How to Beat the Chinese
 
 

Currently in America the debate rages over what kind of steps must be taken to conclude the situation we now face with the Chinese government.  As one might predict, the conservatives advocate a hard-line stance, with threat of military action, and the liberals agitate for a diplomatic solution in which America accepts some responsibility for the incident, as China demands.

Certainly either approach would eventually move to a conclusion, but neither to our satisfaction.  In fact, no direct negotiation with China can effect anything other than the start of a very long, very dangerous cold war.  In other words, nothing can now stop the downward spiral of retaliation, since one side or the other must lose in this game.  There is no going back now: the cold war is already engaged.

The reason we will not satisfactorily negotiate a deal with China is that China is the symptom, not the root cause, of our global problem.  Bush is in a cage of his own making.  He stands only two short steps away from destroying the Chinese position in this incident, but his administration will not make those steps.  If he did, the Chinese would be back in that cage of their own making, from which they were recently released by Bush himself.  The secret comes from Chinese defense technique: let the enemy fall on his own weight.

Here is how to kick the support from beneath Beijing.  First, look at the big picture.  There are two very serious issues facing greater Eurasia right now, both environmental.  The first is the degradation of Russia's current nuclear arsenal and facilities.  One need only look at Chernobyl, at the poisoned rivers which ran through both Eastern and Western Europe for several years, along with skyrocketing cancer and human mutation rates following the accident, to understand of what the Europeans are afraid.  The second is global warming, which may sound strange to we here in America, since we are not yet as greatly affected as are the Europeans.  But the weather patterns on the Eurasian continent have changed dramatically over the last several years, with devastating effects, and more to come.  They are becoming, understandably, increasingly fearful of the future.

I have already noted how the Bush administration squandered our support on the continent.  First, by withdrawing our negotiations with the Russians, forcing them to play their single ace in the hole: a deal with the Chinese for their nukes and their technology; and second, by withdrawing from any proposals designed to reduce American-produced greenhouse gasses, angering just about every single nation in Europe.  This is the source of the problem.  China by itself is not a huge threat, even with its large fighting population, but an alliance with Russia and its nuclear know-how spells immediate danger for the U.S.  Couple that with an anti-American sentiment in formerly friendly nations abroad, and we now see the result.  Have you heard any foreign leader express support for the American position?  Me neither.  Bush wanted to be tough, and instead handed power to China and put us in a cage.  It is the first result of ignoring the will of the people.

But we could regain our position and isolate China again in a week, if we took two steps.  First, send an emissary to Russia.  Tell them that we do not want to risk another cold war, and that we will open negotiations over nuclear disposal and humanitarian aid with them again provided they break off all negotiations with the Chinese.  Second, float a proposal in Europe - however vaguely worded - suggesting a commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gasses in America, as Bush promised he would do on the campaign trail anyway.

If the Bush administration would take those two rather simple steps, in a weeks time China would have lost everything that it now hopes to gain from Russia, and would face united European - and Russian - opposition to its confrontation with America.  China would crash on its own weight, this cold war crisis would be over, and the Chinese would not be in any position to threaten the U.S. for many years to come.

And that, dear readers, is how to beat the Chinese.  Wanna bet Bush wouldn't even consider such actions?  Perhaps now is a good time to ask yourself why this is so...
 

April 5, 2001