RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.
Asia is “West” from historical USA “Westerner” point of view. Asia is “East” from historical USA “Easterner” point of view. Western states Americans think west across the Pacific. Eastern states Americans think east (backwards) through Europe. It is a major cultural difference that has profound effects in policy, including military. Historically, American Élan vital is a west-flowing vector.
MacArthur, who grew up in the US “Wild West” on Army posts in the 80s, thought of Asia as West, as natural kin. Marshall thought of Asia as East and united with politicians and military of the time who were Euro-centric, to the detriment of US and Asia interests.
Same attitude affected prosecution of the war in Viet Nam — east-looking generals/admirals established the policy rather than west-looking generals/admirals.
My sympathies are with the west-looking group, the MacArthur group. I feel seeing Asia from USA as “West” is the better grip on the realities. The vector of USA vital force heads westward, across Atlantic and then across Pacific, always west-trending. USA is a westward-facing nation.
We relate with Asia and Asians most naturally. Our life force drives in that direction.
Update 1: Good point, good article. Emphasizing: vector of USA development is westward, not eastward, away from Old World snits (to include MENA), not towards them.
Geo-strategically, water is wet land. The same strategic rules that apply to land warfare apply to sea warfare. The sea is wet land. The air is thin land.
One implication of that reality is that INDOPACOM is an Army show primarily, not a Navy one. Current deployments of thought and dispositions of assets do not reflect that fact.
Navy is a transport and fires support asset. Marines are an assault asset. Air and Cyber — and Space — are forward fires support assets. Army is the asset tasked and equipped (when well) for land-control primarily and assault when needed.
The US foreign policy establishment anchors in the premise that USA strategic interests lie to the east, across the Atlantic. They do not. They lie to the west, across the Pacific. That abyssal error is the source of confusion and mayhem in the assembly and execution of statecraft by the USA’s bi-partisan leadership kakistocracy, essentially mutineers against USA identity and strategic interests. Until now. Now, someone is shaking their foundations, thankfully.
AMDG
