title: The New American Mediocrity: Ash Carter vs Dr. Strangelove
text: 21st Century Wire says US Defense Secretary Ash Carter is the latest Washington  defense  insider to suffer from that common American condition known as  Strangelove Syndrome. .  Ash Carter (above) alongside Peter Sellers as the enigmatic and satirical menace Dr. Strangelove.Is this the New American Mediocrity displaying its ignorance out of Washington DC, or is there more to it? Is Washington going into full cold war-esque Strangelove mode again ?RTBeijing has accused US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter of having a Cold War mentality, following his statement that China risks creating a  Great Wall of self-isolation  over its actions in the South China Sea.Speaking at a daily news briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Carter s remarks  laid bare the stereotypical US thinking and US hegemony. Indeed, there are some in the US who live physically in the 21st century, but whose minds are stuck in the Cold War era,  she said, as quoted by AP.China has no interest in any form of Cold War, nor are we interested in playing a role in a Hollywood movie written and directed by certain US military officials. However, China has no fear of and will counter any actions that threaten and undermine China s sovereignty and security,  Hua continued.The remarks come just days after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that China risks creating a  Great Wall of self-isolation  through its military expansion in the South China sea and its alleged hacks on US companies. China s actions could erect a Great Wall of self-isolation,  Carter told graduating officers at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday.  Countries across the region   allies, partners, and the unaligned   are voicing concerns publicly and privately at the highest levels. Carter went on to state that the US continues to be concerned about Beijing s actions in the disputed South China Sea, where it has laid claim to almost the entire region Continue this story at RTWatch 21WIRE s Patrick Henningsen join in on CrossTalk s heady discussion on US foreign policy here: 