This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The End of the American Dream. 

Before our leaders drag us into the middle of World War III, perhaps we should step back and take a hard look at our own capabilities.  Military recruiting has been way down, ammunition levels have fallen to dangerously low levels because of how much we have sent to Ukraine, and our enemies have developed cutting-edge new weapons systems that we cannot match.  But Joe Biden and his all-star team of warmongers continue to push everyone around as if this was the 1980s and everyone is still deeply afraid of the U.S. military.

It is time for all of us to acknowledge that the world has changed.

In 2021, the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban reconquered the entire country even before we were able to get everyone out.

In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and despite the fact that we have sent them giant mountains of money the Ukrainians are losing more territory with each passing day.

In 2023, a major war erupted in the Middle East.  U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have already been attacked more than 100 times because Iranian-backed forces are not afraid of us.  And a naval battle that resulted in the destruction of three Houthi vessels just made headlines all over the planet…

A naval battle likely to send shockwaves throughout the Middle East erupted in the early hours of Sunday after US helicopters intervened in support of a container ship trying to navigate the key trade route.

Four vessels with mounted weapons and small arms coming from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired upon the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou and got within 20 metres of the ship, according to the US military.

This aggressive move prompted helicopters from nearby US warships to respond to the distress call. The military said that, after the aircraft were shot at by the Houthis, they sank three “small boats” in “self-defence”.

The truth is that the U.S. is already at war in the Middle East.

And once Israel decides it is time to push Hezbollah back to the Litani River in southern Lebanon, the U.S. is going to be even more deeply involved.

Meanwhile, it appears that the conflict in Ukraine is about to go to another level.

The Ukrainians have been shelling civilian targets in the Russian city of Belgorod in order to provoke the Russians into doing something really dramatic which will make lots of headlines and cause more military aid to come flowing in from the Western world.

Vladimir Putin is extremely angry about the attacks on Belgorod, and he is vowing to “intensify strikes”…

Vladimir Putin vowed to unleash hell on Ukraine saying his forces would “intensify” their attacks on the country following strikes in Russia’s Belgorod region on Saturday.

Speaking during a New Year’s Day visit to a military hospital, Putin said Ukraine could expect more such strikes after shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod that killed more than two dozen people and wounded more than 100 others.

“They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country. We will intensify strikes. Not a single crime against our civilian population will go unpunished,” the Russian leader said, describing the barrage of Belgorod as a “terrorist act.”

Over the past couple of years, the U.S. has provided far more funding for the war in Ukraine than anyone else, far more weapons for the war in Ukraine than anyone else, far more ammunition for the war in Ukraine than anyone else and far more intelligence for the war in Ukraine than anyone else.

And now Joe Biden is warning that there is a risk that “the United States gets pulled in directly”…

“The stakes of this fight extend far beyond Ukraine,” Biden reiterated Friday. “They affect the entirety of the NATO alliance, the security of Europe, and the future of the transatlantic relationship.

“When dictators and autocrats are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk rises that the United States gets pulled in directly. And the consequences reverberate around the world. We cannot let our allies and partners down. We cannot let Ukraine down. History will judge harshly those who fail to answer freedom’s call.”

So could we end up being directly involved in a major war in the Middle East and a major war with Russia at the same time?

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping just warned that “reunification” with Taiwan is a “historical inevitability”…

“The reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability,” Xi said, though the official English translation of his remarks published by the Xinhua news agency used a more simple phrase: “China will surely be reunified.”

“Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he added. The official English translation wrote “all Chinese” rather than “compatriots.”

So will Xi Jinping attempt to “reunify” with Taiwan in 2024?

Most Americans don’t realize this, but the moment that China makes a move against Taiwan we will be at war with the Chinese.

But can our military actually handle a war with China?

A retired U.S. Army Colonel recently wrote an article in which he claimed that once such a war starts “American forces will likely burn through munitions stocks within three weeks”…

In a U.S. fight with China, American forces will likely burn through munitions stocks within three weeks. Even with a surge of the U.S. industrial base, replenishing stocks will take more than six months. In the interim, the U.S. will be without sufficient bombs and bullets for its cutting-edge systems, such as fifth-generation fighter jets and High Mobility Rocket Launcher Systems, and anti-air missiles needed to protect our nuclear aircraft carriers and bases in the Pacific.

Right now, the warning indicators are blinking red. The massive need for ammunition in such conflicts highlights weaknesses in the American defense industry, which no longer produces munitions at the rate it did decades ago. The post-Cold War defense budget reductions led to a swift merger of the defense sector, which saw a drop from fifty-one major defense providers in the early 1990s to five by the end of that decade. This consolidation led to a tightened capacity.

If all of that is true, how in the world can we possibly fight a war with China?

And how in the world can we possibly fight a war with Russia?

And let us not forget that Kim Jong Un continues to make threats about going to war with us…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his military should “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, state media reported Monday, after he vowed to boost national defense to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation.

North Korea has increased its warlike rhetoric in recent months in response to an expansion of U.S.-South Korean military drills. Experts expect Kim will continue to escalate his rhetoric and weapons tests because he likely believes he can use heightened tensions to wrest U.S. concessions if former President Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November.

I believe that 2024 will be a year of war, and in my new book entitled “Chaos,” I explain in great detail why the United States is not even close to ready.

In recent years our military has been gutted, eviscerated, and transformed into a politically correct joke.

We couldn’t even defeat the Taliban, and now we are faced with the possibility of fighting three major wars simultaneously.

We are in so much trouble, but most Americans seem to believe that we are still the same global military powerhouse that we were when the first Top Gun movie was originally released.

Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  In addition to the new book I have written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream, and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial, or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.