The advocates for building a Navy large enough to defeat every other naval power on the globe whether friendly or not while still having enough force to respond to every Katrina and Boxing Day tsunami are fighting hard:
Ten carriers would still be sufficient for a major contingency or two (like China and Iran). Unfortunately, the Navy's staunchest "friends" -- the veterans, the Navy League, the slovenly shipbuilders – all would like to keep building as if the Imperial Japanese Navy were still out there. This "carrier lobby" has been actively blocking navy attempts to restructure the fleet to better deal with new tasks. It's another case of the "Industrial-Congressional Complex" pushing its own agenda at the expense of the troops and the country.
We can smash anybody that dares fight us at sea. Period. Talk to the contrary is just ridiculous and flat out contradicted by the reality that we have more than half of the world's naval power. Really, the cries of doom by some Navy advocates are pretty ballsy if you ask me.
