CHECKING CHINA
A democracy like that which exists in America produces oscillating government. That is unfortunately the reality of our system. With each change in executive administration or party majority in Congress comes the rescinding of past policies and the adoption of new ones, which aim in a different direction. It can be both a blessing and a curse, as the will of the people is expressed, albeit sometimes at the expense of consistent, efficient government. It can prevent us from effectively countering emerging threats because we often fail to agree on the best method to address them.
China, by contrast, is not a free country, and the Chinese people cannot as easily influence the direction of their government. The CCP uses the single-party, authoritarian model to its greatest advantage. They do so by exerting absolute control over policy and by severely restricting the social freedoms of their people. Unfortunately, such restrictions allow for extremely steady government. The Chinese leadership has so-far been able to plan every step of their economic, technological, and military growth. They are now a world superpower. They sacrifice personal freedom for maximized efficiency and long-term planning. The success of modern China, and the authoritarian model it champions, is the single greatest threat to our American way of life, to our dominance of the global market, and to the post-war peace.
I feel strongly that we must craft defense policy that counters a rising China. Moreover, it must be a bi-partisan issue, for to successfully combat them, it will take a fight on all fronts, including trade, in the cyber realm, and with the military. The Chinese continue to wage an economic war against us. They steal our technology and harness our industry and innovation to their advantage, and violate our digital privacy as well. They are rapidly expanding their military capabilities on land, air and sea. They invest heavily in missile technology designed to combat U.S. forces and refuse to cease dredging strategic island outposts in the South China Sea, which act as an effective blockade for our carrier fleets. This aggression is inexcusable. It is vital that we become objective in our judgement and swift and fierce in the actions we take to suppress their encroachment. We can no longer afford to stymie ourselves – if we cannot unite around a plan both parties agree on, the Chinese will continue to take advantage of our lack of cohesion and encroach unopposed.
I want to learn more about America’s current military capabilities, so that I can help create defense policy which best enhances our forces and best attempts to tackle the growing threat that China poses.