Let’s begin with a sobering — to the sane among us — reality.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) surpassed the U.S. Navy in fleet size sometime around 2020 and now possesses roughly 340 warships, according to the Pentagon’s 2022 China Military Power Report, released in November. Moreover, China’s fleet is expected to grow to 400 ships by 2025.
Meanwhile, the U.S. fleet consists of fewer than 300 ships, with a Pentagon goal of 350 manned ships by 2045, according to the U.S. Navy’s Navigation Plan 2022, released last summer.
Incidentally, a blue-water navy is a maritime force capable of operating globally, essentially across the deep waters of open oceans. While definitions of what actually constitutes such a force vary, the constant is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at long range. In other words, the more dominant a nation’s blue-water navy, the better chance that nation has of controlling the world’s strategic sea lanes.
So, what is the U.S. Navy under Joe Biden doing about this sobering reality?
As reported by the Washington Examiner, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has said, multiple times, that fighting climate change has been one of his biggest priorities since taking office. During a recent trip to the Bahamas to meet with Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis, the two men talked at length about… wait for it… climate change, and what the United States is doing to fight it. Here’s Del Toro:
As the Secretary of the Navy, I can tell you that I have made climate one of my top priorities since the first day I came into office. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team has been working on climate and energy security for a long time, and we are accelerating and broadening those efforts.
Whew! I was worried for a minute, but I’m so relieved that, like the entire Biden administration, Del Toro has his priorities straight. [sarc]
Anyway, how serious is Del Toro about pretend climate change? More specifically, anthropomorphic climate change? The Navy secretary said he sees climate change as an “all-hands-on-deck situation.” (Pay no attention to the uproarious laughter emanating from Beijing and the Kremlin.)
Here’s more, via the Examiner:
Del Toro’s remarks occurred slightly before the Biden administration released its 2024 proposed military budget, which called for fewer naval ships, despite a growing naval threat from China. The U.S. military has been the strongest military force in the world since the 20th century and still has the strongest navy. However, the Chinese navy is larger in terms of fleet size.
The administration’s proposal recommended shrinking the U.S. Navy by a net loss of two ships, despite military experts arguing the administration should increase the number of ships. The proposal recommended decommissioning 11 ships and constructing nine. The military previously set a goal of having 355 manned ships but currently has fewer than 300.
Del Toro has rejected criticism that focusing on climate change would weaken the U.S. defense system, arguing that it would actually make the Navy stronger because it could lead to new technology that can help the U.S. create a Navy that is cost-saving, energy-efficient, climate-friendly, and still keeps the U.S. dominant on the seas.
Awesome advanced rationalization in that last paragraph, huh?
Look, virtually every action America’s armed forces have taken under Joe Biden and the Twins of Woke, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, has been filtered through the woke lens of the left.
The bottom line, globally — make that the left’s fatal flaw — is the false belief that the U.S. operates in a virtual vacuum in which America will lead the world to the utopia of left-wing dreams, “forgetting” (ignoring the reality) that China and the world’s other bad guys have very different plans.
Au contraire, claims Del Toro:
There is not a trade-off between addressing climate security and our core mission of being the most capable and ready Navy-Marine Corps team. The exact opposite is true. Embracing climate-focused technologies and adopting a climate-informed posture strengthens our capability to stand by our partners and allies.
How to put this, tactfully…
Del Toro’s claim is a complete crock of crap. As I suggested earlier, beginning with “climate change” as a top priority is the stuff of fools. How much more evidence does the Democrat Party need to see that?