tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post8505052878918851513..comments2024-03-29T11:29:58.276+09:00Comments on BigHominid's Hairy Chasms: Ave, Joshua!Kevin Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-79512339475269578902014-09-14T12:06:54.345+09:002014-09-14T12:06:54.345+09:00John,
You may have a point regarding the Pax Ame...John, <br /><br />You may have a point regarding the Pax Americana, but I think Iraq is a very different animal from Korea, which kind of strains the analogy. American troops aren't being picked off by snipers and IEDs in Korea, and the people of this region generally aren't given to the level of barbarism seen in the Middle East. <br /><br />Would a postwar power vacuum in East Asia lead to the sort of chaos we see in the Middle East? It's an interesting question to ponder. Probably yes, but if the decade after World War 2 is any indication, such a vacuum wouldn't automatically be filled by terrorists and other unprincipled parties. East Asians have a rage for social order not found in the Middle East; any vacuum would likely be filled by a powerful, charismatic leader, and society would organize itself accordingly. Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-59431160807415923722014-09-14T07:29:10.121+09:002014-09-14T07:29:10.121+09:00Oddly enough, the situation in Iraq deteriorated o...Oddly enough, the situation in Iraq deteriorated once we pulled our ground forces out. And the buildup for the first Iraq war took far longer than 24 hours. The logistics involve much more the ferrying troops, much of that still relies on ships.<br /><br />I don't disagree that the ROKs could do much more in their own self-defense. But I see our troops stationed here as more of a regional deterrent. With China becoming increasingly more aggressive, our retreat from Korea would send exactly the wrong message. I'm quite certain the Philippines would appreciate having the U.S. Navy at Subic to deter some of China's saber rattling. Johnhttp://www.mccrarey.comnoreply@blogger.com