>Yes, even more now that China is likely to become a 'peer' threat.
Eh... why? In 1950, with the Soviets bankrolling rebel groups and invasions all over the world you could make the argument countries needed alliances to counterbalance the threat. But today... is it really unreasonable to expect wealthy countries like Japan and Korea to see to their own defense?
While I agree at some point China is likely to be just as strong, militarily, as the US, I don't see a compelling US interest in using warships to defend, say, Japan's claim to groups of uninhabited islands in the middle of the South China Sea.
To paraphrase Pournelle, I'm happy to be a friend of freedom everywhere, but a guarantor only of my own.
Eh... why? In 1950, with the Soviets bankrolling rebel groups and invasions all over the world you could make the argument countries needed alliances to counterbalance the threat. But today... is it really unreasonable to expect wealthy countries like Japan and Korea to see to their own defense?
While I agree at some point China is likely to be just as strong, militarily, as the US, I don't see a compelling US interest in using warships to defend, say, Japan's claim to groups of uninhabited islands in the middle of the South China Sea.
To paraphrase Pournelle, I'm happy to be a friend of freedom everywhere, but a guarantor only of my own.