do you think its possible to win a conventual war today

[Lloyd Smale]

ever since korea the US has failed even against almost third world countries as has russia. what chance short of all out nuclear war would Russia or China stand a chance against another superpower like us or vice versa our chance of defeating  them. i think Ukraine has bore that fact out. then lets look in the mirror and see how we couldnt even beat Afghanistan, Viet Nam or Korea. then add russia, china korea and many more countries can force a draft on there people. i dont think thats even possble here anymore. do you really think they will be able to force blacks or even women to fight?? even the white kids of liberals will resist and what (censored word) good would they be when shtf anyway. russia who has much more control over there people are running into this problem already so i would have to doubt a war with us would be cheered by the masses there. china is reportedly going to send arm to russia but there not so stupid to get carried away with it because russia doesnt have a good trak record against china either. reality is china needs us for trade more then they need china. what a flipping mess and it was all brought to us from a president that has made us week and a joke in world politics. i doubt we will ever see red dawn but china has already won. most of the world now considers them the most powerful superpower anb there getting new allies and people are starting to walk away from us because they no longer trust we can protect them and are probably tiring of a president that even lies to his own people more then he tells the truth     

[GTS225]

My opinion?  It's because we didn't fight it like a war.  Our "leadership" is too busy worrying about our global image, and whether we'll be chastised by the rest of the world, that they don't allow the theater commanders to really pull out the stops.

If we would actually cut loose, like we did in WW2, then we could probably visit the hand of God somewhere.

WITHOUT using Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical weapons.

Just my opine.....Roger

[JBinMN]

I think that the MIC( Mil. Ind. Complex) is more interested in sustaining the fighting than "winning". They don't care about winning or losing as long as they are making $$$. That includes Politicians.
 BTW.  Most politicians have $$ invested in companies & in particular MIC companies. IMO, they do anyway, maybe not personally, but someone in their family does, if nothing else, for "deniability purposes" for the politicians to cover their butt.

And I would think that most here also remember "Fortunate Son" , by CCR singing about " I ain't no Senators son", meaning that those "privileged few" who can find a way to get deferred from a draft or if they do join up, are put into places most of the time where the likelihood of getting harmed is small.

Yep, it is about the $$$ they can make... like most things they are involved with.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Have a listen, if ya haven't heard it, or even if ya have. Brings back some memories for me.

[scattershot]

Since we haven’t won a war since 1945, and giben the state of oir current “leadership”, I’d say the short answer is no.

[Lloyd Smale]

My opinion?  It's because we didn't fight it like a war.  Our "leadership" is too busy worrying about our global image, and whether we'll be chastised by the rest of the world, that they don't allow the theater commanders to really pull out the stops.

If we would actually cut loose, like we did in WW2, then we could probably visit the hand of God somewhere.

WITHOUT using Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical weapons.

Just my opine.....Roger

russia and china know biden would never use nukes or chemicals. half this country would let him pollute like that and the simple fact is they promote the same commy beliefs those countrys do. add to that whos going to fight it? certianly they wont allowed to draft blacks. then when they only draft white middle class american 18 year olds good luck because today probably one in a hundred has aset of balls and can live without mommy or isnt a druggy. so unless this war can be fought stoned (on pot we allowed them to legalize) on there cell phones in-between texts and social media we dont even have an army. theres a couple world leaders meeting in russia today that biggest challenge is to keep from laughing or breaking out and dancing on the stage

[nw_hunter]

Depends on who's fighting.
Here's an example of some you wouldn't want fighting it.
https://www.salon.com/2023/03/20/he-has-a-battle-rifle-police-feared-uvalde-gunmans-ar-15_partner/

[oldandslow]

Not by us as is clearly evident by what has occurred since WWII. We clearly aren't capable of doing what has to be done to win. We fiddle and diddle trying to win hearts and minds and not offend anyone while doing so and it winds up with us cutting and running. It was mad scramble out of Vietmam and an even worse one from Afganistian. No guts to fight one and win anymore is the way I see it.

[gypsyman]

Eisenhower warned us about the military complex when he was leaving office. He was right. When I turned 18, 1973, my brother was finishing up 4 years in the Navy, and 13 month's in Vietnam. Thought about joining, my dad, USMC with Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and couple other Pacific spots on his DD-214, advised against it. His words, if we'd have kept the politicians out of it, we should have won that war 5 years earlier. As stated, with China having so much interest in this country, don't see them starting a conventional war. They'd be blowing up much of their stuff, or have major ownership in it. I'm more afraid of a small country, possible in the ME that would/could hack the banking grid. Shut down the banking computers for a week or 2, this country would be in chaos!

[DDZ]

I think that the MIC( Mil. Ind. Complex) is more interested in sustaining the fighting than "winning". They don't care about winning or losing as long as they are making $$$. That includes Politicians.
 BTW.  Most politicians have $$ invested in companies & in particular MIC companies. IMO, they do anyway, maybe not personally, but someone in their family does, if nothing else, for "deniability purposes" for the politicians to cover their butt.

Yep I agree, and its why today's politicians are always seeking war.

[Dee]

If you look at people like Dick Cheney in depth, you'll find that most of his money came from MIC, and the energy companies.

[Goldie]

How many remember the fiasco the bushe's got us into with the fake weapons of mass destruction lies? What a disaster that was. Many a good soldier suffered and are still suffering over that quagmire.

[Dee]

My youngest son got 2 trips to Iraq under that pos Bush. I remember it very well.

[DDZ]

We still have just as many war mongers in congress as we did during the Bush years. Maybe more now.

[Goldie]

I don't think many are disputing that fact.                                                                                                                                                                               

We still have just as many war mongers in congress as we did during the Bush years. Maybe more now.

[scattershot]

Until the military top brass gets back to the mindset that they exist to break things and kill people, I don’t see it happening.

[ironglow]

  A regional war could be won in a conventional way, with conventional arms...since it is a far leap from conventional
  warfare to a war using weapons of mass destruction.

  However, the desire to win must be a motivating factor. Sadly, such seems to be aimed at a draw..while expending treasure and other people's young lives.

[TrumpWon]

We conquered Iraq in about 40 days. That we didn’t have a good plan for the follow up shouldn’t cloud the effectiveness of our armed forces in how they steamrolled the opposition at the outset.
We still have that capability.
Joe’s new whopping $886B defense budget request should keep it that way.

[ironglow]

We conquered Iraq in about 40 days. That we didn’t have a good plan for the follow up shouldn’t cloud the effectiveness of our armed forces in how they steamrolled the opposition at the outset.
We still have that capability.
Joe’s new whopping $886B defense budget request should keep it that way.

   That "whopping big defense budget" is actually a reduction, when taking intoi account, the 40 year record high inflation.... Only beaten by Jimmy Carter's inflation.
   ..And that was called "Stagflation" *, When interest rates were as high as 21% , and purchasing power of the savings dollar, was eaten up at the same rate.
 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MW50qdLmKI

   *"Stagflation"= stagnant economy along with high inflation..

[ironglow]

We conquered Iraq in about 40 days. That we didn’t have a good plan for the follow up shouldn’t cloud the effectiveness of our armed forces in how they steamrolled the opposition at the outset.
We still have that capability.
Joe’s new whopping $886B defense budget request should keep it that way.

  Biden's new defense budget:

   Last year the defense budget was $782 billion..this year $29 billion more, an increase of 3.9%...not keeping with the inflation rate, which is a minimum of 8% to 9%..  So our military suffers, along with the rest of us!

   Here's the facts;

  https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2022-04/news/biden-approves-29-billion-increase-defense-budget

   The military has lost budget power (like the rest of us) since he sneaked into office. From the article;

  "The national defense total in the 2022 omnibus spending bill is $782 billion, a 3.9 percent increase over the administration’s request for 2022 and a 5.6 percent increase over the 2021 appropriations"

[gene_225]

Not under current leadership.

[TrumpWon]

I was talking about this year.

https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Defense%20FY23%20Summary.pdf

[Ranger99]

Too many people in America have
had it too good for too long and
haven't had to genuinely do without
like my parents and older generations
did.  They want military and police
to stop crime and aggression from
pinhead criminal types, but don't
want any heads busted or enemy
killed.  Our protectors can do the
job if allowed to.
In the 21st century,  there's too
many that enable and make excuses
and that allows crime and aggression
to go on and on and on and on.

I'm always reminded of this man
over here that tried to have a few
chickens for eggs and such.
He had varmints killing his hens
one and two every so often, and
set out a live trap. He wouldn't
kill the varmints ( mainly possums
and a skunk or two and 1 coon)
but didn't want his chickens molested
either. The chickens eventually
went away by attrition.
You have to deal with problems like
that in a way that you don't ever have
to deal with that particular aspect of
the problem again. Another problem
will surely come along, but the one
you dealt with in a positive way won't
be haunting you again

[Mule 11]

Too many people in America have
had it too good for too long and
haven't had to genuinely do without
like my parents and older generations
did.  They want military and police
to stop crime and aggression from
pinhead criminal types, but don't
want any heads busted or enemy
killed.  Our protectors can do the
job if allowed to.
In the 21st century,  there's too
many that enable and make excuses
and that allows crime and aggression
to go on and on and on and on.

I'm always reminded of this man
over here that tried to have a few
chickens for eggs and such.
He had varmints killing his hens
one and two every so often, and
set out a live trap. He wouldn't
kill the varmints ( mainly possums
and a skunk or two and 1 coon)
but didn't want his chickens molested
either. The chickens eventually
went away by attrition.
You have to deal with problems like
that in a way that you don't ever have
to deal with that particular aspect of
the problem again. Another problem
will surely come along, but the one
you dealt with in a positive way won't
be haunting you again

I have a 5 mile rule as the crow flies when relocating. I have a 20 yard cb long rule for the remainders... x marks the spot.