They watched for 8 years

a reply to: 1947boomer

I appreciate the further analysis but I will have to disagree with at least some it. I read that first part of your statement as they think China won't attack until then. The fact is there are lots of resources that state that the CCP is in fact "ready" to launch on offensive against ROC. Not will, but have the forces needed to initiate one if they choose.

It's a PDF so do what you will with it...

www.uscc.gov...

Relevant part that was seized on by a few media outlets at the time of it's release...

Chinese leaders likely set 2020 as a key milestone for the Peo-
ple’s Liberation Army (PLA) to develop the capabilities needed
to invade Taiwan. To achieve this goal, for nearly two decades
the PLA has systematically planned, trained, and built the
forces it believes are required to invade the island. The PLA
has already achieved the capabilities needed to conduct an air
and naval blockade, cyberattacks, and missile strikes against
Taiwan. PLA leaders now likely assess they have, or will soon
have, the initial capability needed to conduct a high-risk inva-
sion of Taiwan if ordered to do so by Chinese Communist Party
(CCP) leaders. They will continue enhancing this capability in
the coming years.

...

Given these developments, it has become less certain that U.S.
conventional military forces alone will continue to deter China’s
leaders from initiating an attack on Taiwan. A deterrence fail-
ure is most likely to occur if Chinese leaders believe the United
388
States is not militarily capable of or politically willing to in-
tervene, or if they interpret ambiguities in U.S. policy to mean
that opportunistic Chinese aggression against Taiwan will not
provoke a decisive U.S. response. General Secretary of the CCP
Xi Jinping’s higher tolerance for risk and desire to establish
a lasting legacy could also contribute to a decision by China’s
leadership to attack Taiwan despite U.S. warnings.

That last part is what I was talking about. And the whole point of this thought exercise for me was to just sort out a why question I had eating at me

As well as The Pentagons own assessment of what the CCP has on hand in the general Straight area...

media.defense.gov...

Again a PDF. Appendix 1 has the relevant data I was referring to.

Again, this isn't a when by me but an if this happens, what could be the proverbial tipping point that causes it to happen. And, personally imo, the Chinese wouldn't use nukes nor would the US. It isn't about a nuclear deterrence to this scenario preventing it from happening, again for me, it's about the factors that could cause this to happen.

The last thing we need right now is another hot zone on the globe.

a reply to: St Udio

The united states has long been shielding from emp attacks.

An emp would not knock out of ability to defend and attack.

a reply to: nugget1

I don't think they are I think Putin is a loose trigger and a very dangerous man perhaps a madman.

They tested there Hypersonic missile which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and I fear they may be mass producing them for just this task as weapons of first strike then add the Tsunami Torpedo's which are also a weapon of first strike and it is obvious Russia under Putin has no intention of limiting it's own nuclear capability and is planning for a much bigger war.

All we need is a second nuclear armed mad man somewhere and it's curtains for us barring a miracle from God which will be something we genuinely need to survive that especially with the possibility that the Russians may use Salted warheads.

a reply to: LABTECH767

All we need is a second nuclear armed mad man somewhere and it's curtains for us

Don't forget who's POTUS of the US.

The president, and the president alone, possesses the sole authority to order a nuclear launch, and no one can legally stop him or her. Let's hope he doesn't remember what's in the football, or his aide-de-camp accidently 'misplaces' it if Biden wants it handed to him.