[Last Dakotan]

Here's a different idea - how about we turn back Chinese trade before they destroy our economy rather than build $7 Billion Destroyers? A tariff on all Chinese products equal to their manipulation of the currency would go a long way.

We used to defeat Communism by show of force before we started accommodating them by turning over our manufacturing base.

[American in Israel]

I think the best way to fix the currency manipulation issue with China is to stop doing it ourselves. China would be a lot less likely to invade if we would stop printing money like it was toilet paper and destroying all the hard currency that China worked long and hard to earn.

A healthy marketplace does a lot more to appease your neighbor than ripping him off.

[andy58-in-nh]

A tariff on all Chinese products equal to their manipulation of the currency would go a long way.

If we did that, two things would happen - an instant increase in the price of so many consumer goods that it would depress sales, hurting American consumers and throwing tens- if not hundreds of thousands more out of work. China would further retaliate by calling in our debt (which they may do anyway), with our Treasury monetizing the payout, further weakening the dollar while increasing the cost of foreign oil.

There is no question that China's trade policies are unfair, but they are increasingly unsustainable as their own debt rises and as our economy slowly slips into another recession. Even today, real Chinese GDP (not the fake "reported" GDP) appears to be falling substantially. The real way to fight them is to make ourselves more competitive in domestic manufacturing, production and trade - which means lower taxes, less regulation at all levels, and fewer barriers to entry... none of which Barack Obama will ever, ever support, of course.

As to the $7 billion destroyer, I have to question the wisdom of spending such sums on an admittedly potent (and very cool) defense platform when we're broke. Maybe we should think about securing our national borders first. Can we build a reliable fence for $7 billion?