The US Must Make a Strategic Decision

The US cannot be everywhere and must prioritize. However, Russia, China and Iran must all be contained separately. The goal must be to prevent war and if this fails – to win war. Regarding Russia must the goal be to defeat Russia, kick it out of Ukraine and then woo it to integrate into the US-led global alliance system so as to  help defend Russia from the long-term threat from China. Regarding China must the goal be for there to be a global US-led alliance against China that is quantitatively and qualitatively stronger in military, economic and technological terms than China even in the future. Regarding Iran is an American-Israeli neutralization of the Iranian nuclear weapons program completely and utterly inevitably as is a subsequent multi-front war in the Levant. However, Iran can be deterred from attacking major American cities with biological weapons though it requires sustained efforts that are subtle and calibrated. Can an Iranian attempted conquest of the Arab world five or ten years from now be avoided through deterrence? The world is still many years away from weaning itself off from its addiction to oil and it can only happen through American deterrence or joint Arab-Israeli deterrence. An American reengagement with the region would require permanent deployment of hundreds of thousands of US troops in the region. The other alternative is regional integration, including in defense and security. Not making the tough decisions that will enable regional integration will lead to China filling the vacuum and will eventually by default force mass US force deployment in the region.