Why Won't GOP Candidates Talk About China?

Richard Seireeni, Why Won't GOP Candidates Talk About China?

In the run up to the Republican Convention, we've heard everything and nothing. We've heard Newt, Mitt and Ron go on about issues that have little if any impact on jobs and national security, but not a single word about the real reason we have massive and permanent unemployment. We've heard very little about the greatest national security threat facing our nation. That problem is unfair, unbalanced trade with the People's Republic of China.

In 2010, we imported 364 billion dollars in goods from China while we exported only 91 billion to them. That is nearly a 4 to 1 trade imbalance...

With capital and technology that came from the West, China has become the factory to the world in less than 20 years. The Chinese people have become admirable competitors, but their hybrid Totalitarian-Capitalist government is not our friend. They don't share our philosophies on human rights, labor rights, or geo-political issues, like containment of Iran's nuclear ambitions. In fact, China is a major importer of Iranian oil, in opposition to U.S.-sponsored trade restrictions, and has probably received access to our recently downed drone aircraft as a reward.

While GOP candidates are preoccupied with Terrorism and Obamacare, the People's Liberation Army has been quietly developing a new advanced stealth fighter, Predator-style drones, the first in a planned fleet of blue water aircraft carriers, an advanced rocket and space program, and a growing nuclear arsenal. Those cheap consumer products have turned China into a super power one purchase at a time. Every time an American patriot buys a Made-in-China product at Walmart, he or she is investing in China's military expansion, which forces us to invest more in our military to counter the threat.

... If you didn't read the label on your new toaster, you'd never know that you are helping the PRC send a rocket to the moon.

Supporters of free trade, whose views dominate in right-wing think tanks, will argue that unfettered trade floats all boats, but in our trade with China, their boat is rising much, much faster. Ours, in fact, is sinking...

What most Americans don't realize is that we buy high-tech consumer goods from China while the few exports we ship to China are mostly grains, raw materials and scrap. It appears that we are the Third World country and China is among the First...

Chinese have a right to build their economy, but we do not have an obligation to build China's military and worldwide political power.

Via: Chris Lewis

File under: Chinese goods are not cheap.