Wouldn't argue that. The General and his experience are invaluable. "Combat ready" was just to ensure preparedness and AVOID a nuclear conflict. Everyone knows that once nukes are deployed, there's no more combat. Not much of a news flash there. Arguments and counter-arguments not withstanding, nuclear deterrence combined with diplomacy has been successful in avoiding nuclear holocaust.
Wouldn't argue that -- 20 years ago. The threat of MAD has been enough to keep any rational government power in check.
Now, however, our greatest enemies are not all that rational (North Korea) or government (ISIS, Al-Qaeda, etc...) A non-government entity such as a terrorist group is going to mingle in with the civilian populace of an otherwise friendly (or at the very least, not overtly hostile) nation, ruling out nukes as an option.
The closest thing we have to a legitimate nuclear target would be North Korea, which has, unfortunately, prepared for such contingencies -- meaning our greatest deterrents are our cooperation with
South Korea (Which Donald ceded to Kim Jong Un in exchange for the Brooklyn Bridge), and Un's own rationality and levelheadedness (Granted, he's
less of a lunatic than his old man was, but that only makes him
more dangerous, not less).
We may have to face the facts that while those nukes were ideal for yesterday's enemies, we need new strategies (and new tools) to face
today's -- let alone tomorrow's.
I seriously doubt that diplomacy alone averted the Cuban missile crisis, or kept the Russians at bay or brought the DPRK to the negotiating table (still early days).
Early days indeed -- Diplomacy led us to the very treaties that Donald is currently tearing up left, right, and center.
Although, I'm not an expert in international diplomacy (I'm a Mechanical Engineer) I admired President Kennedy's resolve with his nuclear deterrence option.
As do I -- But let's not forget why Khrushchev wanted those missiles in Cuba in the first place... a "combat ready" deterrent.
Apparently, Russia is forging ahead with hypersonic (hypersonic means the Mach number > 5. Mach number is the ratio of the missile cruise velocity to local speed of sound) missiles. I feel that the US and allies have some catching up to do (June 8, 2018, Christian Davenport, Washington Post).
Indeed -- but what does that have to do with the treaty Donald pulled us out of?
Modernization may level the playing field. General Mattis is invaluable in this regard, no arguments there.
As SecDef, Mattis is invaluable in another regard -- he's a counterweight for Donald's pathological need to prove his own strength at others' expense.
I, for one, am grateful that Mattis isn't one of Donald's sniveling sycophants... Donald needs the backing of an actual
soldier in order to push the button.
