The China hostage crisis

I have a bulletin for politicians in Washington -- politicians of both major parties: China is not our friend.

If this wasn't clear before China began holding a crew of 24 U.S. servicemen downed after a midair collision with a Chinese military aircraft over international waters, it should be crystal clear to everyone now.

China is a hostile, totalitarian, well-armed regime determined to subvert freedom throughout Asia. It is also a growing military power targeting nuclear weapons at U.S. cities and has threatened twice to use them should the U.S. aid, in any way, free Chinese people in Taiwan.

U.S. officials have, however, turned a blind eye to the strategic threat China poses because it is a growing marketplace and an attractive trading partner. It's not the first time in our history political decisions were made by greedy corporate interests placing short-term profits ahead of national interest and security.

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As WorldNetDaily reported exclusively the Navy and Air Force told the Clinton administration in December that Chinese fighter jets had begun a systematic campaign of "buzzing" dangerously close to U.S. planes and ships in waters near China as early as a year ago, but the administration failed to brief Congress. Typical of the Clinton administration -- which was, in a very real way, bought and paid for by the Chinese government and military establishment.

The provocations started in April 2000 and got closer and closer, congressional sources say, but the Pentagon didn't formally complain to the White House until December -- out of respect for its ongoing "strategic partnership" with China, WND's Paul Sperry reported.

Those who have followed my commentaries in recent years know that I am a frequent critic of the indiscriminate use of U.S. military force around the world. I stood with the anti-war coalition in Serbia, and I believe the continued attacks on Iraq are not only counter-productive, they are criminal, illegal, immoral -- and certainly unconstitutional.

But I must say I am shocked at colleagues, such as Lew Rockwell, who take a "blame America first" attitude in the current crisis.

If America is to blame, it is for not recognizing the China threat to our national security much sooner. Let us hope this incident is a wakeup call.

Should we go to war with China? No. But whether the crew and plane are returned in the next few days or not, America should learn from this. It's time to rethink our trade agreements with China. It's time to rethink our kid-glove diplomatic treatment of Beijing. It's time to rethink whether it is in our national interest to have our store shelves filled with goods made in China often under slave labor conditions. It's time to rethink our Defense Department's efforts to train Chinese soldiers in American warfare tactics. It's way past time to stop the suicidal transfers of technology to China for personal and corporate financial gain. And it's time to figure out what we will do when -- not if -- China makes a military move on Taiwan.

To make those decisions, the American people need to know what's going on. During the last eight years at least, we now know, there was a systematic campaign to keep the truth from the American people.

So what can we do? I have long made it a personal mission to avoid buying Chinese-made goods. At one point, a supplier to WorldNetDaily gave us a good price on quality merchandise. The only problem was they were made in China. We opted to pay a little more for a little lower quality rather than to support the oppression of the Chinese people.

Imagine if ordinary Americans began doing that every day. Imagine if each of us began shaping foreign policy this way by letting those products rot on the shelves of Wal-Mart and other retailers who have no corporate conscience. Imagine if Americans voted out of office all those rascals who supported favorable trade with China. Imagine if Americans began showing some spine by confronting Chinese officials whenever and wherever they appeared in the U.S. -- including at their own embassies.

The American servicemen held for ransom in China had better be on their way home soon -- real soon. If they aren't, the U.S. needs to get tough and start seizing Chinese assets in the U.S., breaking diplomatic relations with Beijing and supporting Taiwan, not in a dual-China policy, but as the one true legitimate representative of free Chinese people. More importantly, if they do come home soon, this incident must never be forgotten.