Professional Kaplan is 70% correct
Yes, there will be turbulent time ahead for Sino-American Relationship in this century. Professional Robert Kaplan's Op-Ed piece and his latest essay in Foreign Affairs and Atlantic Monthly highlighted concerns and challenges for the world's two superpowers as they compete rigorously for resources and geo-political influences. I offer no opinion on Professor Kaplan's speculations as to what may or may not drive this competition/collaboration forward in the coming half century; however, I would like to outline specific steps in an action plan that can ensure our success when dealing with a rising Chinese Superpower.
Firstly, America must not forgo its position as the perennial-dominating superpower (economic, political, technological, cultural, spiritual and moral) in the world and especially across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. This position requires dedication, discipline and self-sacrifice to an arcane set of ideals (e.g., democratic values, human rights, individual freedom, free and fair trade without barriers, increasing productivity through innovations and efficiency, others). Second, Americans must learn to work smarter and harder for less short term individual rewards for the greater common good. Consumers must buy less, save and invest more across the developed world. For the past 30+ years, baby boomers in the US, Europe and Japan have dramatically increased consumption and spending through debt, while our government has been too cowardly to take action. The current crisis faced by Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland as well as California, Illinois, Michigan and other states testify boldly to this sad fact. It still amazed me to see how much time and money Americans waste on watching football, baseball, basketball and hockey games while neglecting critical shortfalls (education, infrastructure, energy and civil order) in their communities and nation. The idea that as long as I am doing okay, then the hell with everyone else doesn't wash anymore. Similarly, the notion that our government or someone else who may smarter and more able to find solutions to all of our problems is but naive and selfish denial of responsibilities. It is time that Americans (especially those between the age of 14 and 50) stop watching Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday football and baseball games and start investing their time, talents and energy into productive avenues to improve themselves and their communities. Unless we want to follow in the same path as Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, we need to transform ourselves to compete rigorously against our competitors from China and other emerging nations.
Thirdly, our government must adopt a proactive and long-term strategy to deal with unfair trading practices of Chinese companies and government. If the Chinese Communist Party (CCPC) treats an American or an allied company unfairly, our government should retaliate tit-for-tat by singling out Chinese companies with special relations to senior members within the CCPC politburo with penalties and restrictions. If one of our companies (e.g., Google) faces unreasonable restrictions in China, we can target a Chinese company (e.g., Hua Wei) with similar restrictions in the world market. Lets face it, if the US government tell our allies that Hua Wei is not to receive any contract, our friends will be hard pressed to award a bid. It's a case of hard ball, bullying business practice, but guess who's the biggest and meanest bully in the block. The US government can sway political and commercial interests far more effectively than the CCPC. The clear fact is that we need to exert our dominance whenever necessary without fear of another superpower like China. Commercial conflicts are necessary and much preferred over a military one; if the circumstances require it, we must be ready, willing and able to fight as well.
Now, that brings us to the fourth tenet of my action plan against China. I will elaborate further on a military-political-diplomatic doctrine that will not only ensure our success in a sustained confrontation but will portend victory before a single shot is fired. Stay tune for my next posting.
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