While many here have spent a fair bit of time poo-poo'n the Chinese's first baby steps in to carrier aviation, I think the engineer-heavy USN mind has largely missed the point - there is a lot more going on here.

It looks like the Chinese get it. They get the symbology, the images, the significance of the milestone.  They know there is a lot more to do - but they are not focused on the right-now.

While we have spent a lot of time and money diminishing our national capital - from "Global Force For Good" to appologizing for our power, to begging for a 1,000-ship volunteer international navy to do our bidding (har, har, snark), to intentionally keeping our CVN away from Libya so our allies could play top-dog while they empied their shallow bunkers - the Chinese continue to build, and message.

The Chinese people get it. Think about it. Here's what I mean.

 

Via The Atlantic - guess what this guy is doing besides post-modern cat-blogging?

 

Yep, he is a P-3 guy on a disassociated sea tour ... no wait ... no ... he is just the cheeky part of what has become an organic Chinese meme.  A meme of  ...

 

They get it. Good for China, and I am glad to see that they are enjoying something that they should be proud of.

Anyone have any NIMITZ memes we can counter this with?

 

 

Hat tip PK.

 

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Cat-a-pult, awesome!