Crackup,

The US does not have to go to the international court to decide that the Spratly islands are not the territorial property of China for two reasons:

1 The Spratlys were not islands before China reclaimed them, the international law on this is crystal clear. This area is essentially international waters. Otherwise every oil rig would give the owners territorial rights.
2 The "islands" are far closer to the Philippines or Vietnam than China, and they would have prior claim to the economic rights in the area.

Secondly, as roughly 40% of world trade goes through these waters, China illegally enforcing territorial rights threatens the entire Pacific rim.

The ignoring of China's claim by the US navy makes it impossible for China to enforce its claims on others.

Shadow, do you agree Margaret 'Bloody' Thatcher was a war criminal for invading the Falkland Islands, resulting in the slaughter of some 900 people.
I just love your legal opinions, you express them as if they came from the learned judge himself.

Paul,

I admire your courage, most people would be ashamed of posting such moronic drivel, but you barrel ahead, not letting your complete ignorance of a subject deter you from expressing your opinion.

As for my "learned opinions", you too can crawl out of your pit of ignorance with a little help from my friend Google, and if you don't know how, any 5yr old could help you.

Topics you can start with are:
1 Geneva convention and the definition of a war crime
2 Falklands war. wrt who invaded who.
3 If you feel up to big words, you can try some articles on maritime and refugee law of which you appear to be a complete stranger.

Our pandering to US foreign policy and UN agendas sicken me.
I wish we could be truly independent, since we have the best block of land on the planet to be an independent country.

I agree with the author that we are in very dangerous times.
ttbn seems fairly adamant that there will not be another World War, but I myself would not be willing to bet on that.
With the US with its back to the wall economically I think they are more dangerous right now than ever before.

Some people might think that with Americas ability to print endless money and buy its way out of its problems means that it is invincible but its not really the full story.

The only way the US can retain that 'invincibility' is to work to ensure its currency remains unchallenged.

Given that many nations wish to sell oil in currency other than US and China is soon to start selling its products in their own currency with the Asia Investment Bank I believe the end of the US is inevitable.

Which is one of the reasons for all these wars of conquest.

But the US cannot beat China or Russia in a conventional war.
So if the US wants to stubbornly dig its heels in and not go quietly into the night WE CAN EXPECT THAT A NUCLEAR WAR MAY ALSO BE INEVITABLE.

The US has become like "one of those close friends you had from childhood that has gone done the wrong path with drugs and alcohol and the best you can do for yourself is to no longer have anything to do with them, for your own good".

Margaret Thatcher a war criminal because she sent troops to defend British territory? Steve101 gets loopier with ever post. It would have been criminal of Thatcher not to protect Falklanders from the Argies, who have certain way about them.

Crackup,

You would know all about "Wally World". You are just plain anti-American, even at a time when the poor, Obama-blighted country has been dragged further to the left than the rest of the West. The real threat of "vaporisation" comes from Islam, China - even maniacal North Korea. But you couldn't possibly criticise them could you? They are not white and Christian.

You certainly appear to have cracked up.