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For brevity, cut from the main section above…

Billy Mitchell / aircraft carriers – 101 years later, are we now at a similar juncture with aircraft carriers?

Listening to the broad selection of interviews I do, I've been struck that there appears no credible defence to modern attacks on aircraft carriers.

- Condoleezza Rice: https://youtu.be/BgVUAlqEjXY?t=2320

'That's a big idea, to sink a US aircraft carrier' [but doesn't specify why this isn't doable]

- Robert C. O'Brien (US National Security Advisor in 2021): https://youtu.be/SJcKWtiFzIY?t=1373 

'If they saturated the area... [there's basically nothing we can do]'

- And Steve Hsu, who’s written several pieces on this (https://infoproc.blogspot.com/search?q=aircraft+carrier): 'Advances in AI / machine learning tend to favor missile targeting, not defense of carriers.'

Philip Zelikow recently noted in Foreign Affairs (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2022-06-21/hollow-order-international-system): 'The United States’ high defense spending has more to do with satisfying domestic constituencies than with supporting any positive strategy.'

Is history repeating itself? Who is the closest embodiment to Billy Mitchell today?

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