Okay, so the latest "shocking" news is that China's been practicing using its civilian ships for military landings on Taiwan. Reuters did some satellite snooping and found them running drills, unloading vehicles right onto the beach. I mean, are we really surprised?
The "Surprise" No One Asked For
Seriously, give me a break. It's not like China's exactly been subtle about its intentions toward Taiwan. And it's not like they're exactly known for playing by the rules. They've got the world's biggest navy, a shipbuilding industry that dwarfs everyone else's, and a leader who's made it clear that taking Taiwan is a "paramount goal." So, them using civilian ships to bulk up their invasion force... offcourse, it makes perfect sense. This is further detailed in Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion.
This isn't some James Bond-level of espionage. This is just common sense.
Thomas Shugart, some former submarine dude, called it a "very significant development." No, dude, what's significant is that it took this long for people to notice. It's a "huge increase in their first wave capacity," he says. Well, duh. They're not gonna waltz onto the beaches of Taiwan with a handful of destroyers, are they?
And let's be real, the PLA has the legal authority to just commandeer these civilian ships anyway. So, it's not even like they're hiding anything. It's all right there in plain sight.
Cognitive Warfare or Just Plain Obvious?
Some Taiwan defense official – who, of course, wants to stay anonymous because that's how these things always go – is calling it "cognitive warfare." Says the "psychological impact" is a bigger threat than the actual maneuvers. Maybe. Or maybe it's just that they're trying to scare Taiwan into submission without firing a shot. Which, let's face it, would be the smartest move for china news. Why waste the resources on a bloody invasion when you can just bully them into giving up?
Then again, maybe I'm giving them too much credit. Maybe they're just flexing their muscles to show the world – and especially the US – that they're not messing around.
Oh, and speaking of the US, what's our plan here? "Strategic ambiguity"? Biden kinda sorta saying we'd defend Taiwan? Trump saying Xi won't attack while he's in office? What kind of message is that sending?
It's like we're playing a game of chicken with a country that has absolutely nothing to lose.
The Inevitable Tech Tangent (Because Why Not?)
You know what this reminds me of? The "right to repair" debate. All these tech companies – Apple, John Deere, you name it – locking down their products so you can't fix them yourself. They want you to keep buying new stuff, keep lining their pockets. And now we got china news basically doing the same thing with their shipbuilding industry.
They're building all these civilian ships, knowing full well they can turn them into military assets whenever they want. It's planned obsolescence on a geopolitical scale.
And what are we doing about it? Complaining about cookies on websites? Give me a break.
So, What's the Point?
Look, I'm not saying the sky is falling, but I am saying we need to wake up and smell the gunpowder. China's not playing games. They're building a shadow navy, they're practicing beach landings, and they're making it clear that they're willing to use force to get what they want. Are we ready for that? Because right now, it doesn't look like it.