US trade war with China - desperate move to save western empire
By Andre Vltchek
Most of those who have had a chance to witness Chinese internationalist mega-projects, clearly understand that the West is near to collapsing; it will never be able to compete with tremendous enthusiasm and progressive spirit of the most populous country on earth, which on top of it, is built on socialist principles (with Chinese characteristics).
Writing this essay in rural Laos, I just saw, literally an entire army of Chinese engineers and workers in action, building huge bridges and tunnels, connecting one of the poorest countries in Asia, to both China and Southeast Asia, erecting hospitals and schools, small factories for the rural population, airports and hydro-electric powerplants or in brief: putting the great majority of Laotian people out of poverty by providing them with both livelihood and infrastructure.
China does precisely this all over the world, from the tiny South Pacific island nations to African countries, plundered for centuries by Western colonialism and imperialism. It helps Latin American nations that are in need, and while it does all that, it is also quickly growing into a middle class, ecologically and culturally responsible nation; a nation which is likely to eradicate all extreme misery very soon, most likely by the year 2020.
The West is horrified!
This could easily be the end of its global order, and it could all actually happen much earlier than expected.
And so, it antagonizes, provokes China, in all imaginable ways possible, from the US military buildup in Asia Pacific, to encouraging several Southeast Asian countries plus Japan to politically and even militarily irritate the PRC. Anti-Chinese propaganda in the West and its client states has lately been reaching a cacophonic crescendo. China is attacked, as I recently described in my essays, from literally all sides; attacked for being 'too Communist', or 'for not being Communist enough'.
The West, it seems, despises all the economic practices of China, be it central planning, 'capitalist means for socialist ends', or the unwavering desire of the new Chinese leadership to improve the standard of living of its people, instead of enriching multi-national corporations at the expense of the common citizens of the PRC.
It looks like a trade war, but it actually is not: like the 'West versus Russia', the 'West versus China' is an ideological war.
China, together with Russia, is effectively de-colonizing part of the world which used to be at the mercy and disposal of the West and its companies (as well as the companies of such client-states of the West as Japan and South Korea).
However it is being labelled, de-colonization is clearly taking place, as many poor and previously vulnerable countries worldwide are now seeking protection from Beijing and Moscow.
But to 'add insult to injury', parallel to de-colonialization, there is also 'de-dollarization', that is inspiring more and more nations, particularly those that are victims of Western embargos, and the unjust, often murderous sanctions. Venezuela is the latest such example.
The most reliable and stable 'alternative' currency that is being adopted by dozens of countries, for international transactions, is the Chinese Yuan (RMB).
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The prosperity of the entire world, or call it 'global prosperity', is clearly not what the West desires. As far as Washington and London are concerned, the 'surrounding', peripheric world is there predominantly,to supply raw materials (like Indonesia), cheap labor (like Mexico), and guarantee that there is an obedient, indoctrinated population which sees absolutely nothing wrong with the present arrangement of the world.
In his recent essay for the Canadian magazine Global Research titled "IMF - WB - WTO - Scaremongering Threats on De-Globalization and Tariffs - The Return to Sovereign Nations" a distinct Swiss economist and a colleague of mine, Peter Koenig, who used to work for the World Bank, wrote:
"As key representatives of the three chief villains of international finance and trade, the IMF, World Bank (WB) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) met on the lush resort island of Bali, Indonesia, they warned the world of dire consequences in terms of reduced international investments and decline of economic growth as a result of the ever-widening trade wars initiated and instigated by the Trump Administration. They criticized protectionism that might draw countries into decline of prosperity. The IMF cuts its global economic growth forecast for the current year and for 2019.
This is pure scaremongering based on nothing. In fact, economic growth of the past that claimed of having emanated from increased trade and investments has served a small minority and driven a widening wedge between rich and poor of both developing and industrialized countries. It's interesting, how nobody ever talks about the internal distribution of GDP growth..."
Peter Koenig further argues that globalization and 'free trade' are far from desirable for the majority of the countries on our planet. He is giving an example of China:
"Time and again it has been proven that countries that need and want to recover from economic fallouts do best by concentrating on and promoting their own internal socioeconomic capacities, with as little as possible outside interference. One of the most prominent cases in point is China. After China emerged on 1 October 1949 from centuries of western colonization and oppression by Chairman Mao's creation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Mao and the Chinese Communist party first had to put a devastated 'house in order', a country ruined by disease, lack of education, suffering from hopeless famine as a result of shameless exploitation by western colons. In order to do that China remained practically closed to the outside world until about the mid- 1980's. Only then, when China had overcome the rampant diseases and famine, built a countrywide education system and became a net exporter of grains and other agricultural products, China, by now totally self-sufficient, gradually opened its borders for international investments and trade. - And look where China is today. Only 30 years later, China has not only become the world's number one economy, but also a world super power that can no longer be overrun by western imperialism."
To be self-sufficient may be great for the people of every country on our planet, but it is definitely a 'crime' in the eyes of the West.
Now China is not only independent, but it dares to introduce to the entire world a totally new system, in which private companies are subservient to the interests of the state and the people. This is the total opposite to what is happening in the West (and its 'client states'), where the governments are actually indebted to private companies, and where people exist mainly in order to generate huge corporate profits.
On top of it, China's population is educated, enthusiastic, patriotic and incredibly productive.
As a result, China competes with the West, and it is easily winning the competition. It does it without plundering the world, without overthrowing foreign governments, and starving people.
This is seen by the United States as 'unfair competition'. And it is being punished by sanctions, threats and provocations. Call it a 'trade war', but it actually isn't.
And why unfair competition? Because China is refusing to 'join' and to play by the old imperialist rules dictated by the West, and also readily accepted by countries such as Japan and South Korea. China does not want to rule. And that scares the West.
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In a way, both President Trump and the present leadership of China want to make their countries 'great again'. However, both countries see greatness differently.
For the United States, to be 'great' is to control the world, once again, as it did right after WWII.
For China, to be great is to provide a high quality of living for its citizens, and for the citizens of most of the world. It also means, to have great culture, which China used to have for millennia, before the 'era of humiliation', and which was rebuilt and greatly improved from the 1949, onward.
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A leading US philosopher, John Cobb Jr., in a book which we are writing together, recently pointed out:
"Ever since World War II, what the United States has done has been widely copied. Hence this country has had a great opportunity to lead the world. For the most part, it has led in the wrong direction. The United States and the whole world, including China, are paying, and will continue to pay, a high price. But the days of American leadership are ending. I would still like for the U.S. to engage in major reforms, but it is too late for these to change the world. We can rejoice that the American century is giving way to the Chinese century."
Many do, but some don't. The end of the American leadership, or call it the "American Century", may scare people in various Western countries, particularly in Europe. Rightly so! Those days of unopposed Western economic dictatorship are over. Soon, perhaps, Europeans will have to really compete, and work hard for their money, instead of living high life relying on plunder of natural resources and cheap labor in their semi or neo-colonies.
While many in the West are scared, the situation is simultaneously rising hopes in all other parts of the world.
For China, not to yield to the US pressure, is to show that it is serious when it comes to its independence. The most populous nation on earth is ready to defend its interests, its people and its values.
It is far from being alone. From Russia to Iran, from Venezuela to South Africa, new and newer nations are going to stand by China, and by doing so, they will be defending their own independence and freedom.
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[First published by International Daily News, in China]
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books are Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism, a revolutionary novel "Aurora" and a bestselling work of political non-fiction: "Exposing Lies Of The Empire". View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky "On Western Terrorism". Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter.
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