Pandemic Is But One of America's Security Concerns

Townhall.com ^ | April 23, 2020 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Kaslin]

The world was a dangerous place before -- and will be after -- the coronavirus pandemic.

While Americans debate the proper ongoing response to the virus and argue over the infection's origins, nature and trajectory, they may have tuned out other, often just as scary, news.

Many Americans are irate at China for its dishonest and lethal suppression of knowledge about the viral outbreak. But they may forget that China has other huge problems, too.

Its overseas brand is tarnished. Importers can never again be sure of the safety or reliability of Chinese exports. They will know only that their producer is a serial falsifier that is capable of anything to ensure power and profits.

Even China's vaunted propaganda machine that slanders its critics as racists and xenophobes no longer works. The sheer number of countries that have suffered huge human and financial losses from Chinese lying won't believe another word from Beijing.

How will China collect its Silk Road debts from now-bankrupt Asian and African countries? Most of them are accusing China of being racist and responsible for the global epidemic that wrecked the very economies from which China planned to harvest profits.

China was beginning to lose the trade war with the U.S. even before the virus struck. Americans think that China is huge, powerful and rich. In truth, Chinese per capita income is about a sixth of America's.

China produces only about two-thirds the nominal GDP of the United States despite having over four times as many people. Hundreds of millions of rural Chinese remain trapped in poverty.

[Theophilous Meatyard III]

Isolate China until they show that they are worthy of trust.

[tinyowl]

Good, simple VDH, thanks for posting!