In 1933, Winston Churchill knew that Nazi Germany was on the rise and that the world would soon see its darkest days. But his colleagues considered him a fool. The very thought of another world war was ridiculous. After all, Germany was a peaceful nation and was economically dependent on the rest of Europe. Why would they want another war? Of course, history shows that around 75 million people died as a result of World War II.
In the summer of 1936, Berlin hosted one of the most impressive Olympic shows in history. The Nazi government's chief architect, Albert Speer, spent the equivalent of several million dollars to redesign Berlin so it would be both impressive and welcoming. They beautified the city, making the darker aspects of their totalitarian government disappear, hiding their racist ideology from worldview and rounding up every dissenter they could before the big show. When the opening ceremonies occurred, world audiences were impressed by the grandiosity of the buildings and the vigor and unity of the German people. Sound familiar?
During China's preparation for the Beijing Olympics 72 years later, the Chinese government spent more than $53 billion to beautify the city and build the Olympic village. And who was their chief architect? None other than Albert Speer Jr., who stated that his plans for Beijing are "far grander than my father's ever were for Berlin." The Chinese government spared no expense in their preparations for this grand, internationally televised event. They similarly cracked down on any dissenters, their human rights atrocities carefully hidden from public view. However, when the festivities began, the world forgot about the brutality and enjoyed the carefully planned show. And what a show it was!
We tend to point to the Middle Eastern countries or Russia as our main future rivals. But when you look beyond rhetoric to reality, China emerges as the true threat. It is a nation whose people make up one-fifth of the world's population, a nation that has a total base military potential equal to the entire US population, according to the CIA World Factbook. And it is a nation that is still growing.
Soon, the Chinese will be in a position to battle the United States for trade supremacy. China's economy grows at nearly five times that of the U.S. rate, and at current rates will surpass us within 12 to 17 years. Nearly every industry utilizes products made in China. While the U.S. economy obsesses over ideas and intellectual property, China is building a solid economy, based upon manufacturing and exports, which is both stable and efficient. And while the U.S. debt nears $10 trillion, one-eighth of which the nation owes to China, the Chinese government reported a surplus of more than $1 trillion this year. What would happen to the U.S. economy if China decided to dump its $340 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds and other reserve assets? Some officials believe that China may be releasing some of the currency they hold, with the intention of further weakening our economy during the current crisis (Voice of America News, China Daily, U.S. Treasury, Bloomberg).
What about the many private investments that China has in the United States, like the $3 billion in the private equity firm Blackstone Group? Research shows that because the U.S. dollar is weakening internationally, many foreign nations, particularly China, are quick to purchase U.S. assets and companies. Many workers in the U.S. have no idea that they actually work for the Chinese government.
But economics isn't the only way China presents a grave threat to the U.S. In my next column, we will explore how China's totalitarian government, its massive military and its nearly impeccable global strategy give it an upper hand over the U.S. strategically as well.
Michael Cartier is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a conservative columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
