As China grows and prospers many in the US want us to believe that China will follow the same path that the US itself pursued – global military aggression, the overthrow of numerous governments around the world and persecution of minorities at home. (A repost from February 2023.)

But the record so far suggests that China is different.

As former US senior diplomat Chas Freeman in Brown Political Review of 14 March, 2022 put it, China does not have a Monroe Doctrine like the US and does not think and behave like the US.

There’s not much evidence of China wanting to replace us. They are displacing us in some spheres because they’re big and growing and successful. Do they want to take on our global dominion and hegemony role? No, but we assert that they do. We posit that China thinks and behaves like us: “We had Manifest Destiny and it took us across the Pacific to the Philippines. Therefore, China must have a Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny in mind.” This is wrong. Things don’t work like that. So I would argue that we have inhaled our own propaganda, and we are living in the appropriately stoned state that that produces. If we have sound policies, we can out-compete anyone. But we’re not looking at sound policies; we’re looking at pulling down our competitor.

Read Freeman’s full interview: The Foreign Service, Diplomacy, and the US-China Fight for Primacy: An Interview with Chas Freeman

The US’ record of aggression

‘Our dangerous ally’ has been addicted to war and violence at home and abroad for centuries. It sees war as a means of holding and if possible enhancing its power and authority. War and the threat of war have been continuing features of US policy.

Apart from brief isolationist periods, the US has been almost always at war.

For over two centuries, the US has subverted and overthrown numerous governments. It has a military and business complex – a state within a state – that depends on war for influence and enrichment. Many of its Generals are out of control with their fear mongering.

Michael........

© Pearls and Irritations