Category Archives: China

08/16/21

The Biden Foreign Policy in Afghanistan, the Fallout

I do not intend to discuss or critique the recent events in Afghanistan other than to say that it is clearly not the highpoint of America’s foreign policy which at this instant is entrusted to our current POTUS.

The most pathetic image of an American President ever seen? Does this project power? Reliability? Confidence?

When the current POTUS was running for the job, we were assured that one of the mitigating factors of his half a century in the swamp was that he was an old and steady hand when it came to foreign policy — hmmm, maybe not so much, eh?

A single discordant voice was former Sec Def/Dir CIA Gates who opined that Joe Biden had been on the wrong side of every major foreign policy issue for the last four decades.

Today, President Biden takes great pride in the killing of Osama Bin Laden, a mission he opposed at the time.

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06/21/21

COVID Unequal Burdens

COVID has killed 600,000 people in the United States and devastated the economy.

In spite of these facts, there are some who have suffered more/less and there are those who have prospered, as unlikely as that seems.

This graph shows an interesting impact on wages of different segments of the population.

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02/12/21

Confucius Speaks With Forked Tongue

Beloved readers, China is spying on us whenever and wherever they can. Even President Biden has recently been heard to say, “China is going to eat our lunch!” This was after his recent chat with President Forever Xi of China.

Comes now the Confucius Institutes — Chinese government funded propaganda operations at American colleges and universities — which once totaled as many as 100 but are now down to 75 as college presidents recognize the danger these Chinese government entities represent.

“Haha, you can trust me. I’m Country Joe Confucius. Howdy!”

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08/22/20

China Ignoring The Obvious

As I think of China, it seems it was a short time ago when we had prominent politicians telling us that China was not our enemy.

Today, that statement seems to have been one of the most clueless utterances ever made. We know a different China today.

We know a China that has its Red Chinese Communist jackboots on the neck of Hong Kong, who murders its ethnic minorities, that runs re-education camps for dissidents before they even dissent, who steals a dozen atolls in the South China Sea and militarizes them, who lies about pandemic viruses they have let loose on the world, and who has cataloged their entire population in a brutal system that awards simple life benefits only to those who are helpful to and cooperative with the Communist regime whilst brutally punishing those who are not.

Jonathan Bartlett illustration for Foreign Policy

At the same time, we are on a sounder trade footing charging the Chinese billions in tariffs, beginning to repatriate strategic industries, and taking a more sober look at China in regard to their military footprint including Taiwan.

Interestingly, the Chinese are ordering, paying for, and receiving the largest agricultural orders in US-China history.

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08/17/20

Confucius Say — “Keep An Eye On China, Amigo”

Comes now the tale of the Chinese government’s Confucius Institutes. The United States has designated the seventy-five US-based Confucius Institutes as “foreign missions.”

This designation requires the Confucius Institutes to register with the US government, to identify and register their staffs, and to follow the restrictions normally placed on a diplomatic embassy.

Haha, you stupid Americans.

The United States recently did the same thing with Chinese media outlets who the US contends are Chinese state organs advancing China’s global propaganda and exerting a malign influence on America. <<< Remember this phrase.

It is long overdue.

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07/28/20

The Supply Chain Comes Home From China

The COVID19 episode exposed a critical weakness — the American supply chain (particularly medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing) was grounded so thoroughly in China that it could not serve the United States when it was desperately needed.

China prevented American companies from shipping product manufactured by American companies in China to the US.

Everyone was quick to say — “Bring the strategic supply chain back home to America!” 

Like a lot of good ideas, it requires real action to make real change. How could this obvious strategic move be instigated? Where would the leadership come from? How would it be funded?

I am pleased to report that this is, in fact, happening.

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05/28/20

Hong Kong — Mayday, Mayday, Mayday

Hong Kong is in its last days as an “autonomous” region and part of the “One China, Two Systems” promise. Dust off your funeral suit and dress.

China has cracked the whip and made obvious its intentions to slap the snot out of Hong Kong, to terminate its faux autonomous region nonsense, and to quell any nascent thoughts of freedom.

Let’s examine the time line.

 1. In 1997, the British lease for Hong Kong terminated. The Brits returned Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty based on the promise that Hong Kong would be an autonomous region, though part of China.

 2. As part of that transfer, the Chinese solemnly promised to govern Hong Kong by allowing its own legislature and leadership to continue part of a plan they called “One China, Two Systems.”

 3. This system was to prevail until 2047 — fifty years.

 4. Based on this arrangement, this promise, countries agreed to treat Hong Kong in a manner similar to how they had when the Brits ran the place.

 5. In current terms that means that when the US imposed tariffs on China, these same tariffs did not fall on Hong Kong.

 6. The relationship with Hong Kong was so tight, that almost 100,000 American citizens reside full time in Hong Kong.

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