I'm John Batson, Gordon Chang, at Gordon G. Chang, my colleague and co-host,

were observing the crisis in the Middle East and the straight-of-four moves

and how it is being used as a weapon against the United States, against Europe,

against the whole world. This is a global conflict because any restriction in the energy

coming out of the Gulf has an add-on

effect of undermining the confidence in governments everywhere. So we're observing the Gulf,

and others are observing the Gulf for particular reasons. We go now to Professor Jim Holmes

watching the Gulf conflict.

He is a professor at the Naval War College, and he blogs very carefully about the lessons learned while we're witnessing them,

because he has students who are watching this as well.

And he's drawing on the Iran war so far, especially the conflict we see now

involving the U.S. Navy in the Strait of Hormuz, and applying it to Taiwan. The theory of

the Taiwan conflict has worked again and again. This looks like a new view. Jim, Professor, a very good evening to you. Immediately,

the Taiwan story becomes obvious because we're talking about an attack by a very large

and a very effective and overwhelming power against one particular geographical place. That would be

Taipei and Taiwan.

So you have four lessons, and all of them are welcome.

Before we get into the four lessons, though,

is China indicating right now that the Gulf War pleases them or displeases them in general, that this is a source of oil for them.

Are they in trouble, Jim?

I think they're conflicted.

It seems like they're probably deliberating about how to view this.

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