Forgot Poor Hong Kong

China Promised to Keep Hands Off

...for 50 years. Guess what. They lied. You can add HK to the list of places and people the Commies persecute.

Seven Things You Can't Say about China

#2 - China is preparing for War.

In 1972, Richard Nixon observed that China was "the most formidable enemy that ever existed in the history of the world"

In 2021, in observance of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi declared, "International foes will have their heads bashed bloody against a Great Wall of steel formed by 1.4 billion Chinese." Charming, eh?

Their build up started with stealth, as Deng initiated the Hide and Bide strategy. Hide your strength, bide your time.

Here's an update.

China has increased its military spending by 1000% in the last quarter century. Its military is 4 million strong rivaling Nazi Germany at the start of WW2. Remember where that led? The Peoples Liberation Army (China's military) is 2X the size of ours and almost as technologically advanced. Their ground forces number 970,000 versus our 470,000.

China now has the largest Navy, Coast Guard and maritime militia in the world. Ours is the smallest since WW1 (1 not 2). A single Chinese shipyard can build more ships than all US shipyards combined - and they have 13.

Their planes are newer with similar technology to ours. They have longer range, faster and more destructive ballistic missiles.

They have the largest Sub Fleet, the biggest stock of sea mines and the first-ever antiship, ballistic missiles. At least 500 can reach targets 3400 miles way - think Guam.

And this doesn't even include their cyber, drone, satellite and ant-satellite technologies. A Chinese company now makes 70% of the world's drones. They doubled their number of intelligence satellites from 2018-2022. Now second only to us.

So what if any edge do we have? A few technologies and the fact that we are battle-tested. China's military has not been involved in actual fighting since 1979. But still - what kind of edge is that when the majority of damage in the next War will not be wreaked by boots on the ground or live soldiers?

As for nuclear destruction, once again, Mao set the tone, "if worst came to worst and half of mankind died, the other half would remain, while imperialism would be razed to the ground and the remaining world would become Socialist." When asked about the unthinkable deaths of his people, he shrugged, "What is if they killed 300,000,000? We'd still have plenty of people left." Some kinda guy that Mao.

When XI took over, he scrapped Deng's Hide and Bide strategy and declared, "Nuclear weapons are a pillar of our status as a world power."

China had 240 nuclear warheads when Xi came to power. Today's its 500. By end of decade, 1000. and by 2035, 1500. A 525% increase.

So how has this buildup turned into action?

Every year China becomes more aggressive toward its Asian neighbors., Starting with the US recession in 2008, China saw opportunity. They illegitimately staked claim to 2/3 of the airspace over the South China Sea. In 2022, Japan's military fighter jets were scrambled versus Chinese jets 575 times. As opposed to 50 times in 2009. China staked claim to 90% of the South China Sea with its vast oil reserves and home to 1/5 of the world's commerce. They regularly invade the territorial waters of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and others. They seize or build artificial islands throughout the region. Then build landing strips and depots. They are building bases in Africa and alliances with Venezuela and Cuba.

And then there is Taiwan (more to come on this)

Given the reality of this trendline, how can anyone doubt China is preparing for War?

UPDATE: America’s defenses will not be able to keep up with its peer adversaries if the Pentagon continues to take years to innovate its weapons systems, experts agreed at a security summit last week. 

The Pentagon’s modernization was given a "D" by the National Security Innovation Base Summit this week, a near-failing letter grade that national security leaders in Congress agreed was a fair assessment.

Government can't do anything right. Give anybody OPM and all bets are off.

Caught with Hand in Cookie Jar

Sheldon Whitehouse, Lib Senator from Little Rhody, has been one of Trump's most vocal critics. But that's not all he's been up to. Turns out he managed to funnel almost $3 million to his wife (through her consultancy) and $14.2 in federal grants to the Ocean Conservatory run by, guess who, wifey Sandra. That's your money by the way.

Wonder how many other self serving boondoggles DOGE will unearth.

Ka-Ching

DOGE identified that the Small Business Administration (SBA) granted nearly 5,593 loans for $312 million to borrowers whose only listed owner was 11 years old or younger at the time of the loan. The loans were issued in 2020 and 2021 and it is unclear for what they were used. 

DOGE also shared a post on X from Tuesday, which revealed that in 2020 and 2021 the SBA issued 3,095 loans for $333 million to borrowers over 115 years old.

The borrowers were still marked as alive in the Social Security database. In one case, a 157-year-old individual received $36,000 in loans, the agency said. The loans included PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) loans. 

A study published this week by the Functional Government Initiative and the Center for Renewing America

details the degree to which the Biden administration infused DEI policies into the federal government. The study identified 460 programs across 24 government agencies in the Biden administration that diverted resources to DEI initiatives. At least $1 trillion of taxpayer money was infused with DEI principles, the study states.

Biden's EV Postal fleet is "lost in the mail".

DOGE lawmakers are introducing a bill to claw back $3 billion authorized under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was designated to create an electric vehicle (EV) fleet for the United States Postal Service (USPS).

A South Carolina defense contractor responsible for the 60,000-vehicle order was already "far behind schedule" as of November. A Washington Post exposé revealed that fewer than 100 of these vehicles had been delivered to USPS.

Sounds a lot like the Canadian school bus fiasco.

DOD Don't Do "Climate Change Crap"

Oorah. Director Pete Hegseth made it crystal clear that the DOD has no time for anything but returning the US Military to its former position as the most lethal fighting force on the planet. Based on the China update, that sounds like a good thing. Oorah.

Never See the Light of Dawn

Here is a letter I penned to the Editor-in-Chief of the Wall Street Jourbnal. Undoubtedly this is the only place it will see the light of dawn. And to think the WSJ is owned by Fox.

Dear Editor

The WSJ has long been regarded as a pillar of journalistic quality for the business community and free market capitalism.

Sadly, I now find its reporting, at least on podcasts, a purveyor of covert bias.

I faithfully listen to Potomac Watch, Free Expression, All Things with Kim Strassel and THE JOURNAL.  As regards PW and Free Expression in particular, I find the hosts relentlessly anti-Trump.  Every chance they get, aspersions about President Trump’s motives, capabilities and style are insinuated.  Yet for four years, these same hosts handled Joe Biden with kid gloves, soft balling egregious missteps and giving every benefit of the doubt.  Excuses are still made for EU leaders who have advantaged America for generations, while creating a continent of lassitude.  As though they know better.

Clearly, we have mountainous problems.  Our borders are overrun, our military in piteous shape, our children undereducated, our energy security squandered – to name a few.  Can we not give this man a chance?  Problems such as ours are not solved overnight nor without pain.  Can the WSJ, once a journalistic leader, not rally round for at least a while?

I, for one, will be looking for new sources of information if things don’t soon change.  Why not raise your questions and opine without besmirching the dully elected leader of the United States of America in his first 60 days?  Why not give him a 100 at least?

Be Well.