the kind of combat US soldiers may face. It is a test of the American public’s tolerance for the levels of death and destruction that such kinds of warfare entail”."
Nowhere I see mentioned the idea that the American public tolearnce with high levels of death and destruction inflicted on them is on the cards. The US sky is open because there is little to no AD systems in place.
It couldn't happen with nicer people I say...
The aging, over-the-hill champ gets into the ring for a comeback bout against a younger, stronger, faster and highly motivated challenger….. 🤔 I think we can see what happens next. Problem is, what happens after that? Will the US Navy quietly slink back to Hawaii, with its tail between its legs, having left 4 Nimitz flattops on the bottom of the ocean, along with 15,000 dead sailors? Doesn’t seem likely, does it? Similarly, if it tries to pull Israel’s strategic chestnuts out of the Iranian fire, does it call it quits after all its Middle East & gulf bases are destroyed and another 15,000 servicemen are dead? Doesn’t that seem a bit unlikely also? Seems like we are entering a time where the 2nd use of nukes by the USA is becoming a very real prospect…….
The Outlaw US Empire will lose a war launched against China. It no longer has the means to even begin. And if it uses its old nukes, China will destroy the USA--destruction of the homeland is something the US Military NEVER contemplates. And just WHY does the Outlaw US Empire salivate at the thought of going to war against China? Does China pose any threat to the national security of the Empire? No. Then why the fear? The Empire's Neoliberal policies combined with those employed by China to enrich China AND the Empire's elite. What the Neoliberals had no clue about is China's 5,000 year history and the philosophy of life it developed over all those years which happens to becoming reality under a political movement that calls itself Communist.
This comment can go on for many pages, but the above is enough. The declining Outlaw US Empire thinks it's not declining and is as powerful as it was when it attacked itself in 2001. It isn't. It's a paper tiger as are all reactionaries.
The author deserves praise for drawing attention to these developments. Unfortunately his concerns for the respect of international law disappear completely when the attention shifts from what the US might do in the future to what Russia is very much doing at present.
There is a word missing from the article: Taiwan.
If a Sino-American War does break out, half the blame will be on Beijing, not Washington DC.
The wild west. The carpet bombing of German Cities in WW2 and more latterly Hanoi. The Mai Lai massacre. A single individual was found guilty serving just three years under house arrest for killing 22 Vietnamese. So many precedents. There is 'form'.
What about the wild east ? Mao's complete nonchalance while millions of his people were dying of hunger during the Great Leap Forward, his unleashing of the murderous Cultural Revolution to buttress his power.
We need to look in the mirror. Since the founding of our country we have been responsible for the most genocide in history. It's still going on in Palestine, Ukraine, Burma, etc. They all have our fingerprints on them: the CIA backed violence. I suspect our visa free privileges will be eliminated in the near future to curtail the CIA's actions.