Shipbucket

Novice...it was Czechoslovakia back then...but, yes, I do remember, and will remind anyone who dares to forget... Thanks for bringing it up!

Unfortunately it is in our human nature to be more easily infatuated by bedazzling, charismatic strongmen (yes, most are men!) rather than having the patience to cope with and endure those less colorful but thoroughly democratic and liberal everyday elected politicians that we say we loath or scorn, but who usually deliver without having to put their opponets behind ironbars and muffle the people's voice...

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Interesting responses. I suppose its likely Kiev might end up as a second small carrier for the PLAN. But that will probably be 5-10 years time and by then India will have two flattops, Japan is likely to be flirting with their helicopter carriers into something bigger too.

I'd be more concerned that America owes billions of dollars to China and that China seems to make most of the world's goods. Those two factors that place it at the heart of the global economy probably means it won't sacrifice its economic links in some wild power projection into the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Phillippines and Thailand are going to be buying more ships to counter China, and indeed have been doing so for the last decade. The same can't be said for the cost-cutting navies of the West (anyone want to buy an unused semi-finished RN carrier in 2016?).

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

I know that the relationships between England and Germany in the early 1900s and the U.S. and Japan in the 1920's and 1930's would be an indication that sometimes nations are willing to trade a bit of profit for a lot of power.

China never really had a lot of 'hard currency' in the past, living off their trade deficit with everyone else. The economic 'pull' that they have incurred by purchasing U.S. debt gives them a powerful new weapon... one I fear they plan to abuse.

A sleeping dragon is awaking- whether it is filled with 'terrible resolve' or 'piss and hot air' remains to be seen.

"piss and hot air" -Brilliant!

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Jabba's Worklist

I think theres a lot of truth in the old saying be careful of what you wish for.Perry's expedition to forcibly open up Japan to trade came back to bite their arse 80 years later.Could the British have made the same mistake with China?