CHINA HINTS AT BYPASSING U.S. ECONOMY

Senior Chinese leaders have privately voiced fear over the soaring US budget deficit and are increasingly looking to diversify from the dollar, a Republican congressman said.

"We heard across the board -- in private -- substantial, continuing and rising concern," Representative Mark Kirk said after a trip to China that included talks with government officials and central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan.

"It's clear that China would like to diversify from its dollar investments," the lawmaker said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank.

Apparently the Obama debt load is frightening to the Chinese, who hold the key to our economic recovery. Read the whole thing at Breitbart.

Criticize China? Better Watch Your Back

It's a good thing CNN's Jack Cafferty isn't in China. In all likelihood he would be placed under arrest and hauled into prison for a lengthy sentence.

Cafferty's crime? He dared refer to the the Chinese government as 'goons' and 'thugs' in response to the regime's treatment of the people of Tibet.

The remarks were spoken from the safety of CNN's headquarters during the network's daily broadcast of 'The Situation Room. Cafferty quipped, 'I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years.'

This prompted the Chinese Foreign Ministry to summon CNN's Beijing bureau chief in order to demand an apology.

As usual, the regime's spin on the incident is that Cafferty was referring to 'the Chinese people as a whole' and not merely to the regime. According to the ruling Communist Party officials such words are tantamount to 'verbal terrorism' against the Chinese people and indicates an anti-Chinese bias at CNN.

Officials at CNN, however, refuse an apology. Cafferty himself stated that he was in no way referring to the Chinese people but only to the Chinese government, and that he apologized if anyone thought otherwise.

The entire display, however, is classic Chinese Communist reaction to criticism. Not only does the regime fail to recognize the value of free speech but it is particularly harsh toward speech, either written or spoken, that in any way portrays the government in a negative light.

In other words, if you dare criticize the government, it's off to jail with you.

Most of the Chinese people understand this, including Chinese-Americans. Some, however, view the American ideal of freedom of speech as a totally foreign concept that is to be devalued. It is extremely important for such person to understand that in this country freedom of speech was first envisioned to protect in particular any speech that is critical of government.

This is part of our understanding of basic, inherent human rights and liberties.

Thus, until the Chinese government understands that human liberty is the pinnacle of human progress, most of us in the States will always view the regime as 'the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the past 50 years.'

I will even go further than Mr. Cafferty. China's government is tyrannical. It suppresses the liberties of the Chinese people and holds them in the heavy grip of oppression.

Therefore, it is a rogue regime that is worthy of nothing but the free world's disdain and condemnation.

The Chinese Show Their True Colors

The world is truly fortunate that the Chinese are hosting the Olympics. Never since Tienanmen Square have the true colors of the Communist regime been on full display for all to see.

Despite all of the so-called 'progress' made in China with the introduction of capitalism into its system (albeit with clear anti-capitalistic restrictions on speech and other human rights), the nation is still held firmly in the grip of totalitarianism along with all of its concomitant suppression of human rights.

No greater example of this can be found than China's present treatment of Tibet, the Buddhist monks, and its reaction to the nations participating in the Olympics that protest the regime's oppressive actions.

The problem is that the West routinely capitulates to Chinese demands. Google and Microsoft betrayed their country when, on condition of doing business in China, they agreed to the regime's demands that freedom of expression be suppressed.

And the most that the West can seem to muster in response to China's barbaric treatment of Tibet is a verbal slap on the wrist.

As usual, this is not enough.

George the First set the tone for this travesty when he refused to react forcefully to the manner in which the Chinese regime reacted to the brave students who protested Communism in Tienanmen Square nearly 20 years ago.

Our non-action was wrong then, and it is wrong now.

China is still home to thousands if not millions of citizens, many of them the most intellectually astute in the country, who detest the regime and believe that democratic ideals and human liberty are the height of human progress.

We owe it to these stalwart souls to give a clear signal that we are on their side.

LIBERTY ALERT! CHINA ARMING TERRORISTS!

Washington, DC (TLS). U.S. intelligence sources have confirmed that China is sending arms to the terrorist insurgency in Iraq, and routing them through Iran!

My level of suspicion concerning China has been rising for quite some time now, as suddenly the U.S. has been bombarded with numerous instances of poisoning in our pet and human food supply, and now our toothpaste.

All of the offending items came from China.

In addition, California Congressman and Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter has been warning that the gross imbalance of trade practices between the U.S. and China--all to China's gain--has allowed the emerging super-power to use billions of American dollars against us.

This is cause for alarm.

Read the full report here:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm

2 Plus 2 Equals 5--Says 'Reform Math'

Washington, DC (TLS). Throw out all you know about exact science, precise mathematical calculations, and right and wrong answers. In 'Reform' math, all you need is an 'approximation' rather than a precisely correct answer.

Thus, 2 plus 2 DOES, in fact, equal 5, approximately speaking.

This balderdash is what your kids and grand-kids are being taught in public schools across the nation. And some parents are up in arms.

Some are even taking matters into their own hands after being mortified by the shocking lack of knowledge their children exhibit concerning basic mathematical equations. More than a few parents are charging that the Reform Math is causing their children to miss the boat on tests and college entrance exams.

No wonder the United States continues to lag behind other industrialized nations in math and science skills.

Apparently the government-run public school system continues to fail our nation's youth by dumbing down the requirements and skills needed to function in the real world. When I go to the local restaurant, I don't want the cashier giving me 'approximately' the correct change. Nor do I wish for the government's confiscation program otherwise known as the IRS to shortchange my refund as long as they can claim it was 'approximately close' to what they owe me.

Unless this nation begins to mandate certain basic skills that ALL school children must learn in order to graduate, then I am afraid that with super-powers like China looming on the scene, whose citizens run circles around Americans in math and science, the U.S. is headed for the ash-heap of irrelevance on the world stage.

Keep a Suspicious Eye on China

Washington, DC (TLS). The news out of Washington today is that the Bush Administration is increasingly concerned about China's long-range missile capability. And well they should be.

For years China has been quietly but steadily building its military, munitions and weapons arsenals, including the capability of launching nuclear missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland.

While the Chinese have been busy building up their capability of waging nuclear war against America, we Americans have largely ignored such ominous clouds on the horizon in lieu of establishing corporate and business liaisons with the Communist giant, not only to pad our pockets but to supposedly weaken the totalitarian resolve of the Chinese by expanding capitalistic ventures within their borders.

The problem is that under the present unfair trade practices in the name of 'free trade,' the Chinese have made billions at the expense of Americans--billions that have then been used to continue expanding their military and nuclear capability.

In short, the Chinese have been using our willingness to engage in capitalistic ventures with them against us.

The result is that China is on the brink of becoming a true, bona fide super-power in every sense of the word, not just militarily but economically.

Thus far, the only thing keeping China from dominating the world stage as a super-power has been its lack of economic progress under the stifling effects of Communism. That has changed drastically. And they have done it by being willing to adopt a limited capitalistic economic model while steadfastly maintaining their Communist totalitarian philosophy.

Thus, Google can do business and flourish as a capitalistic venture in China, but they must keep the Chinese population in the dark about certain strains of political thought that could incite the citizenry to an uprising similar to the Tienanmen Square display.

The ominous result of this course of events is that the capitalism that China allows to flourish within its borders is then used to bolster and strengthen its basic governmental philosophy that the general population cannot be trusted and that the liberties of the people must continue to be restricted.

Not only that, but the bounty produced by the capitalistic model is used to continue to build itself into the largest and most dangerous totalitarian army in the world.

Although China has seen the light that only capitalism can produce wealth and prosperity, it has failed to embrace the underlying principles of liberty from which capitalism draws most of its vitality.

The result, unfortunately, is a significantly strengthened--and dangerous--super-power.

In dealing with China we cannot for one moment forget that they are still Communists. And with their growing military power, we must always keep the suspicious eye on them, regardless of our business connections with them.

Duncan Hunter on the Issues--Trade

Washington, DC (TLS). As reported previously, The Liberty Sphere is impressed with Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, R-CA. The candidate is a true American hero, a patriot, a guardian of our borders, and one of the few left in Washington who has remained steadfastly faithful to the ideals of 'the Reagan Revolution.' Hunter was among the many conservatives who swept into power in 1981 with the election of Ronald Reagan to the Presidency.

The passage of time often leads us to forget that Reagan was adept at cultivating and winning the support of so-called 'blue collar Democrats'--those working class citizens in the Midwest in particular that traditionally voted for Democrats but felt betrayed by their Party's sharp turn to the Left on social issues. These blue collar workers saw in Reagan a genuine concern for their values, as well as a concern that American workers were about to be bamboozled in the infancy of the 'global economy.'

'Free Trade' was the mantra of those who jumped onto the globalization bandwagon, and they used that mantra to justify the outsourcing of American jobs to countries overseas that pay mere pennies on the dollar to their workers when compared to American workers. These countries became notorious for a callous indifference not only to workers but to the environment as well.

Since the Reagan era the problem has only gotten worse. Bill Clinton jumped on the globalization bandwagon and pushed for the passage of NAFTA, which only contributed to the outsourcing of American jobs in the name of 'free trade.'

However, a Constitutional Republic such as ours, which is based upon the principles of democracy, can remain free only if everyone plays by the same rules--rules that are fair and equally applied. This is one of the few legitimate roles of government, outside the provision for national security. Government was envisioned by our Founders as what we could describe as the referee in a football game. The playing field must be level for all sides. All sides must play by the same rules. When one decides to gain an unfair advantage, or begins to break those rules of engagement, then the referee must implement penalties.

In the name of 'free trade' American big business broke the rules and engaged in unfair practices that have hurt the American worker and helped America's enemies overseas. Government ceased to be a fair, impartial referee but became a complicit comrade in this grand ruse. In fact, in many ways the referee was paid off.

Thus, the issue is NOT 'free trade' but 'fair trade.' Fair trade does not negate free trade. Fair trade levels the playing field, insuring that ALL parties play by the same rules. The result is a better America and more American jobs...and a halt placed on the rampant outsourcing of labor.

Candidate Duncan Hunter believes in this concept of fair trade. It is actually the only way America can stop from being bamboozled by foreign governments who take advantage of our so-called 'free trade' policies, make billions of dollars, and then use that money we are sending them to oppose American liberty.

China has been one of the worst offenders.

Duncan Hunter would oppose such a raping and molestation of the American worker and the American ideal of freedom for all.

Here are the candidate's own words on the issue of fair trade:

“American workers are the most productive and innovative labor force in the world. Unfortunately, they are asked to compete in an unfair environment against other workers who make only a fraction of a living wage and are employed by companies that face few, if any, responsibilities to the environment or the long-term prospects of their employees. Our domestic manufacturers are forced to compete against foreign companies that benefit from their country’s currency and regulatory regimes. Ominously, China is cheating on trade and using billions of American trade dollars to build ships, planes and missiles at an alarming rate while, at the same time, taking millions of American jobs. I will reverse this “one-way street” with a new policy of fair trade for the American worker. "

The Liberty Sphere thinks this is a splendid idea.