Who could challenge the United States?

Question

What force in the world would be able to face the United States in a conventional war. When I say conventional, I mean a classic country-on-country all out war, not the nip-in-the-heels guerilla tactics we've seen lately. I'm sure a few will say North Korea, but that would be a pretty fast one, because our long-range fire power would smoke that entire country before we even put boots on the ground. (No, I'm not declaring war on anybody, it's just interesting to speculate "what if...") Thanks everyone, I look forward to hearing what you think.

Okay, here's the breakdown for the answers so far. There's a lot of good ideas, but a few that are plain dumb. First of all, Vietnam was not conventional. Very smart on the VC's part, but not the kind of war I was asking about . Second, China will never go to war with us because their economy depends on our consumers. If they did go to war with us, they would fall simply because they're economy would collapse. And last, I just happen to be one of the meatheads over here in the middle-east playing this game of guerilla warfare, so don't try to tell me what it's all about. Who are you to tell anyone off like that without ever doing your part over here anyway. But kudos on the word usage. I hadn't heard "meathead" since fourth grade....

Answer 1

Everyone on here is looking for a 'conventional war' to challenge the United States and is completely overlooking the one 'back door' in the constitution that allows an overthrow of the government by the people.

If the United States government falls, its going to be an act of the people.

Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. — Abraham Lincoln

Answer 2

Conventional war has been dead since World War II and Korea. People like you who fail to notice this transition, and think that US are the center of the universe because we have the best tanks that will never be used, are the reason the US consistently gets its *** handed to it in guerilla warfare across the globe.

There are only two types of war left, guerilla and nuclear. The US has shown it is terrible at guerilla, and any country can be a player in the nuclear war.

Its like the French who prepared heavily for a war of attrition after World War I by investing millions in developing the Maginot Line. The german blitzkrieg was the exact opposite, lightning fast attacks to an objective. Failure to notice the evolution of warfare can be as important as technological advances.

Not trying to offend anyone, and sorry for the meathead comments. But the "My dad can beat up your dad" mentality of politicians and high ranking military are the reason that 18-25 year olds get sent home in body bags.

Answer 3

No single country could challenge the USA. There was a mini-series once where the Soviets (yeah, it's that old) and the Latin American countries got a coalition together and conquered the US. Problem is the US culture started seeping into their ranks after a few years of occupation. This happens.

One science fiction author pointed out that the conquered eventually conquer the conquerers with their culture. This happened to the greatest extent in China. The savage Mongolian hordes conquered China and, two generations later, you could hardly tell who was Mongolian and who was Chinese except by name and racial type.

Keeping that in mind, even if a coalition of countries did conquer the USA, we would win in the end. You can't convince the average American to give up their education or free speech or sense of rightness under the law.

Answer 4

None. And if the war is on the USA's home turf no other country could even show up. The danger today is of some Muslim extremist setting off a nuke in the US bringing in the first nuclear exchange in whcih everybody losses. Unfortantely that isn't just science fiction anymore.

Answer 5

You all forget that there is a classic form of warfare not often used; economic. The Chinese possess one trillion dollars in US currency. One day at the money markets of the world selling dollars for anything else, and we would all be forced back to the localized barter system, and stuck right wherever we are at the time, because a gallon of gas would cost thousands of dollars. And that half bottle of water you just chucked into the trash; tens of thousands of dollars. All of the supposed advantages the USA has in technology is smoke and mirrors, all outsourced, intentionally. Economic demolition of this once great nation is only a tick of the clock away, because we've been lazy, and let the wrong people "represent" us. Our entire nation is balanced on the head of a pin, because practicing democracy is now considered “a pain”, and researching who/what there is to vote for, like a whole other unpaid job. I've got news for you sunshine; being a responsible informed voter is the DUTY and JOB of every citizen of this democratic republic. It IS an unpaid job, because you've forgotten that you were paid in advance,,, citizen! Every person who crosses that Rio Grande knows that, too bad you don't. We have given our liberty, our children, and our sweat to the very rich, and they have sold us all down the river.

Welcome to the “third world” United States Of America.

So I hope you've enjoyed evenings in the comfy chair with the clicker, ignoring and avoiding your honorable duty as 'the head of the free world".

Huh? What do you mean "What do you mean?"?

Well.
Do you think America has gone down the tubes because of some evil force? It has . You. Freeloader. Depending on those few who DO their research, ASK the right questions, and VOTE responsibly to carry your lazy load, is freeloading. And the best candidates lose, because many of the voters who do pry their carcases out of the lazyboy to go flip a lever or fill in a dot or two, just listen to the propaganda machines, and refuse to think.

Then there are those who are REALLY derelict in their duty, who KNOW how bad it really is, and throw up their hands in despair saying "There's nothing I can do, their all corrupt anyway, so I'm not going to vote." Yup, those are the real culprits, because they know, and do nothing.

Now you know a little, are you going to continue to do nothing?

Stop watching FOX news. Demand that anti-trusts laws be enforced, and that the media be broken back up into their once independent forms. Demand that the FCC pull the plug on media that insist on being payed off to display public service time that is in all of their licenses to provide for FREE, for the use of that which belongs to the public. They’ve all gotten very fat charging us for what we already own. Stop being distracted by huge corporate spin doctoring, those Machiavellian princes are private city states unto themselves, and have no concern as to whether or not this nation of, for and by the people shall perish from this Earth. Stop shopping at WalMart. Support your locally owned independent businesses. Buy American made, that IS made in America, even if it is an overpriced piece of crap, demand better. Demand an American made electric car. Demand always renewable solar, wind, wave, geothermal and hydro energy, and nothing else. Become a contributing part of the grid. Become water conscious. Stop supporting “religions” that lie to you, and force you to lie to everyone else, especially your children. Do not let the internet be confiscated by the very rich. Talk to each other, even that neighbor that you don’t like. Do not let your good job go overseas without a serious fight. Act like a US citizen, and not an agent of the Chinese corporate take over of our entire country. Get a direct line of communication to every form of representative you have, and let them know you mean to effect change.

This nation is forever lost, if you continue to let it be stolen. That is what is happening, in the economic war with China, that we are intended to overlook, distracted by our children dying for un-necessary oil, in a tin soldier holy war that will never stop until after we are all able to tell ourselves the whole truth.

If you do not think and act soon, the next shooting war may be a civil war, right here, over drinkable water.

Answer 6

Right now nobody. We are technically the most advance. Our politics have cost us in Korea, VietNam, and the Persian Gulf. All were solid military objectives reached but we failed to finish the war.

Sherman, Pershing, Eisenhower, Truman, Marshall and Macarthur had it right was to fight until the will of the people have no interesting in fighting. We had no problem imposing that on the Japanese and Germans, but seemed to have lost that in the political quagmires of Post WWII

Answer 7

I don't think any country in the world can go toe to toe with the U.S. China has numbers and things might be a little close for a while, but we'd prevail. Maybe the entire European Union could give us a run for the money, but they don't have the heart for it. (Can't blame them after having 2 world wars in their back yard). Our technological advantage is just too great.

Answer 8

actually the usa can take on the entire world and win easily,no exageration,the usa has more military tech than you can imagine,for our side it would be like playing a video game where only the enemy dies,we would have very few losses to hostile fire in a true conventional war,we can only suffer losses in guerrilla type wars,our air force would be the ultimate difference,we wouldnt lose a single warplane to another warplane in dogfight simply because there is not 1 single warplane that could come remotely close to matching ours

Answer 9

Zimbabwe
Venezuela
Viet Nam

Answer 10

A united Europe; China; Russia (even now). Soon, India. One day, maybe Brazil.

But it would be a struggle for any of them.