Eh... but it seems as if those figures are from after the army decreased its target goals. So overall, it would be a decrease in the army.
I disagree with your assessment of North Korea and India. Well -- actually, I agree that India probably wouldn't do anything military against US (the Indians are nothing if not pragmatic). I do think that the consequences I mentioned above regarding India are likely (strain in relations, push toward China, maybe cause to break off the deal). Although India is generally, cautiously pro-American now, there's still a strong undercurrent of anti-Americanism.
I think in the scenario I've given above where we're pulling out troops from East Asia (no one seems to have mentioned where else we're getting troops from; I'll say it straight out that I'm not a huge military buff but it seems to me that most of our infantry deployments are in East Asia), it would be an opportunity too good to miss. The NK have the 4th largest army in the world right? Without reinforcements from Japan, the SK would have problems. This also would allow China to pressure Taiwan much more and again, if Japan feels threatened, it has the capability and willingness to become a nuclear state, which would -also- have a destabilizing effect on the region.
China doesn't want a NK/SK war because it doesn't want the US to intervene. In a fight where the US can't intervene, because they're bogged down elsewhere, and where the NK has a very good chance of winning, I don't think China will have problems with it.
I disagree with your assessment of North Korea and India. Well -- actually, I agree that India probably wouldn't do anything military against US (the Indians are nothing if not pragmatic). I do think that the consequences I mentioned above regarding India are likely (strain in relations, push toward China, maybe cause to break off the deal). Although India is generally, cautiously pro-American now, there's still a strong undercurrent of anti-Americanism.
I think in the scenario I've given above where we're pulling out troops from East Asia (no one seems to have mentioned where else we're getting troops from; I'll say it straight out that I'm not a huge military buff but it seems to me that most of our infantry deployments are in East Asia), it would be an opportunity too good to miss. The NK have the 4th largest army in the world right? Without reinforcements from Japan, the SK would have problems. This also would allow China to pressure Taiwan much more and again, if Japan feels threatened, it has the capability and willingness to become a nuclear state, which would -also- have a destabilizing effect on the region.
China doesn't want a NK/SK war because it doesn't want the US to intervene. In a fight where the US can't intervene, because they're bogged down elsewhere, and where the NK has a very good chance of winning, I don't think China will have problems with it.