I sometimes have Col. Douglas Macgregor on, mostly for Ukraine analysis. He used to be a tank commander, then higher up in Iraq war. He wrote 5 books on military stuff. He knows a lot about history and geography. He must have read a lot. He lived in Germany as an exchange student and later in NATO/army.
He often says that US is a naval and maritime power but is not a major land army power. He is extremely dismissive of NATO competence, going country by country. He is very negative when asked about US involvement in Ukraine. He said the US could do well in such a war, as long as it only lasted one week when we run out of ammo.
He always analyzes things as though each country acts in its own interests or should. Germany is committing suicide so ...
https://www.youtube.com/@DouglasMacgregorStraightCalls
Well, part of this is obvious...any coalition is only as good as the members in it, from political leadership to military leadership, military training & equipment etc etc...this is not WWII...Ike is not in charge...the coalition doesn't even have the cohesion of the cold war era...
The other parts...
Yes, the US is naval and air power, we've never had huge land armies like the Chinese, even the Russians are down-scaled drastically from WWII levels and even from cold war levels...the US focus had always been on training so fewer can do more...
As for Ukraine I cannot dismiss the belief that his opposition to facing off against China in the Pacific is not coloring some of his opinions on Ukraine...I think he thinks he needs to link the two continuously to justify his opinions and I wonder if he knows what he is doing and if he is OK with people thinking him foolishly ignorant of the Communist Chinese threat...
I think Macgregor believes the US is at a huge disadvantage re China or soon will be.
I fear US carriers at the bottom of the ocean. Macgregor has tank experience. Scott Ritter has lower level Marine Corps artillery and "maneuver warfare" experience. Both say NATO has very little such experience. Ritter talked of "passage of lines" or some such that has to be practiced. He said US Marines were the best at such but even then they turned such maneuvers into traffic jams on occasion. He said NATO has no such training or ability.
Some said even the roads and bridges in EU could not handle NATO involvement.
Decades ago I read that the German and other countries had incompetent militaries that had turned into social welfare full employment organizations. I thought of fat cops in a donut shop. Years ago, maybe under Ursula, there was some drills involving armor. The armor had gun barrels sticking out but they were not available so they painted dowels black. This is where the "broomsticks for rifles" story came from, I think. In recent years an audit showed a shocking percent of equipment did not work in Germany.
Years ago I read my only book on tactics, The Art of War in the Western World." From Greek hoplites to the IDF. Until then I had no idea there were tactics. I think people like Macgregor look at warfare in a different way, as what works or is likely to work and how he would plan it.
I have such varied and mixed views on China. Officers buy their positions? I hear that Chinese do not put warriors in a position of honor as they do not trust them. Countries on their borders are wary of them. IMO they are a nation of merchants, traders, and hustlers who want to make money. They fear US subs blocking sea routes, hence belt and road.
