China Bad

The U.S. has no monopoly on manufacturing fear. In Japan, the current right-wing administration continues to promote its agenda and reinforce its grip on political power by invoking the threat of Chinese aggression.

Since World War II, a new constitution for Japan, largely written incidentally by the U.S. as victor in the war, specifically precludes Japan from engaging its military, meager as it now is, in anything but defense of the country on its own soil. The particular anti-military clause in the constitution is called Article 9.

It is under assault by the current right wing, nationalistic ruling party, creating a huge public clamor, widespread outrage at even thinking about eliminating this prohibition of war and pursuing a more aggressive military.

How is this happening?

The reason given for needing a military buildup is to counter mounting threats from North Korea and China. We'll get to North Korea soon but for now let's talk about China.

The right wing in Japan and a forgetful Japanese public apparently sees no irony in their concerns about a threat from China.

China has never attacked Japan. Some might claim the Mongol invasions in the 13^th Century contradicts this, but this wasn't a markedly Chinese initiative. In fact, China proper was also under threat by the Mongol hordes.

On the other hand, Japan brutally savaged China several times. The most infamous and horrifying example of this is referred to as the Rape of Nanking, a gruesome massacre by the invading Japanese army which occurred over six weeks starting December 13, 1937. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 innocent civilians and disarmed combatants were murdered in cold blood. Japan has refused to apologize and there are a few lunatics who refuse to acknowledge it ever happened, despite the overwhelming evidence.

And Japan is afraid of China?

Among the major nations of the world, China is among the least militarily aggressive. It attacked Vietnam over border disputes and sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, in what were by standards of real war mere minor skirmishes.

Compared to the aggressive policies of Japan and the U.S., both driven by imperial overreach, Chinas use of its military is trivial.

Japan started World War II, not China. Yes, China like every nation in the world except maybe Bhutan has had some conflicts with other countries. But let's look at some facts. The U.S. and allies, for reasons no one can remember now,killed over 3 million Vietnamese. It dropped twice as many bombs on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (Laos and Cambodia weren't even officially in the war) as it did in World War II in both Europe and Asia! The U.S. sprayed huge areas of South Vietnam with toxic chemicals, as if the Vietnamese were just insects, not humans. And it wasn't just Vietnam. The U.S. has destroyed Iraq, Libya, and Syria as functioning nations. Destroyed whole countries! The U.S. has overthrown over thirty governments in the last seven decades, many of them democratically elected. Not one of these countries had attacked the U.S., meaning this was unprovoked aggression.

America's relationship with China certainly isn't lily white either.

It goes back aways. Does the Boxer Rebellion ring a bell?

I was taught in high school world history class that this was an uprising against the West in China, specifically Beijing, which illegally seized power from the legitimate authorities, and was subsequently put down by Western powers with the help of Japan, to restore the proper order. It was a turn-of-the-20th Century example of the enlightened West fighting the evil of terrorism in a nation we held dear to us because of our mutually beneficial trade relations.

The truth is that China had been the victim of a vast opium trade, promoted by the West over several decades, which resulted in massive addiction and effectively a subjugation of China to economic manipulation and control by the West. The Boxer Rebellion was an attempt to reclaim the country from foreign control and eliminate the scourge of opium addiction and the resulting disintegration of Chinese society. The U.S. deployed war ships and marines giving initial support to the British to fight the Chinese. Eventually, Germany, Russia, Austria, Japan, and Australia joined in to suppress the rebellion. The U.S. was thus partially responsible for attacking those in China who were battling colonial tyranny by the West and Japan.

Xi Jinping, the current president of the People's Republic of China, as many other embittered Chinese scholars likewise do, refers to this era of addiction and enslavement as the Century of Humiliation. He has vowed to never allow China to be subjected to such disrespect again. This is what drives his foreign policy and what our historically ignorant politicos view as his "confrontational" policies and recalcitrance with the U.S.

China-bashers in the U.S. need to get some perspective before they accuse China of being aggressive. That would start by Americans take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.

Many Americans also accuse China of trying to take over the world. Are these the same people who handed over huge sectors of our manufacturing to China, gutting Americas own industrial base? Are these the same brilliant economic minds who rely on China to keep America solvent (China currently holds $859.4 billion in U.S. treasuries)? Yes, China is expanding its presence across the globe. But China's economic ascendency didn't require military might. Much of it directly resulted from the greed of U.S. corporate CEOs and the ingenious economic direction of American economists and government officials putting the interests of Wall Street and multinational corporations above the welfare of the United States. Much of it resulted from Chinas constructive and respectful policies, its win-win approach to working with other countries, its desire to build business partnerships, not military alliances.

Some accuse China of having an abysmal human rights record, of abusing its citizens and limiting their freedom, as if the U.S. was the angel on the hill.

To begin with, what business is that of America? It seems to me that its a matter that the Chinese people first and foremost need to deal with. Do you see millions of oppressed Chinese begging America to come to their aid? Besides, if were so principled, why do we do so much business with China? If we feel so bad about working conditions in China, why is it we have no problem with the products we buy in huge quantities -- iPhones, sneakers, toys, clothing, appliances, games, etc. -- being manufactured by these same, poor oppressed Chinese laborers, just so that we can save a few bucks on them at Walmart? Looks like a big steaming pile of hypocrisy to me.

More importantly, since when does the kettle get to call the frying pan black? China may not have a sterling human rights record. But just look at the U.S. America has been caught red-handed illegally spying on its citizens, conducting 24/7 unconstitutional invasions of our privacy. It prosecutes whistleblowers and even journalists, contrary to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The imprisoned are disproportionately people of color. Police in America kill their own citizens at an alarming rate. Unarmed black people are much more likely to be killed as unarmed white people.

Apparently, freedom in America is freedom to be spied on 24/7, the freedom to go to prison, the freedom to suck up state-sponsored propaganda, the freedom to complain about how horrific other countries treat their citizens, the freedom to get shot by the police, the freedom when possible to be white.

I don't want to be simplistic here. But frankly, much of the China bashing comes down to a mouthful of sour grapes. We demonized China for decades over their communist ideology, where the state owned and controlled every aspect of life. Prompted by a degree of failure of this narrow system, China liberalized and introduced elements of capitalism. While politically it's still at core a communist country, the economy is very much a hybrid affair. There are fast food restaurants -- Pizza Hut and McDonalds -- in Beijing. They have a stock market. They took the best from the west and kept the most productive elements of their own economic planning and are now thriving.

China may indeed be taking over the world. But theyre doing it fair and square, non-violently, comfortably within the parameters we hold ourselves to. But while America's economy is faltering, right now growing at a mere 1.2% per year, Chinas GDP is typically over 5% annually. As recent as 2007, Chinas GDP growth rate was over 14%. China surpassed the powerhouse Japanese economy to become the second largest in the world, and is on its way to overtaking the U.S. to become number one.

What is America proposing to do about it?

We have a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with competition: Confront, destabilize, overthrow.

If that doesn't work, start a war.

Free and fair competition is for sissies. Bring out the bombs!

But there's something to consider here.

Maybe inside the Washington DC bubble, the self-proclaimed rulers of the Universe feel comfortable immersing themselves in comic book delusions of easy conquest. Let's hope and pray these daydreamers come to their senses. China has been around for at least 4,000 years. They have some of the most advanced weaponry on the planet. China now has 600 nuclear weapons. They have the largest military force in the world, over 2 million soldiers in uniform.

China is not Grenada or Panama. Chinese do not want war. But they will defend themselves.

American citizens need to wake up and get their crazed, saber-rattling politicos under control before its too late.

Because it's patently obvious why, in the eyes of our war-crazed, arguably insane leaders, China is bad and must be crushed. For over three decades, the U.S. has wasted trillions of dollars on wars and unnecessary military expansion, while China has invested in its nation and its people.

The U.S. simply can't keep up now.

Jealousy gives off a very stinky odor, eh?

The U.S. will resort to the only way it knows to put salve on its wounds. Our deranged leaders are openly stating we will go to war with China.

Unless we the people stop this suicide mission.

[ This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, "America's Hijacked Peace Dividend", available late October or November at fine bookstores across the globe. ]