Caspian Report: the makings of an Asian NATO

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Interesting video about the back and forth between China and other heavyweights in the Asia-Pacific region.

[vitoNova]

I'll say it again, but that is an excellent YouTube channel.  One of the few geopolitical channels I subscribe to.   (another great one is Geography Now!  Equally as insightful but with a bit of lulz)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I'll say it again, but that is an excellent YouTube channel.  One of the few geopolitical channels channels I subscribe to.   (another great one is Geography Now!  Equally as insightful but with a bit of lulz)

Ah, a fellow intellectual.

[Damocles]

Shirvan Neftchi produces amazing content and is honestly one of the most underrated geopolitics youtubers out there.

[CumbrianLefty]

A modern day SEATO?

[_.]

I'll say it again, but that is an excellent YouTube channel.  One of the few geopolitical channels I subscribe to.   (another great one is Geography Now!  Equally as insightful but with a bit of lulz)

Shirvan Neftchi produces amazing content and is honestly one of the most underrated geopolitics youtubers out there.

I have found my people

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

A modern day SEATO?

Funnily enough, that actually came into mind when I saw the video.

I'll say it again, but that is an excellent YouTube channel.  One of the few geopolitical channels I subscribe to.   (another great one is Geography Now!  Equally as insightful but with a bit of lulz)

Shirvan Neftchi produces amazing content and is honestly one of the most underrated geopolitics youtubers out there.

I have found my people

The feeling is mutual!

[Benjamin Frank]

I'll say it again, but that is an excellent YouTube channel.  One of the few geopolitical channels I subscribe to.   (another great one is Geography Now!  Equally as insightful but with a bit of lulz)

As a non intellectual, I have to ask: is that anything like 'serenity now!"?

[PSOL]

So glad he’s getting notice. Honestly I and HenryWallaceVP should start posting other YTers in the same calibre, like MoFreedomFoundation.

[hurricanehink]

Great video, love this channel. I was surprised South Korea wasn't mentioned as part of this alliance. Maybe because they're so focused on their own peninsula and the North Korean situation. A united Democratic Korea would a great counterbalance to China, if it ever happens. Also, after Duterte's disastrous presidency, hopefully the Philippines returns to being a Democratic powerhouse, which would be another good addition to this SE Asian alliance.

[pikachu]

Great video, love this channel. I was surprised South Korea wasn't mentioned as part of this alliance. Maybe because they're so focused on their own peninsula and the North Korean situation. A united Democratic Korea would a great counterbalance to China, if it ever happens. Also, after Duterte's disastrous presidency, hopefully the Philippines returns to being a Democratic powerhouse, which would be another good addition to this SE Asian alliance.

My guess is that it has more to do with very volatile Japan-South Korean relationship rather than problems on the Korean peninsula. Someone who knows South Korea better than can probably also comment on this, but I believe that South Korea also has traditionally had a less confrontational stance toward China than Japan, the US, and Australia have.

Regardless, I also think that kind of speaks to the problems the US will having in forming a NATO-esque alliance against China - a lot of the current and potential US allies in the region have issues in their bilateral relationships with each other and many of them (like, as you allude to, the Philippines) are more squishy towards China than the American foreign policy establishment would like them to. 

[Derpist]

Guys, stop trying to make Asian Operation Barbarossa a thing. It's not going to be a thing. Vietnamese Communists and South Korean leftists don't want to die for Raytheon and Boeing.

[Damocles]

My guess is that it has more to do with very volatile Japan-South Korean relationship rather than problems on the Korean peninsula. Someone who knows South Korea better than can probably also comment on this, but I believe that South Korea also has traditionally had a less confrontational stance toward China than Japan, the US, and Australia have.

Regardless, I also think that kind of speaks to the problems the US will having in forming a NATO-esque alliance against China - a lot of the current and potential US allies in the region have issues in their bilateral relationships with each other and many of them (like, as you allude to, the Philippines) are more squishy towards China than the American foreign policy establishment would like them to. 

Regarding the foundations of such a bloc, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam would constitute key members. All three countries have key grievances against China that can be used to build trust. The Korean situation would be a bit stickier, since Beijing uses Pyongyang as a convenient buffer state in the Manchuria region.

[vitoNova]

Daddy Shirvan has a new one out on Chinese sea power, for all you people who jerk off to RAND Corporation publications and white papers.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Just watching it now.

I am a bit startled at how fast China has gained naval power. Of course, whether or not it was startling, it would be concerning regardless.