China Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Japan is very similar to the US in 1935. Churchill's quote iirc "a sleeping giant" I thought that was Hirohito. When I looked it up I found numerous references to Admiral Yamamoto saying "I fear we have awoken a sleeping giant" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But further research indicates that that quote comes from the 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Do you have a source for Churchill as the origin of that remark? The one thing I found was: It may actually be Napoleon Bonaparte who deserves credit for this term. Legend has it he pointed to China on a map of the world and growled: "There is a sleeping giant. Let him sleep! If he wakes, he will shake the world." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinInsite Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Maybe we can drop a few more bombs on their embassy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 A flash war with North Korea starting it and China joining in might not give them a few weeks. China will not follow the lead of North Korea on anything, least of all an open war. China has been thoroughly sick of Kim Jong Il for about 20 years. The only reason they put up with him at all is because they fear a wave of millions of starving North Korean refugees coming across the Chinese border if the NK regime collapses. China wants to get rich, not destroy the markets to whom it sells all of its stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Also, if there is instability in East Asia and China sees an opportunity to act, they're not going to try to invade Japan. They're going to make the much shorter trip across the Taiwan Strait and try to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I thought that was Hirohito. When I looked it up I found numerous references to Admiral Yamamoto saying "I fear we have awoken a sleeping giant" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But further research indicates that that quote comes from the 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora!Do you have a source for Churchill as the origin of that remark? The one thing I found was: you might very well be right China- I'm going from memory alone. Anyways, someone of some importance said it damit, and I found it relevant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Anyways, someone of some importance said it damit, and I found it relevant Although, it would be ironic if you (and I) thought that quote was referring to the US, and it was really referring to China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Although, it would be ironic if you (and I) thought that quote was referring to the US, and it was really referring to China. yah maybe. But there's enough here I think for purposes of a message board http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoroku_Yamamoto's_sleeping_giant_quote though to China's point, it's not proven. Maybe it was Churchill who said "fury of an aroused democracy". Or maybe that was FDR. ****! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chump Bailey Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 China will not follow the lead of North Korea on anything, least of all an open war. I understand your point Predicto, but, IMO, we constantly presume to know much more than we actually do and that is becoming a very dangerous precedent. We've consistently underestimated the Chinese over the years - their true capabilities, intentions, defense budget on and on... We make far too many assumptions about them to our detriment and we cannot continue to take on blind faith that their intent is mere deterrent/posturing. Many DoD Analysts will tell you they are indeed very much worried about China. They have a very active and sophisticated espionage network. They are constantly hacking into sensitive networks. The threat from them is real IMO and we need to start paying attention. This is something I've keenly followed over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I understand your point Predicto, but, IMO, we constantly presume to know much more than we actually do and that is becoming a very dangerous precedent. We've consistently underestimated the Chinese over the years - their true capabilities, intentions, defense budget on and on... We make far too many assumptions about them to our detriment and we cannot continue to take on blind faith that their intent is mere deterrent/posturing. Many DoD Analysts will tell you they are indeed very much worried about China. They have a very active and sophisticated espionage network. They are constantly hacking into sensitive networks. The threat from them is real IMO and we need to start paying attention. This is something I've keenly followed over the years. IMO, if the US isn't the #1 power in the world, 10-20 years from now, it will be because China is. (Although, if Iran succeeds in getting the middle east to unify (behind Iran's lead) . . . ) And one of the tools China will use to achieve that dominance will be the incredible debt we've run up with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 IMO, if the US isn't the #1 power in the world, 10-20 years from now, it will be because China is. (Although, if Iran succeeds in getting the middle east to unify (behind Iran's lead) . . . ) And one of the tools China will use to achieve that dominance will be the incredible debt we've run up with them. I was just going to chime in that China won't sink our vessels from the simple math that they're our primary lienholder. The U.S. still is light years ahead of the rest of the world from a military standpoint but it will be interesting to see how the next 30-40 years plays out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurseReversed Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Atleast 20 years before they catch up with us in most of the major facets of warfare. Although it is true from a viewpoint of espionage and cyberwarfare they are already at war with us, and extremely capable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 China's response: Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a news conference Tuesday that the United States had misrepresented the situation and that the U.S. ship had been in a "Chinese exclusive economic zone" without the Chinese government's permission."The U.S. claim is totally inaccurate and confuses right and wrong and is unacceptable to China," Ma said. China maintains that the Impeccable's presence violates international law and has demanded that the United States refrain from carrying out similar missions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031000200.html?hpid=topnews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibbsFactor Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Shoot, China could even kidnap some Brits and nothing would be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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