The Chinese Civil War (1927-1949) was fought intermittently between the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Japan’s brutal occupation of China (1931-1945) required sustained periods of cooperation between the two warring factions to fight the Japanese. The Kuomintang was led by the corrupt, incompetent General Chiang Chieh-Shih and seductive, politically adroit wife .... aka Madame Chiang.
The CCP was shepherded by the fanatically effective Communist leader MAO Tse Tung.
Between Chiang’s incompetence on the field of battle, his corruption, and perhaps most importantly, Madame Chaing’s ability to seduce backing from Democratic power circles in Washington without performing on the field of battle or without winning the hearts and minds the Chinese people, the Kuomintang was doomed to defeat. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with a resounding Communist victory. That was the year that China went all Red.
Chiang, in a McArthuresque "I Shall Return" feint took his Kuomintang on the road and vacated the Chinese mainland for that isle of Democracy, known as Taiwan. The Chinese want their little isle back and have kept their eye on that ball since 1949. The Chinese Civil War in the eyes of the CCP will never be over until they reclaim Taiwan as theirs.
Through victory, MAO became the unitary leader of the world’s most populous nation. He also became the greatest mass murderer in history. Due to their love of Socialism, Communism, and Marxism, MAO became the darling of the American elite. He proved that in the marketplace with his best-selling T-shirt and poster image courtesy of Pop Art Diva Andy Warhol. I can assure you that the popularity of that image was not due to a land-office business by conservatives. Why didn't Andy paint Hitler? Click here to find out. After all, Hitler was only number three on the mass murderer list.
Between 1949 and 1999, the expansion of Chinese power and influence was a juggernaut. Even with all of China's exponential growth by hook, crook, and otherwise, the reality is that the China of 2021, was really a product “Made in the USA”.
How so? you ask. Because we gave it to them.
In each of the foundational technologies of the 21st century—artificial intelligence, semiconductors, 5G wireless, quantum information science, biotechnology, and green energy—China could soon be the global leader. In some areas, it is already No. 1.
Here are some frightening China vs U.S. production/industrial metrics:
China produces 50% of the world’s computers and mobile phones vs the U.S. 6%
China produces 70 solar panels for each 1 produced in the U.S.
China sells 4x the number of electric vehicles vs the U.S.
China has 9x the number of 5G base stations with speeds 5x as fast as U.S. equivalents
China is poised to overtake the U.S. as the global leader in Artificial Intelligence before 2030
US-born students are earning the same number of doctorates in AI-related fields as in 1990, while China is on track to graduate 2x as many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics PHDs as the U.S. by 2025
China now clearly tops the U.S. in practical AI applications including facial recognition, voice recognition, and fintech.
China's semiconductor production has surpassed the U.S. with its share up to 15% from less than 1% in 1990, while the US share has gone from 37% to 12% since 1990.
Are you worried yet? If not you should be. The list goes on and on...
The single greatest mistake ever made in the history of US Foreign Policy was allowing China into the World Trade Organization (WTO). At that time, China was a commodity dumping, trade cheating, nearly zero wage, slave driven economy. This observation is not post-game quarterbacking but was ardently but ineffectively resisted at the time by Conservatives of sound mind and clear vision. Corporate America however wouldn't have it any other way. Things haven't changed. Then, just as now, Corporate America scrapped any regard for the safety, security, and prosperity of America for their Faustian giveaway of America to the CCP.
It is true that the Chinese have stolen vital trade, military-industrial secrets, and intellectual property from America on an unprecedented scale. However, that theft is dwarfed by what we have voluntarily given them by trade secrets, market share, rights to "share", one-sided partnerships favoring the Chinese, and the fruits of our most vital R&D secrets and methodologies. Corporate America has been contractually required to give the store away in virtually every contract they have entered into to do business in China.
With the fall of The Soviet Union in 1991, America was enshrined as "the world’s sole remaining superpower". For thirty years we stopped running the race to win. The great Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back, Something may be gaining on you”. That wise epigram was meant to inspire those playing the game to never rest on their laurels, keep working, and play the game to win.
It has become an increasingly tough argument to stand by the proposition that "America is the most powerful country in the world”. We have been surpassed in virtually every strategic category of science, industrial production, financial wherewithal, scientific education, and R&D. It has become increasingly clear that China is now our military peer and perhaps our superior.
The China of 2021, couldn't and wouldn't exist without the complicity of Corporate America and its sycophantically pandering political class to grease the wheels of surrender to the CCP.
There is only one road back. We must take a trip to the American Lost and Found of the elemental ideas, the traditions, and determination that created formed America as the greatest country in the history of the world.
Time is running out.
-Emes