The New York Times
Asia Pacific
By HELENE COOPER, MICHAEL WINES and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: November 14, 2009
This article is by Helene Cooper, Michael Wines
and David E. Sanger.
When President Obama visits China for the first time on Sunday, he will, in many ways, be assuming the role of profligate spender coming to pay his respects to his banker.
That stark fact — China is the largest foreign lender to the United States — has changed the core of the relationship between the United States and the only country with a reasonable chance of challenging its status as the world’s sole superpower. …
While the description as “profligate spender” is a bit askew, the authors do take note of the U.S. Government’s recognition of China as a significant investor in America. That is a tremendous improvement over the past American administration.
The Chinese Government likely considers the U.S. as a safe place to invest. The BIG INVESTOR and a SAFE PLACE TO INVEST ought to be a common ground upon which to start a round of conversations.
But the neocons were different.
Turn off your “common sense” latch for awhile as we try to follow the thought patterns of imaginary latter-day neocons. We might come up with this scenario:
BOSS: “It sure would be nice to own OUTER SPACE wouldn’t it? ASSISTANT: “Yes boss”. BOSS: “I hereby claim outer space for America”. ASSISTANT: “But boss, the United Nations says you can’t do that”. BOSS: “The United Nations ain’t nothing but a god…”. “Oh no, that’s the United States Constitution that is the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] piece of paper”. But if the United Nations wants to challenge the strongest man on earth, then let it. ASSISTANT: Right boss.
Keep in mind that China is a very significant American investor and like the leaders of most countries would like to have respect. But respect is not needed on battlefields. Respect might be needed by diplomats but the neocons “don’t do diplomacy too good”.
And when the Bush Doctrine claimed OUTER SPACE, the “TELL AMERICA” press spoke of that BOLD move by Mr. Bush, while the Chinese military shot down one of their aging satellites. That act, of shooting down their own satellite, not only showed military skill but also it was a rebuff to the strongest man on earth. The Chinese military failed to get permission from the new owner of outer space prior to shooting down their aged satellite.
How did the neocons respond? Two battleships showed up in the Hong Kong area requesting permission to dock. Docking permission was not granted. But no new war broke out.
Would you – to your biggest and best banker – put your thumb in your nose and wave the other four fingers at him? Of course you would not. Common sense would tell you not to. But the neocons are different.
China next published some of the facts about its large investments in America along with the possibility of moving some of it out of America. The dollar responded but the neocons did not. The dollar took a dive. The neocons might have retreated into their IN-DENIAL state.
Joejolly’s post “Bush Team Report Card – Outer Space Policy” contains references to some of the antics of the neocons during their peculiar relationship with OUTER SPACE and the Chinese government.
It’s about time that America removed its WILD WEST persona and returned to what the world had finally become accustomed to prior to the neocons.
The neocons are in a class by themselves
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Tags: china, largest foreign lender, neocons, president obama, safe place to invest
