First time listening live. This is cool

Andy Milburn and Co should make a modern geopolitical, military focused grand strategy game!

As a wise man once said "everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face"

Possible follow-up episode with Col (ret.) Cancian and potentially Pottinger (ex WSJ) or Gen (ret) Spalding to discuss China big picture, unconventional approach, and the multi dimensionality of threats to allied island chains, Japan, Korea, Philippines, 5i regional allies Australia & New Zealand, and direct threats to both Hawaii and Alaska.

Great episode. I'd be interested in that synth-pop electro gothic wave compilation on D's playlist shown at the beginning. I like the cut of your jib.

Great job eyes on is starting to be as good yet very different than the normal show

There is a big difference between China and Russia in terms of mass casualties and that is the one child policy. 50000 casualties is 50000 only sons that those parents have poured everything they have into. That has to have a ripple effect through their society. China already has a rapidly aging population, can they really afford to lose a significant percentage of a whole generation?

good show! more content like this!

It's important to think even broader than this war game goes into. I read the entire report on it and while it does get into quite a bit of detail, one thing it neglects is the simple geopolitical and economic ramifications each side would need to endure to achieve what they can call a victory. As Russia has shown, aggressive war can easily shoot yourself in the foot economically and geopolitically. With China being so much more dependent on international trade and cooperation, the idea that they could survive being cut off from that while they already have so many economic, social, and demographic problems, is a bit of a stretch. The only scenario in which they could possibly hope to come out on top at all is if they were able to take Taiwan in a matter of weeks with no intervention from anyone else either politically or economically and everyone continues on afterwards as if nothing had happened. I don't think that's within the realm of possibility if recent events are any guide. From there, you can easily see how any level of intervention by the US or others would turn things south for China very quickly. Namely, a simple embargo would collapse their economy. A blockade would cause mass famine. And the moment China launches its assault, it's going to start losing amphibious ships that it can't easily replace, making every subsequent wave less and less capable while being more and more vulnerable. This doesn't require very much capability on the defender's side, too. So I just don't see China going for it if they are at all serious about remaining a communist country. I think they will keep kicking the can down the road because that's the only way they will maintain control over their population. A communist country requires something about which they may continue the "revolution" indefinitely. Having this thorn in their side gives them that excuse to keep saying the work of the CCP is not yet complete.

Love this podcast!

Invading Taiwan for the PLA will be like doing D-Day, Stalingrad and the Italian campaign in World War Two. It will need lots of infantry and the PLA are crap. It is well documented that they abandoned their posts in the face of Third World opponents in Juba in 2016. The other big issue is that the moment they invade Taiwan there would be a blockade of China. Without oil and food imports Chinese civilization would collapse. Suggest reading Peter Zeihan on this topic.

This really felt like a WW2 war game you see guys play in their basement once they get to old for the video games / miniature war games... but on a more serious note, I always have such a hard time grasping what the modern wargames can bring beyond some basic ideas of what could happen. We see it Ukraine in real time how much you think you know and yet how endlessly complicated it is and how quickly things on the ground can adapt - simplifying that to something we can put into 'rules' removes it so far from what really happens. War games seem to be good mental exercises and thought experiments, but I would have such a hard time gaining confidence from anything that is kept on such a very abstract level. Anything without tons of humans being involved seems too 'idealistic' lacking the chaos we bring into the mix.

I like how these guys get together on zoom to trash a hundred million dollar US policy think-tank.

Thanks for making me smarter, as usual, gents!

What about transforming old oil rigs into mobile defense/ depot platforms with VLS cells in west Philippines sea.

Invading is one thing.....occupying and pacifying a population that doesn't want the invaders there is another. History has shown that time and again

I can’t get past Taiwan will look like Italy

This reminds me of a video I saw a few years ago which plays out a conflict between the US and China over the Spratly Islands using a software simulation: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qOCnaZuI2Z2bkXU.html I'd be curious to see what you guys think of it

Well we all know by now that they’re not gonna listen to or take biden seriously. 🤦‍♂️ All he will do is say “NO” lol.

Get some.

It seems that infiltrators in Taipei would be a thing

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I think its a stretch to call new Zealand and Australia a democracy

Awful analogy...

Just saying I left your channel once you brought Andy on. He doesn't understand Israel and insists to speak with authority. Bye guys. You should be more like Shawn Ryan.