Rumors of War - Kings of the East

Commentary: Here’s how a U.S.-China war could play out | Reuters
Reuters reports: "For all the focus on terrorism, one of the most striking features of the last decade is that the risk of war between the world’s major countries has returned. For the first time since the fall of the Berlin wall, military thinkers in the United States, Europe and Asia are putting serious thought into what such a conflict might look like. For a world with no shortage of nuclear weapons, that’s alarming. [...] The report stresses that while premeditated war between Washington and Beijing 'is very unlikely,' the mishandling of disputes like the multiple territorial confrontations between China and U.S. allies such as Japan and the Philippines are a 'danger' that 'cannot be ignored.'"

Comment: Nice to see this flashpoint getting the attention it deserves.  I've been worried that the American public are not prepared psychologically for a conflict in the Asia. I think there is a certain war-fatigue going on after ten years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, people are tired, and by people I mean the military community, including the families of service-members. The public at large sometimes seems oblivious and yet we know that historically the support of the public is vital in any military engagement. It's a difficult balancing act for any government to prepare the public for a conflict that may seem likely while at the same time, not appearing to hype or promote that conflict. There's a danger that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Still, given the number of alliance commitments the U.S. has in the region and how they all seems to be entangled in one way or another with those contested South China Sea islands or with the Korean War (never resolved), the danger of a near-term conflict in Asia is very high.