There is nothing more bitter than to be sitting at the
highest point of the food chain, and then see yourself slide down the totem
pole where you fear you'll soon become someone's meal.
In the old days, the established empires that lost to
a rising power, came down in one fell swoop and were eaten as quickly as a lion
devours a wildebeest. But since Rome cum Eastern Roman Empire cum Byzantium cum
Ottoman Empire, various empires that used to be colonial masters, came down in
agonizingly slow motion as if they were eaten alive by insects and rodents.
This is why the Ottoman empire came to be known as the sick man of Europe.
What you have now is an America that sits at the
highest point of the food chain, but feels wobbly and fears sliding down the
totem pole to an uncertain future where it could be welcomed by a lion, a bunch
of insects and rodents or by the fire spitting dragon of a rising China.
You see a reflection of this fear in the article that
came under the title: “How China pushes for world dominance,” and the subtitle:
“With billions in investments and a stolen technology base, China is no
friend.” It was co-authored by John Barrasso and Martha McSally both of whom
are U.S. Republican Senators. Their article was published on June 18, 2020 in
The Washington Times.
True to form, the two senators began the article by
attacking China, not because it has committed a crime or some such thing, but
because they say they know what China is thinking. Well then, do they believe
that China thinks of committing a crime or some such thing? No, no, it's not
that, they assure the readers. It’s only that China wants to compete against
America in the fields of the economy, military might and international
influence. And the Chinese intend to win the battle fairly and squarely. Can
you imagine the gall these people must have?
Look what else of China's doings the two American
legislators are whining about:
“China's 2050 plan is designed to unseat the United
States as the world's superpower. It is backing up that plan with hundreds of
billions of dollars of investments around the globe and the creation of a
domestic technology base. We gave China most-favored nation trading status in
2000. China's leaders don't care about free markets. They don't care about the
rule of law. And they don't care about peace. They simply want dominance. U.S.
industries and American jobs moved to China. All this must end now”.
Barrasso and McSally regret that America helped China
prosper when it was poor. But they also lament that China is now helping other
poor nations to prosper like it did. Do they believe that China will someday
come to regret helping these nations? What kind of logic is this?
Barrasso and McSally also regret that American
industries, knowhow and technology have moved to China. But where were these
two when America's struggle to become an exceptional nation, caused the brain
drain from the rest of the world to come pouring into America's industries,
knowhow and technology? Have the two senators looked at their own statistics
which reveal that the immigrants, many of whom are Chinese, create most of the
new jobs in America's hi-tech industries? Do Barrasso and McSally regret that
too?
And while they whine, lament and regret what they
claim they know about the Chinese thinking, the two Americans do not hide what
they themselves are thinking. Here is a sample of that: “It's time for America
to ratchet up our influence in Asia.” That is, what they contend is sinful for
the Chinese to practice, they contend is virtuous for the Americans to
practice. There is a term that describes this attitude; it is double standard.
But whereas the mighty can practice the “might is
right” philosophy, and impose on others what they do not accept will be imposed
on them, they will get away with some form of double standard because power
allows them to make the one-sided rules that favor them … but not for ever.
This uneven condition will last until such time that the mighty will begin to
slide down the totem pole, as they surely will.
In fact, this is the point in the cycle of the rise
and fall of empires that America finds itself at this time. And so, while it
struggles to maintain the posture of a superpower, it recognizes that, “China
pushes for world dominance,” because China is confident that America has not
the power to stand in its way.
Aware of this reality, is it wise for America to
choose challenging China at this time and risk becoming the sick man of Asia,
instead of trying to accommodate the rising Asian power; which America can
easily do by voluntarily relinquishing some of the perks it used to enjoy while
reigning as sole superpower?