Constitutionally impossible.
Miscellaneous News
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Until the Supreme Court changes the constitution...
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
What can a Reaper drone do? Do they think if an unmanned drone does the job, China can't legally retaliate because an actual American wasn't piloting the aircraft? Is a Reaper drone like how they made a big deal about Vietnam obtaining six Flankers from Russia as if that meant Vietnam would have air superiority over China? Why Reaper drones when the they can just launch a full naval assault. They think one or a swarm of Reaper drones are going to destroy those islands? Oh yeah maybe their plan will work if they think they can tell China they can't shoot them down...
plawolf
Lieutenant General
The use of drones is for them to be shot down.
If the US launched an attack from a naval fleet, said fleet become legitimate and immediate retaliatory targets = massive US loss of life and inevitable escalation to full blown war.
With a drone strike, the Americans attack some unmanned part of the islands to cause a lot of smoke for TV cameras but no loss of life. China immediately shoots down attacking drones in retaliation.
There is scope and draw a line there and then where both sides can claim victory and score enough political points to avoid further retaliatory strikes and uncontrollable escalation.
Trump gets to say he dropped the hammer on China and struck Chinese territory, that no other US president has dared to do since the foundation of the PRC. China will declare an effective no go zone for US military ships and planes within XXXX miles of Chinese sovereign territory, which will now include the SCS islands, with a shoot on sight policy for US military forces spotted in that no-go zone.
Trump gets re-elected and China pushes US military power out of its front yard.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
If they're that stupid, I hope they do it. Like a Reaper is something scary for China? Why not send a real message and send in an F-35?
plawolf
Lieutenant General
F35 goes shot down = dead or captured pilot, making it harder to call or quits.
Reapers are not meant to scare China, they are literally for China to shoot down in retaliation without putting US lives on the line.
Basically it’s a suicide mission no matter what asset you use, so a drone makes the most sense.
In that case China should send drones over Guam, Hawaii
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
If a US aircraft carrier is in international waters and China wanted to shoot off the bow of a US aircraft carrier because there should be no one in there, then there should be no problem in China doing it? The US said it was self defense when they mistakenly thought an Iranian passenger airliner was a fighter making an attack run on them. The Chinese made island is in international waters as the US claims. If China sees an attack aircraft coming in, China doesn't have the right to self-defense like the US aircraft carrier was in international waters thinking it was being threatened? The Iranian airliner had no aggressive intent. A Reaper would have an aggressive intent...
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Your not wrong, but in the current world order that the US champions, might = right. The Americans get to be trigger happy aggressors, because what are you going to do about it if you don’t like it?
China is the only power that can do something about it if the US pushed them too far, which is why the US has such a huge problem with China’s mere existence.
The simple reason why China will not shoot first is because it’s not China who is looking to stir shit up to distract from domestic woes.
China is the only power that can do something about it if the US pushed them too far, which is why the US has such a huge problem with China’s mere existence.
The simple reason why China will not shoot first is because it’s not China who is looking to stir shit up to distract from domestic woes.
Skywatcher
Captain
That would result in massive unrest on the streets, at the very least.