Still too much testosterone and not enough diplomacy

“We continue to seek areas to cooperate with China where we can, but where we can’t we’re prepared to certainly protect both U.S. and allied interest in the region,” Director of the Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told reporters at the Pentagon.

“I would just tell you that the United States military has had a lot of experience in the Western Pacific taking down small islands,” McKenzie said, when asked if the United States has the ability to “blow apart” one of China's disputed, man-made islands in the South China Sea.

He later clarified that he was referring to U.S. military operations during World War II.

  The Hill

There was no need for clarification.  My button is bigger than your button. The modern age of diplomacy has been going on much too long.

“It’s just a fact we had a lot of experience in the Second World War taking down small islands that are isolated, so that's a core competency of the U.S. military that we’ve done before. [You] shouldn't read anything more into that than a simple statement of historical fact,” he said.

Just stating the facts. There was no threat there. It's on you if you saw one.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.