What the Hell is Obama thinking sending the U.S.S. Lassen to the South China Sea to try and provoke China? I mean, seriously. Is this how we treat our banker and guys who make, well--- everything we use every day?!
China is an old, old country. We're talking 2100 B.C. What's going on in the South China Sea is a dispute with tiny islands that aren't worth a damn to the U.S. The claim on these shoals can literally go back thousands of years. China is also building artificial islands to extend its territorial waters to help bolster that claim.
NeoCons in the U.S., of course, are fuming. They fume at anyone who dare challenges the United States. But this isn't a challenge. We're talking about artificial islands off the coast of their country. Can you imagine the outrage here if China came even close to the 12 mile mark. It would be instant all out war, mainly because the United States (on its own) decided to double its international waters to 24 miles.
This is how arrogant and flush with power our political elite is. In order to extend the international boundary further out to sea, you'd have to get a sanction from, well, other countries. Not that I'm big on the U.N., but that's one of the U.N.'s jobs. So when you just announce, "Hey everyone! Our country just go bigger!" you're throwing your weight around. Why exactly?
But more to the point, China. What's exactly the plan here, Barack? Send in a destroyer, get it caught up in an incident and get us embroiled in yet, another war? What's going to be your response when the Chinese stop shipping Wal Mart pieces of plastic crap and the dollar plummets because China dumps them on the open market? Plus are you really hellbent on torpedoing Boeing's $17 billion dollar deal with China?
You know what loses wars? Being unable to pay for them! We are already borrowing money with both hands, spiraling further into debt AND devaluing the dollar with every QE. Talk about burning the candle at both ends! The icing on the cake would be to challenge China over some nothing piece of sand not worth a damn and start World War 3!
The Chinese are not our enemy! If anything, they've been better capitalist than America in recent years. That's why they laughed at Tim Geithner. Even the high school students in China know economics better than our politicians. I hope they keep their sense of humor. I don't want my future bosses to be in a bad mood when I need a gig.
Pull your head out of your ass, Obama. Ignore the NeoCons. Leave China alone!