The Cato Institute's Doug Bandow blathered before China was given PTNR and WTO membership: "What policy, economic integration or isolation, is most likely to move China toward capitalism and democracy?"
And of course, being the card-carrying libertarian that he is, he voted for economic integration.
He continued with: "The silliest argument against PNTR is that Chinese imports would overwhelm U.S. industry. In fact, American workers are far more productive than their Chinese counterparts ... Moreover, Beijing's manufacturing exports to the United States remain small, about half the level of those from Mexico."
In fact, US trade with China (see below graph, with Census Bureau data here) is completely out of control. Millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost, and not due to automation. China's "Made in China 2025" initiative will start to close the door to capitalists who naively believe that China's markets will become more open to them.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's elevation to paramount leader, i.e. president-for-life, makes a mockery of Bandow's contention that China was capable of moving toward democracy, but then again, Bandow rabidly worships at the altar of Ayn Rand.
China has thrown down the gauntlet with respect to the South China Sea which borders China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, confidently asserting it has "irrefutable" sovereignty over islands in the area which the aforementioned countries also claim.
China thinks so little of human rights that it allows organs to be taken from prisoners, with the obvious conflict of interest demonstrated by the court system which might have an idea as to which member of the elite will receive the organ.
The UN Refugee Convention was originally drafted in 1951, with a 1967 Protocol. China signed both in 1982. China signed the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1987. These treaties expressly forbid the deportation of refugees back to a country where they will be tortured, imprisoned, and executed, which is exactly what happens to North Koreans when they are returned to the DPRK. South Korea has a standing request with China to deport all North Koreans to Seoul, but China intends to maintain its buffer zone against the US.
Not to mention Taiwan, which China would dearly love to annex, with its latest attempt at blackmail to isolate Taiwan working very well around the world.
Now Bandow is babbling on the subject of North Korea, saying, "This is why it helps to think of North Korea as similar to say Pakistan, but without religion."
Not even close. It is true that if Pakistan remains under its current quasi-Islamic government, the only country that needs to fear its nuclear arsenal is India. However, if Pakistan were to suffer an Iranian-style revolution, all bets would be off.
"Eliminating North Korea’s nuclear weapons would be good but preventing another Korean War is essential," he chattered.
Bandow has no clue what is going on on the Korean peninsula.
"And as you know, this is a regime that's never met a weapon that it hasn't proliferated ... Its intentions are to use that weapon for nuclear blackmail, and then, to, quote, you know, 'reunify' the peninsula under the red banner," stated H.R. McMaster before he was tossed out of the Trump administration for not agreeing wholeheartedly with the groupthink.
Kim Jong-un is simply using a different tactic. He still wants to reunify the Korean peninsula under brutal DPRK terms. And the narcissistic Trump, who Kim is playing like a Stradivarius, just might let him.
And of course, being the card-carrying libertarian that he is, he voted for economic integration.
He continued with: "The silliest argument against PNTR is that Chinese imports would overwhelm U.S. industry. In fact, American workers are far more productive than their Chinese counterparts ... Moreover, Beijing's manufacturing exports to the United States remain small, about half the level of those from Mexico."
In fact, US trade with China (see below graph, with Census Bureau data here) is completely out of control. Millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost, and not due to automation. China's "Made in China 2025" initiative will start to close the door to capitalists who naively believe that China's markets will become more open to them.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's elevation to paramount leader, i.e. president-for-life, makes a mockery of Bandow's contention that China was capable of moving toward democracy, but then again, Bandow rabidly worships at the altar of Ayn Rand.
China has thrown down the gauntlet with respect to the South China Sea which borders China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, confidently asserting it has "irrefutable" sovereignty over islands in the area which the aforementioned countries also claim.
China thinks so little of human rights that it allows organs to be taken from prisoners, with the obvious conflict of interest demonstrated by the court system which might have an idea as to which member of the elite will receive the organ.
The UN Refugee Convention was originally drafted in 1951, with a 1967 Protocol. China signed both in 1982. China signed the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1987. These treaties expressly forbid the deportation of refugees back to a country where they will be tortured, imprisoned, and executed, which is exactly what happens to North Koreans when they are returned to the DPRK. South Korea has a standing request with China to deport all North Koreans to Seoul, but China intends to maintain its buffer zone against the US.
Not to mention Taiwan, which China would dearly love to annex, with its latest attempt at blackmail to isolate Taiwan working very well around the world.
Now Bandow is babbling on the subject of North Korea, saying, "This is why it helps to think of North Korea as similar to say Pakistan, but without religion."
Not even close. It is true that if Pakistan remains under its current quasi-Islamic government, the only country that needs to fear its nuclear arsenal is India. However, if Pakistan were to suffer an Iranian-style revolution, all bets would be off.
"Eliminating North Korea’s nuclear weapons would be good but preventing another Korean War is essential," he chattered.
Bandow has no clue what is going on on the Korean peninsula.
"And as you know, this is a regime that's never met a weapon that it hasn't proliferated ... Its intentions are to use that weapon for nuclear blackmail, and then, to, quote, you know, 'reunify' the peninsula under the red banner," stated H.R. McMaster before he was tossed out of the Trump administration for not agreeing wholeheartedly with the groupthink.
Kim Jong-un is simply using a different tactic. He still wants to reunify the Korean peninsula under brutal DPRK terms. And the narcissistic Trump, who Kim is playing like a Stradivarius, just might let him.