Near the town of Wahiawā on the occupied Hawaiian island of O’ahu, the U.S. army is gearing up for war with China at the Lightning Academy, the 25th Infantry Division’s training camp near Schofield Barracks. Here, the Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC) takes place over the span of a few weeks, where soldiers from all U.S. military branches as well as foreign military allies take part in special jungle warfare training.

At the top of the list for training are soldiers based in the United States Indo-Pacific Command region, an area claimed by the U.S. for military operations that makes up more than half of Earth’s surface and contains half the world’s population in 36 different countries.

Many U.S. soldiers are either already based in this command area or will be sent there upon completion of the JOTC. Soldiers that complete the JOTC usually take part in joint military exercises with foreign governments, including Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and especially the Philippines. These exercises, along with recent U.S. military base expansion into the Philippines, are part of a decisive shift of U.S. military focus towards Asia in recent years.

China the number one target

Over the last decade, with China playing a more prominent role in world politics and as an economic powerhouse surpassing the United States in many metrics, U.S. military attention has moved from the Middle East towards a more direct confrontation with China.

Jungle warfare training is conducted in occupied Hawai’i due to the lack of jungle environments on the U.S. mainland and its strategic positioning in the Pacific. Jungle training took place in Panama until 1999, when the Middle East became the primary theater of U.S. imperialist war and desert training was prioritized. But in 2013 the jungle training was reopened in Hawai’i, under the President Barack Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia.”

U.S. military wreaks havoc in the Pacific

Although the war against China for which the U.S. ruling class is preparing hasn’t actually started, the presence of U.S. soldiers already takes its toll. While Hawai’i has faced resource shortages recently, including a lack of drinking water, Schofield Barracks maintains a population of about 15,000, which is a huge drain on the islands’ resources.

In addition, fuel stored near the U.S. bases has contaminated the aquifer supplying water both to the civilian population and to the troops and their families in base housing. (workers.org/2022/01/61110/)

There are decades of violent acts U.S. soldiers have perpetrated, such as murders and rapes, around military bases in Hawai’i, Japan, and the Philippines. But the violence isn’t limited to acts of violence by individual soldiers. U.S. joint military training is not only aimed at pressuring China, but also combatting revolutionary and progressive forces inside the countries that cooperate with the U.S.

Recently, ten members, including leading cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) were kidnapped, tortured, and killed. The Philippine government claimed they were killed in a “boating explosion,” but the truth is that these and the many others killed by the armed forces of the Philippines were victims of the U.S.-led counter insurgency efforts.

The same jungle warfare tactics, developed by the U.S. military and taught to Filipino soldiers to assist in war on People’s China, are also used to crush domestic revolutionary movements – as are the U.S. armed contra forces in Latin America and across the world. These tactics are used against the New People’s Army, which is currently waging an armed people’s war against the U.S.-backed regime of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Anti-imperialism must be decolonial

The existence of this jungle warfare training camp in Hawai’i illustrates the need for a unwavering stance against imperialism, in opposing both the external U.S. military adventurism overseas, as well as the ongoing process of settler colonialism and genocide of Indigenous peoples within the occupied territories of the U.S. empire. A principled anti-imperialism must be consistent in both. Opposing U.S. wars overseas while denying Indigenous sovereignty over their land at home is not anti-imperialism, but reactionary isolationism.

Genuine anti-imperialism builds solidarity between the people in China, the Philippines, and Indigenous people in Hawai’i and the U.S. mainland, as well as the masses of non-native workers who foot the bill for the tremendously expensive Pentagon war machine.

A war with China would be catastrophic for workers and oppressed people around the globe. It would only benefit a small number of people who hide in the executive offices of weapons manufacturers and other U.S. corporations, getting rich with every bomb that drops.

One must notice the incredible hypocrisy of U.S. accusations of Chinese “military aggression” towards China’s own island of Taiwan – used as a justification for war – while the U.S. simultaneously occupies and imposes statehood on the islands of Hawai’i and uses them to train for that war.

  • @kento999999
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    111 year ago

    What’s the source for this? Feels heavily China-biased.

    • DigitalTraveler42
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      1 year ago

      It looks like the regular Newsletter for the Worker’s World Party, a communist party group, based in New York City:

      https://www.workers.org/

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers_World_Party

      So not surprising that they’re pro-China even though modern China is about as Communist as Nazi Germany was “Socialist”, it’s amazing how many “Communists” just completely ignore that China and Ruzzia are just more authoritarian dictatorships and Communist/Socialist in name only.

      • SeaJ
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        51 year ago

        China also has wealth inequality in par with the US. If they are trying for communism, they are doing a shit job. In reality it is state capitalism which is closer to fascism than it is to communism.

        • @RaphaelOP
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          -41 year ago

          The difference is one is quickly getting better and the other is always getting worse.

          • SeaJ
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            41 year ago

            Neither is really getting better. Both have had a Gini coefficient around 40 for the last couple decades. Both are significantly worse than every country in the EU.

            • @RaphaelOP
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              1 year ago

              Took me 1 minute to generate this

              China has achieved several significant social advancements over the past 10 years. Here are some of the notable achievements:

              • Poverty Alleviation: China’s efforts to reduce poverty have been remarkable. In 2020, the country declared that it had eliminated extreme poverty, lifting over 850 million people out of poverty since the start of economic reforms in the late 1970s.
              • Urbanization and Infrastructure Development: China has experienced rapid urbanization and invested heavily in infrastructure development. The country has built extensive transportation networks, including high-speed rail, highways, and urban metro systems, improving connectivity and facilitating economic growth.
              • Education Expansion: China has made great strides in expanding access to education. The government has prioritized investments in education, resulting in increased enrollment rates, improved school facilities, and enhanced access to quality education for children across the country.
              • Environmental Initiatives: Recognizing the need for sustainable development, China has implemented various environmental initiatives. The country has invested in renewable energy sources, becoming the world’s largest producer of solar panels and wind turbines. It has also taken steps to reduce air and water pollution, promoting green technologies and adopting stricter environmental regulations.
              • Healthcare Reform: China has undertaken significant healthcare reforms to enhance access to affordable and quality healthcare services. The government has expanded health insurance coverage, improved rural healthcare systems, and invested in medical infrastructure. Additionally, China has demonstrated its ability to mobilize resources during public health crises, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
              • Social Welfare: China has improved its social welfare system by expanding social security coverage, including pensions, healthcare, and unemployment benefits. The government has also implemented poverty alleviation programs, targeted assistance for vulnerable groups, and initiatives to address income inequality.
              • Digital Innovation: China has emerged as a global leader in digital innovation. The country has made significant advancements in areas such as e-commerce, mobile payment systems, and the adoption of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. These advancements have transformed various aspects of daily life and contributed to economic growth.

              How does Uncle Sam compare on any of these?

              Look at China in 1950 and look at it now. If it were a liberal country they would still be uncivilized.

              • SeaJ
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                11 year ago

                I would call South Korea a liberal country and they were poorer than China in 1950. They are richer than them now. Same with Taiwan.

                But none of that has shit to do with wealth disparity. When it comes to equity, China is significantly worse in that regard than it was in 1950. If they are trying for communism, they are failing. In reality they are taking the road is state capitalism which no different than corporatism/fascism.

    • SeaJ
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      11 year ago

      It’s a tankie site that thinks China has anything to do with communism.