23 Jan 2019
If the
Covington High School incident proves anything, it is how many people are ready
to damn Donald Trump and his supporters. Even erstwhile conservatives
abandoned the basic journalistic standard of ascertaining the facts before
making a fool of yourself.
The article
by Ethan Lou, (Hamilton Spectator of this date) blaming Trump’s retreats for China’s aggressiveness with Canada,
is of that ilk of ignorance before commentary. Lou’s argument is a
failure of logic and facts. As for logic, Lou admits that China’s
“hardline president” Xi predates Trump, and that China has been
uncharacteristically aggressive in its neighborhood for years before
Trump. Yet, “It’s Donald Trump’s fault.” That the effect is
observed before the alleged cause existed is Lou’s failure of logic.
This is an
example of ignorance. China began its “Anti-Access and Area Denial”
strategy in 2011, when Obama was president. It follows from China’
uncharacteristic imperialism, which itself arose due to domestic political
needs. Only about half of China’s population has been lifted out of
abject poverty, and any slowdown in economic growth could set off a
rebellion. Because of China’s “one-child” policy, it created a
generational cohort of something like 131 males for 100 females, leaving a lot
of youngish men without families to raise and time on their hands. That
is another cause of discontent and rebellion.
To tamp
down social tensions that could cause the outbreak of revolt against the
communist regime, China has stoked nationalism, racial chauvinism, and military
aggressiveness. Military aggressiveness justifies a heavy-handed
clampdown on domestic dissent.
Trump’s
aggressive trade policies and tariffs actually have the Chinese afraid of
him. Trump the businessman can see the weaknesses of China’s communist
regime, and is exploiting them for American benefit. But Lou doesn’t know
any of this, or admitting it would destroy the reason for his blaming of Trump
for Canada’s woes with China.
Lou is obviously
the kind of person who would have condemned America ten years ago for being the
world’s policeman, and carrying the big stick; and now he condemns America for
pulling in its horns under Trump.
Facts,
logic, and knowledge of history are of no concern when it comes to attacking
Trump and those who support him.
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