CAT 5: The 2033 War—Bing West on America’s “Jupiter Complex,” Debt Crisis, and China’s Taiwan Threat

Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words · Jun 24, 2026 · 54m

Victor Davis Hanson interviews Marine combat veteran and military author Francis J. “Bing” West about West’s new book, “CAT5: The 2033 War,” which argues the U.S. won battles in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan yet suffered strategic defeat because leaders lacked clear end-state objectives and assumed America could do anything without consequences—a “Jupiter complex.”

West warns that by 2031–2033 U.S. debt-service could reach about 25% of tax revenue, risking higher interest rates, inflation, and a credibility collapse, while defense spending in real terms has fallen and China could exploit…