Pretend you were a foreign power?

Question

How would you go to war and defeat the U.S.?

Answer 1

The US cannot be defeated in the sense of conquest. All foreign powers can do is to gum up American military expeditions.

The only nations with sufficient resources to match up against the US are nuclear powers, so any major conflict with them will either end in mutual destruction or a truce--no real winners.

As far as inflicting damage goes, I'd say this--

IMO, the only nations who are capable of doing anything substantive against the US are oil-rich nations.

How? By turning American thirst for oil against America.

You'd need to convince OPEC to manipulate supply to the point at which the world economy isn't totally wrecked but is spending more and more on oil (maybe about 100-110 dollars per barrel). Use the fresh oil revenues to funnel into secret support of terrorism and/or WMD--nuclear and biological--chemicals don't do much. If you are Iran, try to break a deal with N. Korea to get a hold of fissile material and/or technology while throwing almost every coin you can into nuclear development. If the US threatens to invade, threaten to cut off oil entirely. You'd probably get some support for at least a reduction from Venezuela, too.

If you could ever get the technology, try to sneak a nuclear device through the port of a major American city. These ports are the least defended.

To set up this scenario--provoke the US as much as you can without attacking. Make them almost attempt to invade, then cut off the oil. The ensuing market problems could cripple the American economy, causing popular support to erode, possibly leading to a destabilization of government (I doubt it would collapse, though). This chaos would be ideal for sneaking in "under the radar." If you could get the bomb to Washington, DC, you could decapitate the government.

BAM. The US isn't completely defeated but has been reduced to an economic cesspool without a government.

Of course, if they knew you were responsible, you'd be glowing for the next few hundred years, but those are the stakes.

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As a side note: I believe that port security should be a much higher priority.

Answer 2

You'd need to garner a lot of support, with the US being so large. Having Russia and China or Japan on side would pretty much be a necessity unless you had ALL of Europe. You'd need Canada too, otherwise they'd just go to their aid.

Tactically I think I'd start with an aerial assualt, target government buildings and military bases, weaken their ability to fight back. After a few weeks of that send in the foot soldiers, some from ships at the ports (middle of the night, natch) some on ground through Canada and Mexico. March on congress, carry out a coup, institue a new rebel government.

Woo, I like playing war, maybe I'll go get that board game, what's it called? Risk or something?

Answer 3

That's easy. I'd just buy the factory that makes Cool Ranch Doritos and halt production until I received an unconditional surrender from the U.S. government. It would probably take about two days for that to happen. Also, it might be smart to buy Abercrombie & Fitch and threaten to halt production (of just catalogue). You can bet the nation's youths would launch a children's crusade to overthrow the government for me.

I know these seem like harsh, inhumane tactics, but I think that's what it would take to defeat a super power such as these United States.

Answer 4

Stupidest things to do: killing innocent people, Initiating the fighting without morales in mind. basically, anything that would angre the citizens and government of america is bad.

Do not fight in the air, dont waste money on airforce. Dont waste money on high tech equipment or tanks. And vehicles used will be for the defense of the homeland and for later on.

Internal devistation and collapsing is the way to go. You can't have the U.S. sending troops to the country to attack it. Have the majority of all troops that are going to attack attack from being smuggled in or sneaking in.

This means not waiting for the U.S. to be on the offensive and yourself on the defense, thats a losing war already.

The main force would have to be troops. Elite, close combat trained troops operating on an hourly basis in the infrastructure of America.

Think about this, a maniac with a large enough drive can kill thousands of people in his/her lifetime. An army of specialy trained and equiped troops can do way more than that.

As long as these troops have no restrictions for what they do, other than killing citizens, they can do much damage.

The main goal would be to take out economic buildings and capturing capitols. Im not talking about mom and pop shops. I mean important building.

Mainly taking out military bases though.

Answer 5

This one will take some time and planning. You would have to subject the country to high volumes of immorality and evil material for their pleasure and increase their lust for power and money. (Probably by using media and T.V. to desensitize their minds.) In doing so cause them to infiltrate their own streets with drugs, prostitution, sexual immorality, and all kinds of self gratification devices.Then, you'd convince them that within themselves they have the cure to the evil and hate in the world cutting them off from any chance of ever seeking God and his help. (most likely the best way to accomplish this is by banning prayer and the name of Christ from schools and implementing a government which personally takes credit for all prosperity and never acknowledges God).Then, you'd take their focus off of raising their children through the enforcement of discipline and having respect for authority (because this takes up too much of the parents personal time anyway plus you have to be disciplined to enforce discipline.) Thus insuring that their future generation would be immoral, rebellious and dissociated from reality and continuously seeking self-gratification to the point of excluding others and without remedy -God. Take these battle plans and add time and influence from other evil people and you would then cause the country to defeat itself without ever even knowing that they were in a war.

Answer 6

Hack the Federal Reserve.
Counterfeit U.S. Currency.
Covertly support the Republicans while the drive the Federal Government deeper and deeper into debt.

Answer 7

Draw them out, and fight in areas where the Geneva Convention prohibits them from using total force. It's how every enemy, since the NVA has ever fought us. It is our achilles heal. However, I would never, ever set one foot in the US. An armed civilian populace with such radical differences of opinions is too dangerous to contend with. Even if you can find factions to support you.

Answer 8

Economically is the only way. An economic war is what some accuse China of waging against us.

Answer 9

Let them invade the country next to you for no reason, and overthrow the only credible threat to your power. Then simply wait for them to let you annex half the country and it's oil wealth.

Oh wait, that's what Iran did to us with Republicans in Charge.

Answer 10

Make the war unpopular with the American people by propaganda and the braying of the commislamic fascists. (the people lose their patience, which is little enough in America anyway)