Blindsided

Beijing makes its move in Latin America

China's Defence Minister, Chi Haotian, has said that war with the United States is inevitable. As Chi well knows there is more than one way to wage war - and this is where the canal comes in. It provides Beijing with a base from which to create enormous mischief for the US while piously claiming that its presence is merely a commercial one.

Ho hum. This is another subject the American people have no interest in. That's good for China. Unfortunately, that's bad, yes, that's very bad for the United States of America. What the hell, maybe if we ignore our problems they will go away.

Beijing's strategy is not primarily one of establishing pro-Chinese regimes but of creating a massive running sore that will drain US political and military resources. This, the regime reasons, will weaken America's Asian presence and so make it easier for China to drive her out of the Pacific-Asian region, leaving Hawaii as its only Pacific base.

This is not a fantasy. Why else did Beijing provide missile know-how and nuclear weapons technology to the likes of North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Libya? Because it would generate political tension and fuel conflicts that would tie up US military resources.

Four years ago I wrote:

"Why did Clinton allow the canal to fall into Beijing's hands? Because, incredible as this will seem, he thinks of Beijing as a 'strategic partner' of sorts and not a potential enemy. Clinton belongs to that peculiar school of thought that sees conflict, particularly war, as the tragic outcome of misunderstandings between basically decent and reasonable people ? except for fascists, of course, meaning those who challenge his beliefs and premises. Impervious to reality, those who cling to this suicidal-like vision accuse their critics of bad faith and dismiss their patriotic warnings as alarmist, ridiculous, hateful and so on".

As Islamofascists strive to demoralize allied troops the American media and many Democratic politicians and their followers direct their anger and hate not against those who murder American troops but against President Bush, just as Beijing strategists predicted.

The only thing Beijing's warlords understand and respect is power and the will to use it. America still has the power and, under Bush, has demonstrated the will to use it. So guess whom Beijing is rooting for in the coming presidential election? Clue: it isn't Bush.