Comments by "Doncarlo" (@doujinflip) on "China just increased its defense budget. When might it overtake the US defense spending?" video.

  1. The aircraft carriers were a pipe dream anyway, the PLA strategy was always geared more towards land-based artillery (these days meaning long-range guided missiles)
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  2. The PRC is still being imperialist, just with money instead of weapons since their targets are too well armed, populated, and monitored for a military invasion to work. As their BRI customers wise up to their debt trap strategy and the projects stall, the Party is realizing that money doesn't buy love, and in lacking modern cultural attractiveness have to resort to more coercive practices to expand their influence.
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  3. If the US is smart it would direct spending to make the current forces more durable and efficient on the same budget instead. America still has the edge in experience and diversity of resources, so its coalition just has to remain like 5x more mission effective than the PLA (which hasn't fought a pitched battle since the Gulf War, as it showed they would get creamed in combat) for the fight to balance out.
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  4. America would have to repair its alliances first, having been damaged by an orange dictatorship-seeking manchild. Russia, China, Iran, and other authoritarian regimes would love to see Trump reelected and keep democracy distracted so they can solidify the ground they gained.
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