The West doesn't need to fear state actors

Financial Times headline this morning:

US unveils national defence strategy to counter China in Indo-Pacific

Why does the US need to counter China in Asia or do anything in Asia? 

The US got involved in Asia to counter the threat of godless communism after the war, when the US and UK left half of Europe under communist rule.

US intervention in Asia saved South Korea but led to Laos and Vietnam becoming communist as well as Vietnam. On balance a failure, as most US foreign and defence policy has been since FDR.


There is no threat from any country to Canada. 'Canada is the colony that stayed at home to look after mother' (Anthony Burgess) and that's why she went to war in 1939 and why historically she is in Nato. Far from freeloading on US defence expenditure Canada could cut her defence expenditure. Her only enemy is the US but she cannot hope to protect herself from US attack and fortunately the US Congress would bestir itself to prevent that.


Why does Europe need to spend more to defend itself from a Russia that for four years has failed to take Donetsk? 

One answer is that it was the Americans who prevented Russia from taking Donetsk and Kiev, but it is silly to think that Russia has any reason to attack other countries except conceivably but improbably Moldova.

Do Nato countries have  vital interests in Ukraine or Moldova and such vital interests that they need to increase defence spending?


Why doesn't Europe make a deal with Russia instead, create a new security architecture for Europe that includes Russia and use Russia and China to counterbalance dependence on the USA?


The answer to that question might be: the USA is vindictive, lawless and makes a very bad enemy.