Thursday, March 26, 2009

Not That Stupid, Thanks!

I read this article today. Scary China. I have to say that I really don't think this is something for the US to get their panties in a wad over. First of all, why would China's military be a threat to the US, or as the article states, "disrupt the traditional advantages of American forces"? Guess what? They hold the note on our debt to fund our military adventures! I think that's a pretty big advantage right there. We are also their number one trading partner. I don't think they are really going to invade.
Taiwan is threatened? Anyone reading the news will notice that Taiwan and China are enjoying a relationship unlike any they have ever had. There are flights to and from the two places. There is open trade. We watch Taiwan TV here! Expect improving relations that will culminate in some kind of Hong Kong type of arrangement. They were smart enough not to mess with Hong Kong's success. You still need to go through customs to go into Hong Kong. It has its own government.
If you are looking for answers to China's military buildup, you might want to look at the countries that border it:
  • Mongolia
  • Russia
  • North Korea
  • Vietnam
  • Laos
  • Myanmar
  • Bhutan
  • Nepal
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Afghanistan
  • Tajikistan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Kazakhstan
The US shares a border with Canada and Mexico, although Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house. Look at the size and scope of our military. Part of China's success has been to avoid stupid military incursions in the last 25 years.
I am not trying to defend its military buildup exactly, but if I shared a border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, I think it would be prudent to be prepared for the worst. This paranoid Times article is a little alarmist, and reflects an out of touch cold war mentality. What do they think we should do, borrow more money from China, so we can defend against them????

1 comment:

  1. I've seen some of China's military buildup first hand. Passing hundreds of semi trucks on the freeway at night carrying some BIG ordnance. With that said, it really didn't cause me much alarm. If I were a country in that part of the world, I'd want to be well armed also. Now, keep in mind that we were only about about 200 km from the North Korean border, but that's a whole different can of worms.

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