Continuing on in the same vein as yesterday, Josh Rogin’s Washington Post column today notes that the entire world is coming to a realization that should have been obvious all along:
The Chinese government’s gross mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic is changing attitudes on China across countries and inside governments around the world. The question is whether the United States can take advantage of this moment to work with allies and partners to help them reset their relationships with Beijing — for their own protection as well as ours.
Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s worldwide propaganda campaign, attitudes across the globe are souring as people realize how the Chinese government’s misguided policies have made their suffering worse. Beijing’s early coverup, its ongoing refusal to share critical scientific information and honest data, and its use of aid and economic levers to reward political loyalty or punish critics are shocking to all. The Communist Party regime will do anything to protect its own interests, regardless of the damage to public health.
concluding
What would really help countries such as Britain make the right decision on Huawei and China overall would be a U.S. commitment to work with them on a safe 5G alternative.
Then the Trump administration should go to every other country that is waking up to the reality and risks of dealing with China and propose better cooperation in pushing Beijing to stop its coronavirus-related and various other misbehaviors.
The Faustian bargain many countries made to do business with China is costing them dearly. But only through a truly international, competitive strategy can the United States ensure the world finally understands the true nature of the CCP and the dangers it poses to our people.
One can only wonder at the Chinese authorities’ truculent responses to Australia, Britain, and the U. S. I think they have fully observed the guidance that the most useful equipment with which to face life is effrontery. They have erred; they have compounded their error by deliberate prevarication and now are assuming a stance somewhere between injured innocence and truculence.
I think this suggests that the Chinese authorities realize they are in a weak position that is likely to become worse.
“Chinese authorities realize”
And if they do realize they’ll double down on present strategies.
It’s intuitive that a centrally organized, harmonious society will out perform a freewheeling, criminal, dog eat dog society of greedy, ruthless, rent seeking, arm twisting, disloyal, selfish profiteers. (That’s us, BTW).
It’s intuitive and China’s leaders are communist true believers incapable of seeing past that.
As you like to say, fasten your seatbelts.
It may be intuitive but it’s also incorrect. A centrally planned society lacks the price cues that allows efficient allocation of resources.
‘It’s intuitive that a centrally organized, harmonious society will out perform a freewheeling, criminal, dog eat dog society of greedy, ruthless, rent seeking, arm twisting, disloyal, selfish profiteers.’
The problem with a centrally planned economy is that it reduces the number of selfish profiteers to a very dangerously low level. And gives them complete authority without responsibility, since it’s always other people’s money they’re spending. That’s one reason why China has no R & D and has to keep stealings ours to keep ‘innovating’.
The Middle Kingdom has always been arrogant ever since its first Empire was created. They’ve not graduated to threatening US Senators who called them out. Unfortunately they have a lot of money, and it’s been used to buy apologists all over the globe. Recently Governor I-really-tried-to-kill-all-the-Grannies-but-got-caught-doing-it (Cuomo) recently spouted off about the ‘European’ virus.
‘A centrally planned society lacks the price cues that allows efficient allocation of resources.’
Price cues are the mark of a running dog plutocratic society. Complete harmony and agreement (with the Ultimate Leader) is the only way to achieve anything / sarc
Of more concern to me is the highly jingoistic, highly inflammatory language on all sides.
Also, today, the US government has taken steps to cut off Huawei from US and EU chip suppliers. This is an attempt to destroy the Chinese company.
We are getting close to FDR’s policy to shutdown the Japanese economy to try to force them out of China. That led to war.
Or more dangerously and likely — they think they are in a strong position and getting stronger; that the coronavirus shows how ineffective Western governments are and how divided Western societies have become.
The risk of miscalculation from misunderstanding is very real.
The President has let slip that the pentagon is building “17 times super duper high speed missilesâ€. He compared that to Russia’s’ 5 times and China’s’ 5 or 6 times missiles.
So we got that going for us.