Summary: The retirement of the A-10 Warthog, a critical close-air support aircraft, for the costly F-35 and the phasing out of Los Angeles-class submarines amidst an aging fleet and rising geopolitical threats, especially from China, are cited as examples of misguided priorities. These actions undermine immediate combat readiness and strategic deterrence, particularly concerning Taiwan's security. The piece calls for a reassessment of these decisions to maintain current capabilities and deter aggressive actions by adversaries.
America has become a decadent, feckless, declining power run by short-sighted bureaucrats who put the Mandarins that forced China to turn inward by mothballing their magnificent Treasure Fleet in the 14th century, upon the death of the Ming Emperor, to shame.
At a time when the US defense budget is approaching a staggering $1 trillion per year, with diminishing returns in terms of reliable, readily available weapons platforms as well as a massive recruitment crisis, it seems odd that the US military would be retiring any of its major weapon systems now in favor of building up their wünderwaffe (that won’t be ready before 2045, if we’re lucky).
This is especially true since the US military is being challenged by near-peer rivals, such as China, in ways it........