Is Communist China the No. 1 Threat to the United States?

[Rexedgar]

The greatest danger to America is the propaganda campaigns we are waging against ourselves and the fact that the media, including broadcast, social and cable, have all pretty much chosen sides.

The antidote to propaganda is truth and when nobody bothers to seek out the truth, much less tell it, we will inevitably succumb to our own hubris and hate.

The bolded is more of your biting sarcasm, right?

 

[Allan]

You really should spend some time in China. You would find that your view of China, Chinese people, and your idea of the views of the average Chinese citizen towards the United States is utterly divorced from reality.

Yup. The views of the average Chinese person toward America is quite positive.

 

[Jetboogieman]

The antidote to propaganda is truth

And that’s why you stand behind one of the greatest liars to ever be President?

 

[Antiwar]

The United States is “The Greatest Purveyor of Violence in the World Today”

MLK adopted Malcolm X's thinking? https://www.democracynow.org/2003/4/4/the_united_states_is_the_greatest

debatepolitics.com

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

China is "America's factory," which undercuts American jobs and thus affects (and heavily influences) our basic economy. It also gives major control over access to such goods which would be hard to retool and produce in the USA should China STOP producing. As we saw with things as simple as "PPE" during the start of the Covid-19 crisis.



That is one of the points I raise, which I lay a great part of the blame for on Chinese efforts as expressed in the OP.



That was true when most Americans believed in our "exceptionalism." However a growing number are being taught we are NOT "exceptional." That our history is a lie, our ideals are a lie, and that we are an "evil empire" destroying the environment and blighting the rest of the world.

Where did that spring up from over the last 40 years?

American ideals are a lie. American history proves that

There is nothing that China can do to the internal dynamics in the US that do not already exist. The riots over the last year regarding BLM and police shooting/abuse happened under Obama in certain cities, under Bush, Under Reagan. The African American public are not experiencing American Ideals regarding civil rights or there would not be the undercurrent of anger towards what the US is like.

 

[Lursa]

That was true when most Americans believed in our "exceptionalism." However a growing number are being taught we are NOT "exceptional." That our history is a lie, our ideals are a lie, and that we are an "evil empire" destroying the environment and blighting the rest of the world.

What, specifically, is 'exceptional' about Americans? Our form of govt 'could be' if carried out properly....but hey, we dug that failing pit ourselves...not China.

It sounds like some kind of supremacy or racism...how are American people more exceptional than French, Nigerians, Chileans, Thais, Chinese, Germans, Irish, Peruvians, Aussies, Latvians, etc?

I'd like to know because I see this indoctrination all the time, almost exclusively by the right, who are obviously insulted, even outraged, when another country demonstrates something 'better' than the US. In which case it is disputed immediately...or discounted as 'who cares?' The attitude seems highly immature and unrealistic.

 

[Captain Adverse]

China gives you access to low labour costs which make you competitive in the global marketplace. No China factories for US products and everyone in the world is using Samsung phones and Apple is something you eat.

We could get the same benefits from place like India which runs a close second in population, as well as other more amenable nations. But China still has the single largest population to be "exploited," wholly under the control of their central government. So why one wonders do our mega-corps focus so much there instead of elsewhere? I'd say that is addressed by my points on efforts at government and business influence.

This is just nonsense unworthy of reply.

It is only nonsense to those not following current events over the last four years.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Yes.

When it comes down to it, Russia is nothing but a mere annoyance. Like a fly orbiting your head non-stop. China, on the other hand, has shown it's not above pulling some very nasty shenanigans here in the US (putting spies near Congress critters and HUMINT corporate espionage just to name a couple)

My god the Chinese are spying on the US, stop the presses. A country is spying on other countries, and using spies

Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

[iguanaman]

Episode 45 of Captain Adversity’s warped view of reality.

And the all too predictable blind allegiance to the one term mistakes talking points. It's part of the cabals efforts to take the spotlight off the murderous thug with 1000's of ICBMs pointed at us while claiming he is building a doomsday weapon to blackmail the world. Nothing to see here...move along.

 

[Lutherf]

The bolded is more of your biting sarcasm, right?

Here's an example - https://nypost.com/2021/01/18/fbi-probes-if-capitol-rioter-stole-pelosi-laptop-to-sell-to-russia/

What part or parts of this story are truth and which are propaganda? Is the Post merely stating facts in this story or are they engaging in an effort to promote a certain sociopolitical agenda?

 

[OlNate]

Do you agree that Communist China is the No. 1 threat to the United States?

China as a national entity has lasted over 2000 years, and retains a fairly homogeneous culture despite small regional differences in language and history.

The Chinese, unlike members of typical Western cultures, look at most things in the long term; i.e. familial generations. They see the individual as less important than the future of the family as a whole. Thus they are willing to make personal sacrifices in the now to preserve and expand the wealth and influence of their family lines into the future.

Note that this is also the basic foundation of Socialism and Communism; that the individual is less important than that of the whole body of the people represented by “The State.” So IMO this translates into China’s “long view” when it comes to social, economic, and political policies. Also in how they see interaction with “foreign” systems.

IMO the political strife we are experiencing here in the USA these days is rooted in the expansion of Chinese socio-economic influences allowed for after Nixon “opened the door” to “normalize relations” in 1972. I believe that the Chinese Communist government has been financing political influence in our government, socialist ideology in our schools, and control of multi-national corporations via the market lure of their vast population.

We saw signs of it early on with the continuous efforts to hack American social security numbers, which in turn allowed access to financial and other personal information theft via that “national identification.”

Hacks of OPM databases compromised 22.1 million people, federal authorities say - The Washington Post

How 4 Chinese Hackers Allegedly Took Down Equifax | WIRED

We’ve seen it in their constant efforts at technology and intellectual property theft; via espionage, infiltration of U.S. centers of higher learning, or the simple expedient of requiring companies give access in order to do business in China.

The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies - Bloomberg

IMO this is coupled with Chinese efforts using billions of dollars garnered by unfair trade practices to fund politicians, key individuals at institutions of learning, and “grass roots” groups to spread socialism and undermine American idealism.

How China Infiltrated U.S. Classrooms - POLITICO Magazine

Chinese spies have targeted multiple members of Congress: Rep. Stewart | Fox News

Thus here we are today, with 1/3 of the population arguing for “radical change,” 1/3 of the population struggling to maintain “American Idealism,” and 1/3 of the population unsure of what is going on and sitting on the sidelines.

Recall, when the American Revolution began, between one fourth to one third of the population supported it, one fourth to one third opposed it, and one third to one half were on the sidelines.

Those numbers reflect the current division of the USA circa January 2021, and concerns voiced about the possible dissolution of the USA. How we got to this point over the last 40 years is concerning, and much can be laid at the feet of "opening up China" IMO.

So, is China the No. 1 threat to the USA?

Yes. (Please explain).

No. (Please explain).

Other. (Please explain).

I said no. While some of this would be concerning, there is no greater danger to America today than America itself.

 

[Captain Adverse]

What, specifically, is 'exceptional' about Americans? Our form of govt 'could be' if carried out properly....but hey, we dug that failing pit ourselves...not China.

It sounds like some kind of supremacy or racism...how are American people more exceptional than French, Nigerians, Chileans, Thais, Chinese, Germans, Irish, Peruvians, Aussies, Latvians, etc?

I'd like to know because I see this indoctrination all the time, almost exclusively by the right, who are obviously insulted, even outraged, when another country demonstrates something 'better' than the US. In which case it is disputed immediately...or discounted as 'who cares?' The attitude seems highly immature and unrealistic.

Oh geez, here comes the "Racism" non-argument. The last generalized ad hominem fallback of the Left.

Tagline time.

 

[Allan]

We could get the same benefits from place like India which runs a close second in population, as well as other more amenable nations. But China still has the single largest population to be "exploited," wholly under the control of their central government. So why one wonders do our mega-corps focus so much there instead of elsewhere? I'd say that is addressed by my points on efforts at government and business influence.

China's infrastructure is much more conducive to what American manufacturers need. India's a bit of a mess to do business in.

 

[Lutherf]

And that’s why you stand behind one of the greatest liars to ever be President?

I don't stand behind Trump and never have. I stand, as always, for the principles which have allowed this nation to become the greatest, most free nation the world has ever known. Where Trump stands for the same things, we stand side by side. Where we disagree we stand apart, not necessarily opposed but apart. Where others stand in opposition to those principles then I stand opposed to their ideas. I am rarely if ever opposed to or beholden to any person but I definitely take sides in the war on ideas.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

We could get the same benefits from place like India which runs a close second in population, as well as other more amenable nations. But China still has the single largest population to be "exploited," wholly under the control of their central government. So why one wonders do our mega-corps focus so much there instead of elsewhere? I'd say that is addressed by my points on efforts at government and business influence.



It is only nonsense to those not following current events over the last four years.

You do not understand economics or business very well

China has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure, education and other intangibles to become a manufacturing powerhouse. Roads, powerplants, airports, and ports are all part of the equation to become efficient in manufacturing along with the pool of qualified labor. India has not spent the money on infrastructure or education to be able to become an efficient manufacturer. Along those lines, China has built entire ecosystems to build a wide variety of products. Meaning you can find nearly everything required to build what ever you want in China, and get it built quickly

Now, the Chinese people on a day to day basis are as free as Americans, or Canadians. They can go to work, or not, they can go to a store, buy a car, sell a car, buy a house sell a house. They can quit working for this company to work for a different one, or they can start their own business and many do so

 

[OlNate]

China's infrastructure is much more conducive to what American manufacturers need. India's a bit of a mess to do business in.

Honestly, having worked in the automotive industry, I would rather deal with India... Just make sure you get your contract right from the start, as that will be the letter of law from then on out, and changing anything can be a pain in the ass.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Yup. The views of the average Chinese person toward America is quite positive.

I have spent a lot of time in China over the last 15 years or so and I don't think there are more welcoming people anywhere else on earth. There is no doubt that China is an economic competitor to the United States, and they sure as hell don't always play fair, but China has no interest in a worldwide military empire, and the Chinese people have no interest in being our enemy.

 

[Captain Adverse]

American ideals are a lie. American history proves that.

WRONG!

American idealism is a truth which many Americans live every day. Not ALL American's though, as IMO many would seek to undermine those ideals for personal advancement.

There is nothing that China can do to the internal dynamics in the US that do not already exist. The riots over the last year regarding BLM and police shooting/abuse happened under Obama in certain cities, under Bush, Under Reagan. The African American public are not experiencing American Ideals regarding civil rights or there would not be the undercurrent of anger towards what the US is like.

I am an American who also happens to be "black," not an "African-American." I was not born in Africa. I don't speak any African languages. I know no African cultural mores.

Now if I were from Uganda, Nigeria, or any other African nation and immigrated to the USA, I might call myself "African-American." But I chose to be recognized not by my ancestry, but by my land of birth and the rights appending to citizenship.

It is divisive efforts like that and others seeking to "separate" American's into competing groups which is the real problem in trying to maintain a civil and truly "equal" society.

 

[Peter]

An invasion of the US just isn't going to happen by anyone anytime soon.

Even if China spent the next 20 years building up armed forces to a point where they could win the cost of that win would be so high as to make it not worth it.
China itself would be in ruins even if the use of nuclear weapons was somehow avoided.
There's honestly zero reason to invade when they can get pretty much all the benefits from just peaceful trading with the US and Europe.

Invasion would be suicidal insanity.

 

[Fearandloathing]

The bolded is more of your biting sarcasm, right?

Now days, it's not the Chinese, nor Russians or North Korea. The United States is the most powerful enemy of the United States.

 

[Mashmont]

Do you agree that Communist China is the No. 1 threat to the United States?

China as a national entity has lasted over 2000 years, and retains a fairly homogeneous culture despite small regional differences in language and history.

The Chinese, unlike members of typical Western cultures, look at most things in the long term; i.e. familial generations. They see the individual as less important than the future of the family as a whole. Thus they are willing to make personal sacrifices in the now to preserve and expand the wealth and influence of their family lines into the future.

Note that this is also the basic foundation of Socialism and Communism; that the individual is less important than that of the whole body of the people represented by “The State.” So IMO this translates into China’s “long view” when it comes to social, economic, and political policies. Also in how they see interaction with “foreign” systems.

IMO the political strife we are experiencing here in the USA these days is rooted in the expansion of Chinese socio-economic influences allowed for after Nixon “opened the door” to “normalize relations” in 1972. I believe that the Chinese Communist government has been financing political influence in our government, socialist ideology in our schools, and control of multi-national corporations via the market lure of their vast population.

We saw signs of it early on with the continuous efforts to hack American social security numbers, which in turn allowed access to financial and other personal information theft via that “national identification.”

Hacks of OPM databases compromised 22.1 million people, federal authorities say - The Washington Post

How 4 Chinese Hackers Allegedly Took Down Equifax | WIRED

We’ve seen it in their constant efforts at technology and intellectual property theft; via espionage, infiltration of U.S. centers of higher learning, or the simple expedient of requiring companies give access in order to do business in China.

The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies - Bloomberg

IMO this is coupled with Chinese efforts using billions of dollars garnered by unfair trade practices to fund politicians, key individuals at institutions of learning, and “grass roots” groups to spread socialism and undermine American idealism.

How China Infiltrated U.S. Classrooms - POLITICO Magazine

Chinese spies have targeted multiple members of Congress: Rep. Stewart | Fox News

Thus here we are today, with 1/3 of the population arguing for “radical change,” 1/3 of the population struggling to maintain “American Idealism,” and 1/3 of the population unsure of what is going on and sitting on the sidelines.

Recall, when the American Revolution began, between one fourth to one third of the population supported it, one fourth to one third opposed it, and one third to one half were on the sidelines.

Those numbers reflect the current division of the USA circa January 2021, and concerns voiced about the possible dissolution of the USA. How we got to this point over the last 40 years is concerning, and much can be laid at the feet of "opening up China" IMO.

So, is China the No. 1 threat to the USA?

Yes. (Please explain).

No. (Please explain).

Other. (Please explain).

China and the US Marxists are the biggest threats to the US. And they, of course, are on the same team.

United States is the number one threat to America.

Only the leftwing cancer within.

 

[Allan]

I have spent a lot of time in China over the last 15 years or so and I don't think there are more welcoming people anywhere else on earth. There is no doubt that China is an economic competitor to the United States, and they sure as hell don't always play fair, but China has no interest in a worldwide military empire, and the Chinese people have no interest in being our enemy.

I worked and lived in China for years. Our HO was in Beijing but we had business all over, much of it in the south. Corruption is something you have to watch for but it's not as bad as India in my professional opinion. The company I worked for pulled out of India because we couldn't get the monkey business under control.

The important thing about China is to understand their culture which could not be more different than other parts of Asia. Once you've got that things go much more smoothly

 

[Dragonfly]

The biggest threat to the US is the US.

We are no longer United, therefore we are truly at greatest risk from within.

 

[Allan]

China and the US Marxists are the biggest threats to the US. And they, of course, are on the same team.

The rest of us have moved on bud.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

You do not understand economics or business very well

China has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure, education and other intangibles to become a manufacturing powerhouse. Roads, powerplants, airports, and ports are all part of the equation to become efficient in manufacturing along with the pool of qualified labor. India has not spent the money on infrastructure or education to be able to become an efficient manufacturer. Along those lines, China has built entire ecosystems to build a wide variety of products. Meaning you can find nearly everything required to build what ever you want in China, and get it built quickly

Now, the Chinese people on a day to day basis are as free as Americans, or Canadians. They can go to work, or not, they can go to a store, buy a car, sell a car, buy a house sell a house. They can quit working for this company to work for a different one, or they can start their own business and many do so

Yeah having spent a lot of time in China over the last 15 years, a lot of people have the wrong idea about what life in China is like. In some ways, you have more personal freedom in China than you do in most western countries. However, the Hukou System is a huge limit on personal freedom in China.

That all said, travel around China and look at the country's infrastructure, the amount of entrepreneurship, and their work ethic, and you will be left with thinking that we really need to get our shit together in the United States. People like the opening post are worried about all the wrong things when it comes to competing with China. We simply are not making near the kind of investments in our infrastructure here that they are in China, and in the end, that is how they will out-compete us.