Oh, and by the way, the islands are near suspected undersea oil and gas reserves. Sound familiar?

Back in the 30s and early 40s, a two countries needed natural resources not native within their own borders.

One headed for SE Asia to control rubber and oil, the other to the Ukraine for oil…

And the rest is history.

Echos of the past: A desire for expansion, and a military capability built to achieve it, backed by the will of those nations (as defined by the ‘leadership’ and sold to the ‘citizens’).

Tell me why again why it’s just OK for the Chinese to be building a Navy with amphibious assault ships, fleet oilers and logistics ships, nuclear submarines, attack and ballistic missile equipped, at a rate faster than we built headed for the 600 ship Navy during the Cold War? Oh: You say to protect their coast line? Right, keep believing that, like our DoS is thinking. Pardon me, I have to tune into the X Factor and then tell my kids to never, ever consider entering the US Military, but to make more YouTube video of senseless acts of talent to try to get that $mulimillion contract instead.

Oh, yeah…like other countries/nations/empires in much of history: In order to secure, not via agreed to commercial contracts, but by force of arms, that which they need to fuel what ever internal need…and/or to ensure the “competition” (in this context, “enemy”) doesn’t have access to it.

Just sayin’.