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Comment by expressrunning | Hacker News Reader

"China’s Rear Adm. Luo Yuan [said] the key for Chinese domination in those hotly contested waters could lie in the sinking of two U.S. aircraft carriers. 'What the United States fears the most is taking casualties,' the admiral said, before adding that such an attack on two of the U.S. Navy’s steel behemoths would claim upwards of 10,000 lives."

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/01/04/well-see...

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I do think this is hyperbole.

Sinking a US aircraft carrier would be a direct attack on the sovereignty of the United States.

It would e like sinking Rhode Island(slightly bigger).

Retribution would be overwhelming.

Retribution with what? If the carriers are taken out the US has no way to project any kind of meaningful force in that region.

Any scenario (unlikely as it may be) that involves china successfully destroying 2 US carriers would also involve their confidence in being able to destroy the rest in their coastal region.

If there is clear attribution for the sinking of a US carrier the offenders would get glassed with a Trident D5.

Mutually assured destruction.

The initial attack likely never takes place.

If there is clear attribution for the nuking of a country, the offenders will be glassed by multiple warheads. Nukes aren't ever a sane response to escalating traditional tensions.

We have 10 carriers and air bases all over the world...

That's untrue, plenty of bases in the area, and plenty of airdrop capabilities.

ICBMs

Yeah nukes would fly I imagine.

I'm not sure countries would nuke each other to death over that.

It's hard to imagine whatever war that started ending without nukes.

> "What the United States fears the most is taking casualties"

That's also a good way to piss off rank and file Americans who normally don't give a damn.

Want the US to go cold turkey off of Chinese imports? That's how you do it.

Agreed. History certain supports your statement.

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