The US no longer has an independent and self sufficient manufacturing base and is rapidly losing control of its food supply. In a conventional war with China we would lose access to the Asian factories that produce our clothing, our electronics and our consumer goods. Rebuilding the manufacturing self sufficiency that existed at the beginning of WWII would take years and we would likely not have time.
If China could take out our carriers with missiles or subs, we would be unable to project our military power. Remember it was only a few years ago that a Chinese submarine surfaced undetected in the middle of a US carrier task force.
Obama has stated an intent to reduce the US nuclear arsenal to 300 weapons and ultimately to eliminate it. Given his behavior as CINC, with a compliant Joint Chiefs of Staff it may be he has already secretly unilaterally terminated our nuclear arsenal. http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/obama-weighs-big-cuts-in-nuclear-weapons-stockpile/article_a3f9b7f5-f92c-5adc-b813-53d71228356a.html
The nation is extremely vulnerable to an EMP first strike. We have limited visibility from satellites launched into polar orbit and approaching from the south. Russia and/or China could easily arrange for North Korea to launch an EMP attack against the US from a satellite approaching from the south. If there was any retaliation from our submarine fleet it would be directed against North Korea and not the Chinese or Russian mainland. All our enemies have to do is wait a year for 2/3 to 3/4 of the US population to die when the electrical grid goes down and the food supply chain terminates. At that point China can unload millions of colonists on the west coast while commandeering our natural resources. Game over. http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/04/13/358400/n-korea-can-attack-us-with-nuclear-emp/
The US no longer has an independent and self sufficient manufacturing base and is rapidly losing control of its food supply.
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agree about the manufacturing. However, currently 50% of american manfacturers in China are making plans to reshore their operations in the USA. Further the USA is about to inaugurate a major league manufacturing revolution with the coming of 3d printing and advanced robotics. We’re in the early 1980’s microsoft/apple days on that.
I don’t know where you get the part about losing control of food supply. The midwest is going gang buster busters not just because of oil but also because of high grain prices robust crops and large grain exports.