NEVER EVER Underestimate Your Enemy: Western Arrogance and Ignorance Kills
I stumbled on this scene from the Pacific tv series on the US Marines fighting in World War 2 against the Japanese. The scene is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbUJLqQ3HWU.
A young inexperienced Marine makes a derogatory statement about the Japanese soldier.
The Gunnery Sergeant quickly disabuses him very quickly. “That’s what the enemy is to you huh? A F–king bucktoothed cartoon dreamed up by some asshole on Madison Avenue to sell soap. Well, let me tell you something. The Jap I know—the Japanese soldier—he’s been in war since you were in diapers! He’s a combat veteran, an expert with his weapon. He can live off maggoty rice and muddy water for weeks and endure misery you couldn't dream of in your worst nightmare. The Japanese soldier doesn’t care if he gets hurt or killed—as long as he kills you. Call ’em whatever you want—but never ever fail to respect their desire to put you and your buddies into an early grave! Is that clear?”
Yet here we are in the West, in the US military, in NATO, by geopolitical pundits, in DC Think-tanks, in Washington and in western media deriding both the Chinese and Russian militaries. Saying the Chinese are not a warlike people or the Chinese have not fought in a war since 1979 and lost to the Vietnamese. Or the derision of the barbarian Russian army, being barely held off by the Ukrainian military. Both the Chinese & Russian militaries massively impacted by corruption and a top down hierarchy and missing non-commissioned officer corps ie. sergeants who act like centurions to hold the unit together.
But this is the wrong way to look at the situation. It’s all Western cope. Both enemy countries have the massive industrial base to back a long extended war. They own the natural resources and supply chains that are critical for a functioning war economy. In a drone and production-driven fight we will lose. Additionally, they don’t care about casualties. Let's be frank, the people in China and Russia are just way more used to deprivation and pain than we are in the West. They are naturally tough. We are in deep trouble. And Russia particularly has a battle hardened corp of soldiers now. Plus they are leading in integrating drones into war doctrine and they have the manufacturing mass of China to back it up.
If our NATO militaries go up against them, they will get rekt. We are in deep trouble if we don’t leverage the hard earned knowledge the Ukrainian military has gained. Yet I see very little learning from most Western militaries right now, even in 2025 still.
Whether in war, fight or in business, it never pays to underestimate the enemy. This is how you get destroyed. But it seems it’s a lesson that we keep learning, the HARD way. Pay attention to and respect your enemy. Being paranoid in this situation and acting accordingly to prepare can only do you good.