Aircraft Carriers: Expensive Toys for Empires Obsessed with Proving a Point

The Bigger They Are...

So, China launched another aircraft carrier, the Fujian. Big deal. We're supposed to be impressed by the sheer size of these things, the number of planes they can launch, the billions they cost. It's all a dick-waving contest on the high seas, ain't it?

The article says the Fujian is 80,000 tonnes and can carry 60 aircraft. Cool. Meanwhile, Ukraine is out here sinking Russian ships with freakin' sea drones. Sea drones. What's the point of all that steel and jet fuel when a $50,000 drone can ruin your whole day?

And don't even get me started on the USS Gerald R. Ford, Trump's little love letter to Venezuela. $12.8 BILLION. For what? To "intimidate" Maduro? Last I checked, Maduro's still in power. So, mission accomplished? I guess if you define "accomplished" as "wasting enough money to solve world hunger for a week."

The "Flexibility" Fantasy

They keep using this word: "flexibility." Aircraft carriers are "unrivalled in their flexibility." Give me a break. Flexible like a brick. Sure, they can sail all over the world and park themselves off some coastline to look menacing. But what happens when someone actually shoots back? Remember the USS Harry S. Truman getting harassed by Houthi drones? The biggest damage was a $70 million fighter jet falling overboard. That's not flexibility; that's an expensive pratfall.

And offcourse, there's the whole Taiwan situation. China building these carriers to "force a reunification." Right, because nothing says "peaceful reunification" like a floating city full of fighter jets. It's like bringing a bazooka to a potluck.

But here's the real question: are these carriers actually useful in a real war against a peer-level adversary? Or are they just giant, tempting targets, floating monuments to outdated thinking?

The Submarine Shadow

The Fox News article mentions the silent race for the Pacific, the one happening beneath the waves. Submarines. Now that's scary. Both the US and China are pouring money into undersea warfare, where stealth and technology are king. High stakes on the high seas as US, China test limits of military power

The US Navy still has the edge, apparently, with its Virginia-class subs. But China is closing the gap, building quieter and longer-ranged boats. And operating close to home gives them an advantage.

So, what's the future of naval warfare? Giant, vulnerable aircraft carriers, or silent, deadly submarines lurking in the depths? I'm betting on the latter.

So, What's the Real Story?

These carriers are about ego, pure and simple. They're about projecting power, about showing the world who's boss. But in a world of drones, missiles, and submarines, they're starting to look like oversized, overpriced targets. Maybe it's time to invest in something a little less...conspicuous.